If you’re asking “how long does carpet last?” then chances are your carpet is on its last leg. If you are looking to replace your flooring and are trying to decide between carpet and hardwood, you can check out our article about that here: carpet or hardwood?
The reality is that how long your carpet lasts has a lot to do with how it is taken care of and the amount of traffic it sees. At the end of the day, you don’t really have much control over the traffic your carpet sees. The different rooms in your home tend to attract certain amounts of traffic and it’s hard to control that. For example, your living room will often attract the most traffic of any room in your home since it is a favorite stop for kids, pets and relaxing. Your living room or family room will also be the place for company to gather, celebrations to be had and games to be played. The carpet in this room will be get a significant amount of traffic. On the other hand, smaller rooms like offices and guest bedrooms may receive very little if any traffic on a regular basis.
The other major factor in how long your carpet will last is how you take care of it. The main causes of carpet wear is trapped dirt and stains. Stains can make even a brand new carpet look old and dirty so removing stains as quickly and completely as possible is essential for the long life of a carpet. Since hiring a professional cleaner isn’t always feasible for every stain, it is a good idea to have some carpet stain fighters on hand. For some great information on how to remove every type of carpet stain checking out this article from This Old House on how to remove carpet stains.
Trapped dirt is also one of the major causes of carpet wear. Trapped dirt includes dust, sand and other debris carried in on your pets and shoes. This sand and debris have sharp edges that will grind into and cut the fibers of your carpet leaving bald spots and ruining the pattern. As your carpet is walked on, the dirt will get ground down deep into the fibers where it can be very difficult to remove discoloring your carpet and making it look dingy, even after a good cleaning. Unfortunately the effects of trapped dirt in your carpet are almost always irreversible. If your carpet has begun to look worn due to a lack of regular cleaning, the only option is to replace it.
Since the life span of your carpet is so dependent on its use and care, you have to look at more than a calendar to tell if it’s time to replace your carpet. There are a few different ways you can tell if it’s time to replace your carpet. First, if there are any strong odors or obvious stains it is most likely time to replace your carpet to keep your home up to date. Second, if the carpet padding is starting to lose its cushion, it can be time to replace the padding and your carpet. Lastly, if your carpet is showing visible signs of wear like bald spots, unraveling pile or matting then it is time to replace your carpet.
When you are ready for new carpet, contact the premier carpet installer in the Charleston area. Carolina Flooring Services is your number one source for commercial and residential carpet installation. We offer professional on site measurements of your space, removal of your old carpeting and a wide variety of new carpet options that will install for you. For more information about our carpet installation process you can visit our website for information on our carpet services.
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carpet.jpg – By Quadell – Licensed by Creative Commons Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia – Original Link
