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From hardy woven rugs to deep-pile carpets that offer just the right amount of comfort when you step out of bed in the morning, there’s nothing quite like having a high-quality carpet in your home.
But much like when choosing a laminate floor or the right LVT tiling, it’s important to remember that even the best carpet won’t last forever, and eventually, it’ll need touching up or replacing entirely. But how do you know when your old carpet needs swapping out for a new one?
To lend you a hand, we’ve pulled together our expert insights around how often to replace a carpet, including essential signs of ageing to watch out for and what to consider when picking out a new carpet for your home.
In this guide:
How long should carpet last?
When it comes to the question of how long do carpets last, a well-maintained modern carpet, on average, should be good for at least five to fifteen years, provided you look after it properly and invest in a high-quality brand.
However, it’s important to note that how long your carpet lasts will largely come down to where it’s installed in your home and how often it’s walked on.
High-traffic areas, like hallways and living rooms, are particularly prone to fast carpet wear due to the lighter materials carpets tend to be made from – hence why harder-wearing, easier to clean materials, such as engineered wood planks, are preferred for these spaces.
Why might you need to replace your carpet?
At the end of the day, no matter your preferred floor type, looking after the floors in your home is a must if you want a comfortable and clean living space, especially when it comes to carpets.
There are few things worse than a ratty and patchy carpet. Dog-eared and holey, a worn carpet won’t give you the same kind of softness and satisfaction that a fresh carpet can deliver, not to mention being a lot harder to clean properly.
At the end of the day, if you want to keep your home looking its best, knowing how often to replace a carpet is vital. And the good news is that there are plenty of signs you can watch out for to help you know when to pull up your old one.
How to tell when your carpet needs replacing
Planning on examining your carpets to see how old they’re looking? Here are the five things you should watch out for when deciding if your carpets need replacing in the not-too-distant future:
1. Irreversible wear and tear
Perhaps the most obvious sign that it’s time to replace your carpet is any visible damage and wear and tear. All carpets wear down over time, especially those in high traffic rooms of the home, but once your carpet is going threadbare and bald, it’s probably time to change it.
A flattened pile, in general, tends to make carpets feel less comfortable, and bald spots can actually make carpets unexpectedly slippery. Rips can present a tripping hazard, and even frayed edges are something to note as they tend indicate the potential for further damage.
Worst of all, if your carpet is exposing the underlay beneath, then there’s a good chance you could start seeing damage to this as well, further degrading the quality of your carpet padding and making your floors that much more unpleasant to walk on.
2. Stubborn stains
No matter how diligently you clean your carpet, eventually you’ll find a few stains that prove too tricky to remove. Pet accidents, water damage, wine spills, and more, plenty of things can easily penetrate carpet fibres to the point where deep clean efforts might not get rid of them.
If you’re lucky, stains like these can be hidden by furniture and other rugs. But if open parts of your carpet are starting to show their age and visibly staining, it might be best to think about replacing them.
3. Foul odours
Similar to stubborn staining, persistent foul odours are another clear sign that you should consider swapping out your old carpet with a new one. No one likes to catch a whiff of stale smells in their home, and if professional cleaning can’t get rid of them, then chances are you will need to buy a new rug.
As for what causes such odours, it could be anything from pets to mould growth. Mould and moisture, in particular, can cause musty smells and even pose a health hazard, so it’s best to dispose of rotten carpets like these as soon as possible if you can.
4. Discolouration
A natural process that happens to carpets over time, uneven fading or discolouration go hand-in-hand with carpet ownership. A result of overexposure to sunlight, all carpets will eventually fade, leaving your carpet looking aged and old in comparison to the rest of your home, to the point where they may no longer match your interior décor.
5. Out-dated style
Finally, rather than your carpet being old to the point of no longer existing, it may just be that your current carpet is out-dated compared to modern trends. Older zig-zag and boldly patterned carpets can stand out for all the wrong reasons in a contemporary home, and you may want to remove them rather than trying to make the style clash work.
What to consider when replacing your carpet
If you’ve examined your carpets and decided that it’s time to rip them up and put down new ones, then your next step is to start browsing for a suitable replacement rug for your home.
However, when it comes to replacing your carpet, there are several quality considerations you should keep in mind so that you pick the right one for your needs. Here are the essential areas to consider when buying a new carpet:
1. Carpet location
First things first, before you settle on a carpet type and design, you need to know where in the home you want to place it. After all, you want to make sure you pick a carpet that’s suitable for the space at hand.
For high-traffic rooms, such as hallways and stairs, a hard-wearing carpet is definitely in order, while a deeper pile and softer rug is ideal for your bedroom and small lounge spaces. As for bathrooms and moisture-prone areas of your home, we recommend avoiding carpet altogether and opting for LVT instead.
2. Carpet pile
Once you know where your carpet will be installed, the next factor to consider is carpet pile thickness. The thicker the pile, the more cushioned and luxurious your carpet will be. Alternatively, a thinner pile might suit your durability needs more if luxury is not your priority.
Essentially, carpet pile affects how well your new carpet will hold up over time. A higher-quality twist carpet with a denser pile is often more resistant to flattening and can maintain its appearance for longer periods.
A looser loop pile rug, on the other hand, tends to have a greater degree of longevity, extending the lifespan of your carpet and potentially offering stronger degrees of stain resistance – depending on carpet type.
3. Carpet type
Next up, with your carpet pile density in mind, it’s time to choose the type of carpet you want in your home. Again, the material you choose will play a large role in how durable and long-lasting your carpet is, and picking the right type of carpet for your home is vital if you want to maximise its lifespan.
In our opinion, high-traffic zones absolutely require a more resilient carpet material, such as nylon or polyester, to withstand the wear and tear placed on it from constant foot traffic, and to make general cleaning easier.
Meanwhile, for less used rooms, a more natural carpet weave that’s a little softer to the touch is ideal for delivering the sort of everyday comfort you might want in your bedroom or lounge. Wool carpets are perfect for this. Luxurious and naturally resilient, they’re ideal for bedrooms, though they do require a little more maintenance.
4. Carpet colour and design
Finally, now that you’ve gone over all the essential carpet areas, it’s time to think about carpet colour and design. This is the easy part, as all you need to do is pick a carpet shade or pattern that you like and that works with your home décor.
Of course, if you want to save yourself a little bit of time when cleaning, then you might want to focus on using darker colours, as these heavier shades are much better at hiding stubborn stains than neutral and lighter colours.
Tips for extending the lifespan of your carpet
Lastly, to wrap up our guide on replacing your carpet, we’ve pulled together some top tips on how to look after your carpet so you can get the most out of it before needing to replace it:
- Catch stains straightaway – by far the best way to prevent long-term staining is to clean up stains as soon as they happen. That way, you can soak up the majority of them before they have a chance to fully settle.
- Take your shoes off – keeping your shoes on is a sure-fire way to wear down your carpet faster and track dirt into your home, so make sure you leave your shoes at the door to keep your carpet looking fresh.
- Vent your home – you might not think it, but regularly venting your home with fresh air is a great way to reduce dust build-up, taking the strain off your hoover and freshening up your home in general.
- Get a professional clean – as a general rule of thumb, we suggest getting your carpet cleaned professional every 12-18 months, depending on the amount of foot traffic it gets. Regular professional cleaning like this will keep stains at bay and reduce the likelihood of premature wear and tear occurring.
- Pick the right carpet for the job – at the end of the day, the best way to make your carpet last is to pick the right carpet for the job. A hard-wearing carpet is always going to be better for a hallway or busy space, so make sure you choose one that can meet the demands of your home life.
Find the right carpet with Flooring King
Hopefully, you should now have a much better idea about how often you should change your carpet. Again, the best way to make your carpets last is to look after them in the first place with regular cleaning and installing the right type.
Of course, if you do need to replace your old carpet, then you should absolutely check out the Flooring King range today. With a variety of carpets to suit all areas of the home from top brands in the space, we’ve something to suit everyone’s needs.
Get in touch today to find out more and visit our flooring hub for more detailed guides like this one.
