Every home should have attractive and useful flooring that gives the owners a good return on their investment. Yet, most people opt for carpeting, which wears out after a few years. According to the National Wood Flooring Association, 75% of homes have carpeting and 58% have tile. If you are considering flooring options, here are four reasons why you should choose hardwood flooring over carpeting.

1. Hardwood Is Durable

The single biggest reason to get hardwood flooring is its durability. A properly installed hardwood floor can last as long as your home is standing. You can choose from a variety of hardwoods, including from trees that are grown and harvested locally. Locally sourced wood should cost less than imported timber or other wood that was harvested several states away and shipped to your location.

2. Hardwood Is Easy to Maintain

Maintaining a hardwood floor is a lot easier than maintaining carpeting. You just need to use a dust mop or broom to sweep up any debris. You also can polish the wood once or twice a year or hire a flooring service to do it and make the floors look shiny and new. Even minor scratches would be polished out while restoring the wood's natural luster. Clean and shiny hardwood flooring is very attractive and gives your home a much more natural feel.

3. Hardwood Is Repairable

Accidents happen that can damage hardwood flooring and carpeting. You might drop something heavy onto the floor that damages some of its wood. You also might spill something that could stain it if you don't clean it up as soon as possible. Cleaning carpeting is a lot harder than cleaning up a spill on well-maintained wooden flooring. In our experience, wood is less permeable and less likely to stain than carpeting. You might have to rent special equipment or hire a flooring service to clean or replace stained carpeting.

4. Carpeting Holds Debris and Pests

Another big advantage of hardwood flooring is that it does not give dirt or pests a place to hide. The fibers in carpeting hold dirt and enable pests to hide near the bottom. Regular vacuuming can help clean up the dirt and get rid of pests like fleas and cockroaches, but many will stay hidden away deep inside the carpet fibers. Hardwood flooring doesn't give them any cover.

Have questions? Call Excellent Floors to learn more about the benefits of hardwood flooring versus carpeting. You can schedule flooring services from our experienced technicians.