 | Patrick Goebel has been involved in the home improvement industry for over 10 years and is currently director of retail flooring of the Flooring & Decorating Division of Star Lumber & Supply Co., Inc. You may contact Patrick by email at pgoebel@starlumber.com or by phone at (316) 942-2221. |
Carpet, Tile & Floor Covering
2006-08-01 12:01:00
Allergies and carpet?
QUESTION: I have really bad dust allergies and I'm building a home, however I'm having difficulty with the decision of putting in hardwood floors or carpet. I've heard that carpet will make my allergies worse, is this true?
That's a very good question, and one where the answer has appeared on both sides of the 'ledger'. I have heard the antithesis where hardwood floors cause allergies. I have come to believe over time that either way, it's a myth. You see the reason why people think that carpet is worse then hardwood floors is because they don't clean the carpet as often as they would hardwood floors. It's kind of like the saying out of sight, out of mind. So they don't see the dust they don't vacuum. And that can lead to serious problems with your allergies. However if you maintain your carpet properly they can be beneficial to allergy sufferers. Many people think that carpet is like a capturing device and thus traps and holds potentially dangerous contaminants. With carpet, the fibers act as a filter and hold onto contaminants until they can be vacuumed or cleaned. Hard floors do not do that. One way to see this for yourself is to watch the air in a home when the sun is shining into the home. With clean, carpeted surfaces, you see some dust in the air, but not much. In a home with hard floors, you see more dust because there is nothing to hold onto the dust. If carpets are cleaned and vacuumed, they are not the allergen magnet like if they are not. To keep carpet looking spectacular and new, vacuum at least once a week, and in high traffic areas - every few days. Hopefully I have helped you with your decision and good luck building your new home!
