New flooring for a home can be expensive, but it's also an investment that can make the space look more attractive overall; new flooring can even be cleaner and more hygienic than your home's current flooring materials. Note when it might be time to start shopping around for new flooring materials, and why it can be such a good idea for your home.

Odd smells

If your home's carpeting or other flooring surface has an odd, unpleasant smell that you cannot seem to get rid of, it's probably time to replace the flooring altogether. Chances are that water, food spills, or other debris have made their way to the underside of the flooring, where they can't be reached with a vacuum or scrub brush. There may also be mould or mildew along the flooring that also can't be cleaned easily. Replacing the flooring will get rid of that smell and ensure the materials are in good condition.

Persistent stains or damage

Some stains simply won't come out of carpet fibres or timber flooring, and some damage cannot be repaired with a steam clean, sanding of the wood, and other such methods. Set-in stains that have permanently discoloured carpets fabrics, or chips and dents that are very deep in wood floors, mean that the material is actually ruined, and it's time for new flooring.

Allergies

If you have allergies or any type of breathing disorders, you may need to change your home's flooring more often than other people. Carpeting and the porous surfaces of tile and hardwood will hold dust, dirt, pet hair and dander, human hair, shed skin cells, insect droppings, cigarette smoke, and other irritants. Cleaning the floors regularly can help remove these irritants, but over the years, they may get ground-in and you can't simply clean them away. If your allergies or sinuses have been bothering you of late, and your home's flooring is very old, it may be time to have something new installed.

Damage to the subfloor

If you notice what feels to be spongy or warped areas of the floor when walking across the room, this could be old flooring materials attaching themselves to the subfloor and causing damage. Carpet padding or glue for hardwood flooring may be seeping into the subfloor, weakening the wood. This can actually cause cracking of the subfloor, or you may soon hear creaks and groans as those floorboards and joists sag. To avoid further damage, have the flooring replaced and ensure the subfloor is checked for needed repairs.