So you're ready to redesign your home's floor but don't know where to start? Where most people confuse themselves is the choice of material. Trust me, there are a lot of flooring material options available in the market. Two of the most common ones are carpet flooring options and ceramic tiles. So, before you set out to buy carpets or seek a quote for laying ceramic tile in Fort Collins, analyze your budget, requirements, house dynamics, and aesthetics properly.
You want to make sure you make the appropriate choice before pulling out your credit card and investing your hard-earned money in some new flooring material. Value for money is the key when it comes to buying new flooring material. However, the research can be excruciating. Here’s a list of three most important factors, other than the aesthetics, that most people judge their flooring options before actually buying one:
- Cost
There are no two ways about it: flooring is a costly affair. Even if you choose the cheapest option (which usually decreases the quality of the material), you should expect to invest at least a couple of hundred dollars in the flooring materials alone.
Depending on the style of carpet you choose, carpet installation in Fort Collins costs somewhere between $2 and $7 per square foot. However, the market is wide and diverse. There will be some options that are far more expensive than others.
You should always remember that this is only the cost of the carpet and does not include the cost of professional installation, tools, or other materials.
If you’re considering ceramic tiles, you’d need a deeper pocket. Ceramic tiles are slightly more expensive. To give you an idea, ceramic tiles prices can range from about $2 per square foot to more than $30 per square foot, depending on a number of parameters, including tile size, design, and brand.
This pricing of ceramic tiles, just like carpet, does not include the cost of installation, tools, and any materials required for installation.
- Lifespan
When you’re about to change your indoor flooring, you're likely to spend hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars on the new material, installation costs, etc. So, naturally, you'd like it to last for a long. After all, who wants to waste time on temporary flooring options and keep laying new flooring over and over again? Between ceramic tiles and carpets, you might think which one has the longest lifespan?
When it comes to carpets, the lifespan of carpet depends upon the type of carpet. A low-quality carpet (such as the type found in most apartments) will only stay optimal for 1 to 3 years. Carpets of medium quality have a slightly longer lifespan of 5 to 15 years. With proper care, high-grade carpets do not require replacement for about 15 and 25 years.
On the other hand, ceramic tiles are the best flooring option available as it has one of the longest lifespans of any flooring material. With optimal care, most ceramic tiles have a lifespan ranging from 75 to 100 years. If you want a flooring material that lasts long enough, ceramic tiles are the best option.
- Durability
In a household, flooring should be durable and withstand small issues like water spills, scratches, etc.
Durability is determined by three elements with carpets namely twist, density, and fiber. For better durability, look for a wear-resistant fiber that is tightly coiled and has a high density.
Carpets are fantastic when it comes to withstand scratches. It does not have the same problems as hard flooring. But there are other concerns, like regular wear and tear. However, with a high-quality carpet material, this is not frequent, at least not in the first few years of use.
Ceramic tiles, on the other hand, are water-resistant and can easily withstand spills and nominal flood damage. As a result, it is perfect for installing in high-moisture areas and rooms of your house such as your bathroom. With decent quality tiles, you won't have to worry about scratches from furniture or pet claws either.
Therefore, ceramic tiles are also more durable, in addition to being more long-lasting than carpet.
