15 Facts You Didn’t Know About Flooring

Flooring. We walk on it, play on it, our pets often sleep on it, we sometimes even eat on it. Unless we suddenly place our warm bare feet onto cold tile, how often do we really think about the floor? Now that you’ve got it on your mind, here’s a list of 20 facts you probably didn’t know about flooring!

Carpet

Let’s start off the list with the soft, fuzzy stuff beneath our feet.

1. Carpet makes up as much as 70% of the flooring in the United States.
2. Recycling isn’t only for cardboard, plastics, or glass. Carpet recycling programs have saved over a billion pounds of waste from sitting in our landfills.
3. The fluffy stuff is preferable by 38% of people in master bedrooms.
4. However, 44% of people prefer it in all bedrooms. Much better than waking up and setting your feet on the cold tile!
5. Wool makes up 80% of the material carpeting is made from. Acrylic makes up the other 20%.
6. It takes an average of 10 years for heavily used ones to lose their texture.
7. However, a well maintained woven one can last between 20 and 30 years.
8. Most stains can be removed completely if the right cleaning agent is used within a day or two.

Hard Floors

Laminate, wood, tile, linoleum, cork — pretty much anything not carpeting will fall into the hard flooring category.


9. Cork floors will usually last between 10 and 30 years, depending on the quality.
10. Many homeowners (approximately 35%) said they will install hardwood flooring at one point or already have installed it.
11. Hardwood floors don’t trap allergens such as pollen, mold, or dust mites — creating a much safer and more comfortable living environment for the 40 million Americans who suffer from asthma.
12. Linoleum flooring often has a warranty of 25 years.
13. However, the floor itself can last well over 40 years.
14. Pine and fir are some of the softest woods used for flooring.
15. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Red Walnut and Brazilian Teak are some of the hardest woods used.
If you’re looking at flooring options to revamp your living area, now you’re better equipped to make a solid purchase. Whether you’re looking at carpeting, tile flooring, hardwood flooring, vinyl flooring, or laminate flooring, you’ve got some facts to help you make your choice. Do your research to figure out which choice or choices fit your lifestyle — you may be surprised at what you learn.