Does Your Carpet Need Replacing? 5 Telltale Signs

While getting your carpet professionally cleaned at least every twelve months will keep it fresh and clean and help it last a lot longer than it otherwise would, there will come a point when it’ll need to be replaced.

Just like anything else, carpets have a lifespan. And while proper care can add years to it, all that foot traffic, dust particles and occasional spillages will eventually catch up.

Unfortunately, when this happens, there is only so much even professional cleaners can do to restore your carpet. Sometimes, it’s too far gone, which makes it much simpler to just rip everything out and replace it.

But, how do you tell it’s time to replace, rather than just clean your carpet?

Here are five telltale signs.

1. Matting

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Matting is often one of the first signs that your carpet needs replacing.

Constant foot traffic crushes the carpet’s fibers. Meanwhile, dirt from your shoes, pet’s paws and other sources gets trapped in the carpet, causing friction which further abrades and damages the fibers.

Some carpet materials are more durable than others. However, over time, the damage on any type of fiber will become irreversible, and your carpet will take on a dull and dingy look. When this happens, no amount of professional cleaning will be able to restore the carpet’s former softness, color and shine.

2. Persistent Odors

It’s perfectly normal for your carpet to develop odor if it hasn’t been cleaned in awhile, especially if you have pets or have suffered an accidental spillage. However, a professional cleaning should take care of the odor completely, or at least greatly diminish it.

If no amount of professional cleaning can get rid of your carpet’s funk, it might well be that the odor has penetrated too deep. Even worse, there might be fungi or mold lurking underneath it.

Either way, this is more than just unpleasant – it’s downright unsanitary. Time to rip that smelly carpet out!

3. Stubborn Stains

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While professional carpet cleaners have the right equipment and lots of tricks up their sleeve, some stains may still refuse to co-operate.

Sometimes, it’s that the stain wasn’t dealt with in time. Other times, it’s that it has been treated with DIY methods that made matters worse.

In any case, stains that have bound to the carpet’s fibers are often impossible to remove. Unless you want to turn your room into a patchwork of strategically placed rugs, you may have to consider replacing at least the stained areas.

4. Allergy Flare Ups

Do you find yourself coughing and sneezing more often, or constantly suffering from itchy skin?

If so, your carpet might be the source of the problem.

New carpet has a protective coating that helps repel dust particles, dirt and other allergens. Unfortunately, the constant friction from foot traffic causes it to wear off over time. Regular professional cleaning can restore this coating and make it last longer, but there will come a point when this will no longer be possible, because the fibers are just too worn out.

When this happens, your carpet will start attracting and retaining a lot more allergens, or even become prone to fungi and mold. This isn’t just uncomfortable for you, it’s also a health hazard. That carpet needs to be replaced pronto.

5. The Condition Of Your Padding

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What goes on under your carpet is just as important as what goes on above it.

Padding provides support, cushions the impact of foot traffic and makes your carpet look and feel soft and inviting.

But, padding is just as prone to wear and tear as carpet fibers, and it has a lifespan too. Once it starts to give out, your carpet will also wear out more quickly, because it no longer has the support it needs.

Signs your padding is in less than optimal condition include wrinkles, ripples, unevenness or a crinkling sound when you walk over it.

Have you noticed any of these signs recently? It may be time to go out with the old and in with the new.

Whether you need old carpet restored or new carpet installed, we can help.