28 Feb Is it Time to get Rid of your Old Carpet?

The floors in your home sustain a lot of damage over time from sources that include children, pets and entertaining. That’s particularly true of carpeting. Whether you install new carpeting or transition to completing different flooring, there are certain signs that it’s time to take up the old carpeting.

Much will depend on the amount of foot traffic in your home and various other factors. The average carpet is estimated to last from 5-15 years depending on the quality of the carpeting and padding. In general, carpeting will begin to show damage in as little as 3-5 years. Areas that typically begin to exhibit signs of wear and tear first are living areas, hallways and stairs.

Matting

When the piling begins to lay down in high-traffic areas or doesn’t want to stand up even after vacuuming, it’s a good time to begin considering flooring options. At this point, even having it professionally cleaned won’t succeed in making the pile stand up.

Odors

Some types of spills result in unpleasant odors that can linger far after the original spill has been cleaned. Pet urine and milk are particularly difficult to mitigate, even for professional carpet cleaners. Any liquid will go through the carpet, into the padding, and has the potential to result in the growth of mold and mildew.

If mold or mildew is present, it’s more than just a smelly problem. It can present a significant health hazard for anyone with a respiratory condition and it aggravates allergy symptoms. You and your family are also at additional risk for skin irritations and gastrointestinal infections. Worn carpets can harbor a variety of insect pests.

Padding

Carpet padding performs three primary functions – buffering sound, providing a layer of insulation to the floor, and making the surface comfortable to walk on. Just because you’re not walking directly on the padding doesn’t mean it can’t wear out and lose its resilience. Carpeting will need to be replaced when the padding fails in any of its functions. If it begins to wrinkle where you step or you feel unevenness in the floor, consider new flooring.

Stains

Even stain-resistant coatings may not be enough to nullify the range of stains that can occur on carpeting. Stain-resistant coatings begin to fade over time. There are several different types of stains that can be particularly difficult to remove, including oil-based stains (hand and suntan lotion, salad dressing, and kitchen grease), tannin-based stains (wine, coffee, tea, soft drinks), dye-type stains (cherries, mustard, grass and berries) and protein-based stains (milk/formula, food, urine and feces).