Residential flooring is a long-term investment, but nothing lasts forever; all major interior home furnishings come to an end at some point. And while there are circumstances in which flooring can be repaired, sometimes sure-fire signs indicate that a complete replacement is the only option.
The Tell-Tale Signs You Need New Floors
When worn-out flooring diminishes the interior appeal of your Casselberry home, Creative Floors makes it easy to select personalized residential flooring options that best suit your lifestyle and goals.
Here are some of the most common signs that Central Florida homeowners should replace their carpet or refinish their hardwood floors.
1. Visible Wear & Tear
It’s one thing when your kids’ footprints or pets’ paw prints need to be wiped up. It’s another when years (or even decades) of constant travel are evident in the flooring. This is very common in tract housing, where low-quality builder-grade residential flooring installation is the norm during the initial build-out. Matted down carpet or scratched hard surface flooring in high-volume traffic areas may also be a sign that the original flooring selection wasn’t suited for the location.
You may notice scratches, dulled surface finishes or colors, matted carpet, or stained areas of carpeting in the home’s most traveled or lived-in areas, like:
- The path from the front door, interior garage door, or patio doors into adjacent living areas.
- Along hallways or the central travel routes around the home.
- Around the dining room table.
- Adjacent to everyone’s favorite couch or chairs.
These time-worn tracks announce it’s time to consider replacing the flooring. We can help you determine which products might be the best fit – especially for areas of the home that experience the most wear and tear.
2. Persistent Odors Emanating From Carpets
Old, outdated carpets – or those damaged beyond the scope of what adequate carpet maintenance can take care of – may yield persistent odors that permeate the household no matter what steps you take. This is especially true in older Casselberry homes that were notorious for mold/mildew issues before the advent of modern HVAC systems that regulate indoor humidity.
Persistent odors can also cause problems in homes where former residents smoked indoors (or tenants broke the no-smoking lease agreement) or in homes with pets if the flooring wasn’t cleaned or maintained properly. We also notice hard-to-eliminate odors in homes where rodents have taken up long-term residence, such as seasonal homes or those that sit vacant for extended periods.
While floor-cleaning professionals have lots of tricks up their sleeves, it can be impossible to completely eliminate set-in odors, especially if smoke or animal residue has permeated the carpet pad, flooring underlayments, or subflooring. Some flooring is just too far gone and needs to be completely replaced for the home to reclaim a neutral scent.
3. Stains That Keep Coming Back
It’s not uncommon for a freshly cleaned, older carpet to look great. Then, within days or weeks, the old stains begin to resurface. This is because carpet cleaning can only clean the carpet fibers. Any longstanding stains that permeated down into the carpet pad continue to wick back up to the surface over time.
In some cases, repeated professional cleaning and quick drying will continue to draw the stain out of the pad and up to the surface, where it can be removed. But unless it’s an isolated stain, this isn’t practical or cost-effective when there are multiple stains throughout the house. If your carpet was cleaned more than once by pros, and the stains came back, it’s probably time for a new carpet.
4. Flooring is Damaged Beyond Repair
Sometimes, damaged flooring can be repaired in pieces. That’s typically the case for most types of hardwood flooring, such as LVP, hardwood planks, or tiles. In many cases, we can replace a cracked or broken piece of flooring with a new piece or section. Depending on the age or the location, we may even be able to help you with replacement carpet patches or refinish hardwood.
However, for larger areas with damaged planks or cracked tiles, it’s not typically cost-efficient to repair them. Plus, while you may be able to order the same style/color, those products are manufactured in batches. So, there will likely be some degree of variation between the colors of the original planks or tiles and the new ones, leaving an unsightly, mismatched look.
5. It’s Completely Outdated
Sometimes, high-quality flooring looks fantastic 10 or even 20+ years after installation. However, if the flooring type, color, or pattern is outdated, you may be ready for contemporary flooring that suits your taste and updated home design. It’s not uncommon for us to arrive at an in-home residential flooring consultation and have clients confess their embarrassment about having people over because there’s no way to hide the flooring – even if it’s in relatively good shape.
For example, some of the shag carpets that were popular during the 70s have stood the test of time quite well – particularly if they were in lesser-used spaces like a den, guest room, or formal living/dining room. But that doesn’t mean you want that high-profile, burnt orange shag as a primary visual in your home. The same can be true of some of the brightly colored or boldly patterned floor tiles from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. While they may be in stellar shape, they no longer coordinate with contemporary design trends.
The only way to revamp outdated flooring is to replace it with new options that complement your current interior design.
6. You Plan to Sell Your Home
Do you plan to sell your home in the next year or so? If so, you may want to think about replacing the flooring. According to Realtor.com, home sellers can expect a 40%- 80%+ return on investment (ROI) if they replace worn or outdated flooring before showing the home. Also worth noting, real estate experts estimate that homes with new flooring tend to sell about 45% faster than those with outdated flooring.
Unless the home is a complete fixer-upper, most homebuyers are looking for turnkey homes, and that means they don’t want the expense or delay of installing new flooring before they move in. If your home has worn or outdated flooring, replacement flooring is a good idea.
We regularly work with clients preparing to sell their home, helping them find flooring products that are stylish yet neutral, can handle the wear and tear of open houses and frequent showings, and are low-maintenance. All of these are appreciated by buyers and can help you sell your home at the higher end of the sales price window.
7. It’s Becoming An Investment Property
Are you planning to turn your home into a long-term rental or vacation property? Investment properties require a different approach from their residential counterparts due to high tenant turnover and excessive wear and tear.
The Creative Floors team is well-versed in flooring upgrade guides, helping investors install high-quality flooring that withstands heavy wear and tear while still looking amazing year after year. Your long-term or vacation tenants will appreciate the home’s luxurious look, while you can rest assured that the floor can be cleaned to look as good as new before the new tenants move in.
Creative Floors is Casselberry’s Best Place to Buy Residential Flooring
We hope this flooring upgrade guide, noting the seven signs you need new floors, sheds light on whether or not it’s time for a replacement in your home. Still in doubt or have questions about which flooring needs replacement?
Schedule an in-home consultation with Creative Floors.
We partner with clients to provide a calm, no-pressure space where you can explore your options and take time making decisions. You can also visit us at our Casselberry showroom to meet our team, view the latest luxury flooring samples on the market, and determine whether or not it’s time to replace your floors.
