What is more expensive: carpet or hardwood?
If you’re wondering what is more expensive: carpet or hardwood, the answer to this question should be answered in two different ways.
Let’s break down the cost difference between carpet and hardwood and discuss what’s the better investment for your home.
What costs more: carpet or hardwood?
Whether we’re talking about the product itself, the cost to install it, or the cost to maintain it, hardwood will likely always be more expensive than carpet.
Product costs:
The average cost of hardwood flooring is between $3 and $15 per square foot.
The average cost of carpet is between $2 and $12 per square foot.
Installation costs:
The average cost of hardwood flooring installation is between $3 and $9 per square foot.
The average cost of carpet installation is between $1 and $2 per square foot.
As far as maintaining the flooring, hardwood will require more of a time and money investment. For example, you may need to refinish the flooring at some point; you’ll likely want to invest in nice rugs in areas that are prone to spills, and you may be required to buff out scratches from time to time.
On the other hand, carpet will likely only require a good carpet cleaning every 6 months to a year.
What costs more in the long run: carpet or hardwood?
If we look years or even decades into the flooring, carpet doesn’t stack up to hardwood — not even close. There are a few reasons for this, but let’s break down the most important reasons:
- Carpet doesn’t last very long: Even though it may take a little more time and money initially to preserve hardwood flooring, it can literally last a lifetime and still look amazing. With carpet, however, you’d be lucky to have it look good for 10, even 5 years.
- Wood is more desirable: When it comes to selling your home, hardwood flooring is where it’s at. Buyers will definitely pay more for hardwood flooring than they will for carpet. In fact, wood flooring is usually a requirement for home buyers.
Want to learn more about the pros and cons of hardwood flooring?
We’ve got you covered. Walk The Plank Hardwood Flooring is a local flooring store in Bakersfield, CA, and we’ve helped people find, finance, and install hardwood flooring for decades. Take a look at our additional resources below, and reach out to us if you have any questions.