The dangers of carpeting
One of the most terrifying things a consummate homeowner can experience is the problem of changing one’s carpet, or even trying to clean underneath existing carpet as part of a large remodeling or spring cleaning project. This is because the very first thing a homeowner will notice is that as soon as they lift up or move their carpet… the floor underneath is absolutely terrifying. Often, when a carpet sustains a spill or stain from a food or drink item, only a very small amount will actually make up the stain; instead, most of the spill will actually leak through the carpet, where it can remain until the carpet is actually removed and the mess is cleaned up. It’s not uncommon to hear of homeowners that pull up their carpet to see literally several inches of mixed soda, water, and liquor from one too many inattentive party guests. If one’s especially unlucky, this is the result of lower layers of carpet actually being fully soaked through with miscellaneous spills – not only do they have to clean up the mess, but the carpet literally needs to be rung out, and at least thoroughly washed and dried or else the same problem will happen again as soon as they replace the carpet.
Even if a homeowner is lucky or neat enough to have avoided any problems with stains on carpet spills, the act of actually replacing one’s carpet is extremely frustrating. For one, it can often be tedious and difficult to do without tearing the old carpet, which is a waste of time and money. Additionally, edges to carpeted areas often will have sharp and rusty nails sticking straight up out of the area surrounding the carpeted floor. This isn’t too concerning until one considers the idea of narrow, carpeted stairs. When remodeling the house I lived in as a child, I wasn’t able to easily access my room because the stairs had just as many places with nails on each step as safe points. It took a few weeks for this to be fixed, and believe me; it was unnerving in the meantime.
A third danger of carpeting is the expense. Nowadays, especially given the potential for stain absorption, It’s almost expected for a person to replace their carpet, a time-consuming, expensive, and even dangerous process! While, technically, stone and tile floors are equally susceptible to damage by staining (as spills, especially acidic substances such as soda can “eat” the finish of of a tile), it isn’t nearly as noticeable. The owner of a carpet floor will have a floor that boldly proclaims its spills for all to see, which means that the owner will likely feel obligated to replace carpets that have been spilled on even only a few times. While carpeting is a soft and attractive alternative to a house that is primarily wood, stone, or tile flooring, make sure you know what you’re getting into!
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