Carpet is a wonderful type of flooring to have in your home for several reasons. It's soft and comfortable on your feet and helps make the home cozy.
Unfortunately, carpeting can become dirty or damaged quickly. Unlike hard flooring, the fibers in the carpet can attract and hold dirt and dust. Over time, you'll need to replace it.
Do you know when to replace carpet vs when to bring it back to life? There are a few signs to help you determine if it's time to replace carpet flooring. Knowing what these signs are is the best way to decide what your next step should be.
Continue reading below to find out everything you need to know!
Rips and Tears
No matter how much time you spend cleaning the carpet, there's no way to remove worn-down patches on the carpet or rips and tears. Once an area has ripped, or been worn down to the padding underneath, the only way to correct it is by replacing it.
Although there are some ways to extend the carpet's life, there's no way to completely prevent this from happening over time. All carpets will begin to wear down as they age. The areas most likely to be worn down quickly are the high-traffic areas such as the entryways and hallways.
Depending on your lifestyle, the carpet should last between 5-15 years. Some factors that help determine its lifespan are children and pets. A home with children and pets will most likely need a carpet replacement before a home with neither.
If the carpet is fairly new but has a small section where a rip occurred, then you can also consider only having that specific section replaced.
Mold or Mildew Growth
Unlike hard flooring options, carpeting has a padded mat that's installed before the carpet is laid down. If a spill happens and goes untreated properly, then it can cause mold or mildew growth. This is why it's extremely important to clean up any spills from the carpet as soon as they happen.
Unfortunately, some homeowners don't know the proper way to clean up a spill from carpeting. Some carpet cleaning tips are the following:
- You should first lay a dry absorbent towel down over the spill and dab it until no more liquid is lifted up out of the carpet
- Then, when you're ready to use a cleaning solution, only use a small amount to avoid placing too much liquid onto the fibers
When spills aren't cleaned correctly and mold and mildew begin to grow on the padding under the carpet, you'll need to replace the carpet and the padding.
Stubborn Stains
With help from a professional carpet cleaning service, you should be able to remove the majority of stains from the carpet. There may come a time, although when stains are stubborn and refuse to lift out of the carpet even with professional cleaners. This can happen when a stain is left to absorb and settle into carpet fibers for an extended amount of time.
Stains can make their way to the bottom of the carpet fibers and onto the padding under the carpet. When you first have the carpets cleaned, the stains might seem to disappear but as time goes by, they'll reappear. If this happens, then you'll want to contact a professional flooring company to have the carpet replaced.
Undeniable Smells
It's not uncommon for carpeting to develop some type of odor after years of use. Dirt, dust, allergens, pet dander, and other factors can cause foul odors in the carpet. Luckily, there are a few different ways to remove odors from it.
You can have a professional carpet cleaning company come clean it. You can also consider using carpet-freshener products bought in the stores. It's time to replace the carpet when you've tried all options to remove the odors but nothing seems to work.
Discoloration
Discoloration happens when carpeting ages. There are several reasons why a carpet might have some discoloration. One of those reasons is stains from spills in your home.
Another reason is the sun. When the sun hits carpeting in the same place for years, it'll fade the color. A trick to determine if the carpet has faded is to move a large piece of furniture that blocks the sun from reaching the carpet under it.
If the color of the carpet under the furniture item is different from the rest of the carpet, then you know there's some sun damage.
Old Age
Carpeting doesn't last forever. High-quality carpeting can that's well taken care of can have an extended life, but even it will need to be replaced eventually. After being walked on for many years, even a carpet with no spills or rips will have matted fibers after several years.
Do you know how old the carpet in your home is?
This might be a good starting point for you. If the carpet is over 15 years old, then you'll need to replace it.
Do You Know When to Replace Carpet in Your Home?
Do you know when to replace carpet in your home or when to simply clean or repair them? The information given in this guide above is a great first step to take when deciding what to do. If any of these signs are relatable to you, then you know it's time to have them replaced.
Are you ready to remove the old, worn-down, faded carpeting in your home?
Click here for your free in-home estimate!
