4 Signs It’s Time to Replace Carpet

There’s no inviting surface quite like soft carpet and we love the cozy spaces that this plush surface helps create. Carpet can take a lot of foot traffic and spills in an active home over the years, and after a decade plus, you may begin to see the early signs of wear. From subtle signs to more obvious signals, eventually you may be in the market for new carpet replacement to give your familiar spaces a fresh feel once more.

How do you know when it’s time to replace your carpet? Here are four typical indicators that we share with our customers that a fabulous new carpet style may be in order:

1. My Carpet Is Starting to Look Old

First things first, you may notice that it’s harder to restore the fresh appearance of your carpet pile. Many factors such as playful children, active pets, the impact of furniture, snags from pet claws or footwear, and more can all cause unsightly tears, rips, and matting. Similarly, fading over the years from sunlight, as well as matted, lumpy, worn, or rippled areas in the carpet can come from moving furniture unproperly. If regular vacuuming and spot treatment can’t provide a clean carpet visual, it may be time for replacement.

2. Why Does My Carpet Smell?

It can be tricky to locate where a lingering odor is coming from in the home. From pet accidents and food and drink spills to smoking and other culprits over the years, carpet can trap unpleasant aromas. If a spill is absorbed into and under the carpet, mildew and mold growth will potentially create an odor as well. We always recommend 1-2 professional carpet cleanings annually as a part of your overall care strategy. If these cleanings don’t remove a poor smell permanently, consider replacing your carpet!

3. Replacing Carpet When Selling A Home

If you are interested in listing your home on the market, your real estate agent may want you to make a few updates to attract better offers. In order to create the best first impression with potential buyers, you need to ensure that the wear-and-tear your current carpet displays is not the first thing seen in an open house! Attractive new carpet is a sound, reasonable investment that helps solidify great offers in less time. Also, new carpet in a neutral tone is great way to appeal to wide range of design tastes all at once and update the overall feel of an older home.

4. Is Old Carpet Making My Allergies Worse?

Carpet can trap particles and pet hairs to make vacuuming and cleaning easier, but a carpet pile over time can house many allergens as well. If you notice that you or household residents experience more frequent sneezing, watery eyes, or congestion, there’s a potential that older carpet can make allergies worse. If your family suffers from allergies and your home has carpet older than 10-15 years, new carpet replacement can potentially help prevent more irritation and help alleviate the common symptoms.

If you are interested in selecting new carpet, our soft surface experts are ready to help your shopping journey. Contact Flooring 101 or visit any one of our seven Flooring 101 locations to find your new favorite carpet!