Carpet vs hard-surface flooring
The question underneath most whole-house decisions. Carpet is warmer, softer, quieter and cheaper to install than any hard floor; every hard floor is easier to keep clean, safer for allergies, better for pets and better at resale. Most houses end up with both, and the argument is really about which rooms.
| Carpet | Hard surface (vinyl plank shown) | |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost | $5.50–$8.50 / sq ft | $6–$9.50 / sq ft |
| Water resistance | Poor | Excellent |
| Durability | Good | Good |
| Maintenance | Fair | Excellent |
| Lifespan | 10–20 years | 15–25 years |
| DIY difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Pets | Poor | Good |
| Kids | Good | Good |
Choose carpet when
Choose carpet for bedrooms, nurseries and media rooms: the rooms where people sit on the floor and where quiet matters. Nylon or triexta over a dense pad, and it will look right for fifteen years.
Choose hard surface when
Choose a hard surface for kitchens, baths, entries, halls, dining rooms and any room with a dog, an allergy or a wheelchair. Vinyl plank is the usual choice; wood and tile are the same argument at a higher price.
Common questions
Is carpet bad for allergies?
It holds dust and dander that a hard floor lets you wipe up. With weekly vacuuming and a HEPA machine it is manageable; a hard floor is easier.
Which is cheaper?
Carpet, installed, by a wide margin. Over twenty years a hard floor that is not replaced usually costs less.
Don’t start with the flooring. Start with your home.
Eight questions about the rooms, the household, the subfloor and the budget. A ranked shortlist with the reasons, the watch-outs and a project estimate.
8 questions · about 2 minutes · no obligation
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Your flooring choice is only half the equation. Installation, subfloor preparation, removal and transitions change the final price. Local professionals quote the same scope, and you decide whether to talk to any of them.
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