Which costs less, to install a hardwood floor or carpeting?

Question

the room is 20 by 30. There is plywood there. I want to rent it out, so I'm looking for the least inexpensive way, either adding carpeting or what I heard they sell as "fake wood" any ideas?

Answer 1

carpet costs 15 to 25 per square yard depending on quality.
the modern click together wood is VERY durable and probably the same price or cheaper maybe 12 per square yard (1.50 per foot) and you can install it yourself.
the advantage of the wood is that it will withstand many years of renters. renters can destroy a carpet in a year!

Answer 2

Hardwood. At the beginning it cost a little more than a carpet, but at the end hardwood floors require very little care. Just an occasional cleaning with hardwood products but that's all, and the benefits are that hardwood floors are stain resistant, while carpets aren't. Hardwood floor doesn't trap dust as carpets. After a year of placing a carpet, iI'm sure it will be filled with dust, that no matter how hard you vacum it will still contain dust, while hardwood floor you simply clean it with a dry cloth and there will be no dust on it. What type of room are you renting a commercial lot, a home,...? Anyways it better hardwood, that way you'll be sure notihng can happen to it, such as stains, specially if its a place with little kids. The only problems with wood floors is that sometimes rubber shoe soles leave stains on them (specially tennis shoes), but you can scrape it to remove it. Fake wood is almost as better as hardwood, the quality is less, but the effect is the same. I think fake wood is made of compressed carboard, which makes t realy hard and resistant, but wood is better because its more resistant than fake wood. I recommend natural wood floors, but if you dont have to money for it, then fake wood would do it.

Answer 3

No matter what, carpet will always need to be replaced every so many years or sooner depending on the kind of use it gets. Wood floors, with the proper maintenance, can last forever. Just think of the old homes built in the 19th century that still have their original hardwood floors. You won't EVER see carpet that old.
So as far as cost goes, carpet is an expense, wood is an investment.

Answer 4

Carpeting can be cheaper in the short term, While a wood floor may cost more at first the maintenance costs are far less with wood than with carpet.

Answer 5

It costs much less to install carpeting as it is much less work intensive and just cheaper in general. If I was renting out a place I would put in tile as it is easy to clean, does not absorb smoke or people/pet stains and cannot be easily damaged. Renters do not care if they damage something as it is not their place. I used to work for a landlord and could not believe the things people would do to properties. The easier it is to clean the better. People will move in and out, and new people will not want to rent a place that they feel is dirty.

Answer 6

Carpet is definitely cheaper than real hardwood. Wood laminate flooring though, depending on where you purchase (Ikea, $1.50 per sq. ft.), can be cheaper than carpet.

Answer 7

Carpet is ALWAYS the cheapest way to go. No hard surface product can compare. carpet will cost you about 18.00 per yard to purchase low end installed with pad. that's 2.00 per square ft. Hardwood starts at 2.00 per foot before you install it. Laminate is cheap at 1.50 per foot for low end stuff, but you still have to buy underlayment/pad at about .25 per ft and another 1.50 per foot to install depending on where you live.

Answer 8

carpeting is cheaper but hardwood is better and only a little more

Answer 9

Alot of lanlords are use pergo type flooring. Goes down faster, comes up faster. And looks good

Answer 10

carpet by far.....a good berber installed with 6 oz. pad about $ 22.00 per yd.......hardwood cost me about $ 7.00 per sq ft. installed material and labor...

9 sq ft to the yd...so $ 7.00 x 9 = $ 63.00 per yd for hardwood

lic. gen. contractor