The oldest carpet ever discovered, the Pazyryk Carpet thought to be about 2,500 years old (pictured to the left), was found in a Scythian tomb in southern Siberia in the 1940s. While the carpet in most businesses isn’t that old, sometimes it sure looks that way.
The reality is that carpets wear out faster than any other flooring option available. When it’s time for them to finally give up the ghost, many business and homeowners grapple with the question of what to replace them with.
New carpet, or change it up all together and install flooring that you can actually clean?
Other than the frustration of constant cleaning and the short lifespan of carpet, it might really sway your decision when you discover what kind of nastiness is lurking in every carpet you’ve ever walked on.
It’s worse than you think.
The Dirt on Carpets
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According to estimates, carpets are 4,000 times dirtier than toilet bowls. That’s right, the surface you walk on every day is grosser than the place where you do your business in the bathroom.
There are over 200,000 bacteria in every square inch of carpet, including some truly sickening germs, such as MERSA, campylobacter and norovirus. And that’s not even counting the insects such as dust mites or allergens such as pollen, pet dander and mold that collect in your carpet’s fibers.
Carpets are so bad that the United States National Institute of Health advises against them. A 2018 study concluded, “…continued caution should still be exercised when considering the use of wall-to-wall carpeted floors in schools, kindergartens and offices, as well as in children’s bedrooms unless special needs indicate that carpets are preferable.”
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Here’s another fun fact: one square yard of carpet can contain up to 1 lb. of dirt and still appear to be clean. That’s because most dirt falls to the base of the carpet, where the fibers are glued and/or sewn into the matting. Looks clean and is clean are two different things.
To make matters even worse, most vacuums lack the power necessary to remove any more than a small fraction of the dirt, dust, germs and grime trapped in carpets. The only way to truly clean your carpets is with expensive, professional carpet cleaning.
Carpet cleaning professionals recommend cleaning lightly used carpets at least twice per year, and heavily trafficked areas such as entryways and first-floor hallways 12 to 24 times per year. At an average cost of $.15 to $.20 per square foot per cleaning, it doesn’t take a lot for the carpet cleaning bill to skyrocket.
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That means it costs about $1,000 to clean a 5,000-square-foot office. Do that twice a year and after five years you’ll have spent $10,000 on carpet cleaning alone. And you’d still have to replace the carpeting before too long.
A Toxic Relationship
Even under the best conditions, most manufacturers recommend replacing commercial carpets every five to seven years. Let’s say it’s economically feasible for your company to do just that, as well as maintain the intense cleaning regimen required to keep them sanitary.
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There’s still one more problem you’ll have to contend with: environmental toxins.
A brand-new carpet has its own health hazards, and may be even more dangerous than dirty carpet.
New carpets are manufactured with a variety of chemicals known collectively as volatile organic compounds. VOCs go through a process called “outgassing,” which releases toxic chemicals into the air, 24/7, for several years after installation. Toxic.
Some compounds released by carpets include known carcinogens such as p-Dichlorobenzene, a chemical called 4-PC, which is a known eye, nose and lung irritant, as well as moth-proofing chemical naphthalene and fire retardants, which can damage the brain, thyroid and immune system.
Carpet is a no-win situation. When you install new carpet it immediately begins releasing poison into the air. It costs a fortune to regularly clean out the mounds of bacteria, mites, allergens that accumulate in no time flat. And by the time the chemicals have all leeched out it’s time to replace the carpet again.
Rock-Solid Alternatives
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Compared to the numbers mentioned in the section on carpet cleaning, the average marble-tiled floor—one of the most expensive options in flooring—costs an average of about $20 per square foot to install. So, for the same $10,000 it would cost to clean your carpets for five years you could put in a floor that will last well beyond five, ten, or even twenty years, with practically no routine maintenance beyond sweeping, damp mopping, and an occasional polish.
Other, even less expensive options include a relative newcomer to the commercial flooring market—luxury vinyl plank (LVP). Available in designs ranging from imitation hardwood to stone and even—believe it or not—carpet, LVP flooring is cost effective, versatile, and durable.
It offers the best value proposition in all of commercial flooring. Impervious to most damage, LVP can last decades with almost no maintenance beyond sweeping and mopping.
The average installation bill for LVP is $5-$10 per square foot. It only costs 25% to 50% of what you’d spend on carpet or natural stone tile to outfit that same 500-square-foot space.
Still can’t decide what kind of flooring to use instead of carpet? Call or email Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers today for a free consultation. We know you only want the best in flooring. That’s why it’s important to hire the best in the business, and at Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers, we can guarantee you that’s us.
Flooring Masters & Professional Remodelers have been flooring and remodeling Kentuckiana for over 30 years. Our certified installers have the ingenuity and know-how to assist you in choosing the perfect floors for your home. Don’t take matters into your own hands—let us guide your next project.
