Germs and Cleanliness of Floor Covering; a Confession of a Hardwood Floor Contractor

Carpet vs. Hardwood Floors

It’s always the same debate. Should I install a new carpet or wood floors? Which one is better or cheaper? Which one will hold for a long time? Which one is better for the health of my family? Which is better for the environment?

We had been replacing carpets with new hardwood floors in the bay area for two decades. Yes, it is pretty obvious that an old and dirty carpet should be replaced. But what about newer carpets? The answer is they are all the same. We removed brand new carpets from multi million dollar homes to only find dirt and dust under them.

Here is my list of reasons why hardwood floors are a better choice for everyone

1. Wood is cut from well managed forests in the U.S and so harvesters can have an unlimited use of this material. We don’t clear cut forests here so the supply remains available. Carpets are manmade and as such make them 100% not natural.
2. Wood will age with grace, and if needed can be refinished and coated with fresh finish that is low VOC
3. Carpets can only by shampooed with just floods the sub floor with water, and pushes all the dirt to the bottom
4. Carpets are all chemicals. Manufacturers overseas try to keep the price down, and that means compromising our health by using the cheapest adhesives, binders and chemicals to maximize profits
5. Once wood has no use, it can be recycled for other uses or will degrade to a natural product in nature. Carpet must go to the dump and pile up the land fill with more not bio degradable materials.
6. Even if you think your carpet is clean, it is not. All of the normal day to day dust that piles up on our home surfaces sink into the carpet, and cause many health issues especially for our kids. I always said it is much healthier living on a wood sub floor than on a carpet.
7. Our wood floor sources are mainly here in the U.S and that means keeping jobs in this country. Buying any carpet guarantees the opposite.
8. Nothing says class and warmth like an old well aged real wood floors. You wouldn’t put a carpet in the kitchen, right?

The list can go on forever but I think we all get the point. I honestly didn’t know how dirty carpets were until I started my career as a hardwood floor contractor. For me, having two boys is enough of a good reason to not have carpets in my home.

Kitchen Floor Before

Buffing and Staining Hardwood Floors

Kitchen Floor After

Buffing and Staining Hardwood Floors

Carpet Removed, Floor is Stained

Buffing and Staining Hardwood Floors

Floor Finished and Looks Like New

Buffing and Staining Hardwood Floors