Both hardwood and carpet are great options for your home’s flooring, but each comes with its advantages and downsides. The interior design experts at Lahaina Carpet and Interiors provide styling services and custom interiors to customers throughout Maui. In addition, their highly trained staff of designers and technicians will help you choose the flooring that’s best for you and your home.

If you’re trying to decide between carpets and hardwood flooring, it’s best to start by considering the pros and cons of each:

Hardwood Flooring

Due to its durability, hardwood flooring will be a part of your home for decades. It’s a quality, long-term investment that will increase your home’s value. Furthermore, it requires minimal upkeep: All you’ll need to do is wash it with a special floor cleaner once a week or so. Finally, you’ll likely never have to fully replace your hardwood floor, even if it gets damaged: A flooring contract can repair or refinish it instead.

However, hardwood flooring’s hard surface means anyone who falls down is likely to get hurt. Additionally, the initial cost of installing hardwood flooring is often high, so you’ll need more money up front than you would with another type of flooring. Furthermore, even though it will last for years, hardwood floors do age and will begin to creak after decades of being walked on.

Carpet

Carpet is generally the most cost-effective flooring option, but certain premium brands of carpeting can reach a price point similar to hardwood flooring, so how much you pay initially will depend on which brand you choose. Furthermore, carpets do wear out over time and will eventually need to be replaced, even if the one you selected is of good quality. Choosing high-quality materials, regular maintenance, and exercising caution will greatly extend your carpet’s lifespan.

The cons of carpeting include their tendency to absorb dirt, dust, and other allergens, which can affect the people who live in your home. And even though most carpets are less expensive than hardwood flooring initially, this cost will be offset by the fact that you’ll need to pay a professional to clean your carpets thoroughly a few times a year.

If you’re thinking about ways to improve your home’s flooring, the knowledgeable designers at Lahaina Carpet and Interiors will help you find the option that’s best for you. Visit them online or call (808) 661-4268 for a free design consultation and estimate.