Carpet vs hardwood

[AGDLynn]

I love having a place to ask for consumer reports

House was 3 years old when we bought it and now is almost 9/10 years old. I think the owners/builders chose a cheap end carpet and needs replacing.

Just curious about y'all's experience is replacing carpet in your house. What was the approximately cost??

We would only do it upstairs so that would be about 1400 square feet.

Thinking new carpet throughout or if I could talk hubby into it... carpet for the 3 bedrooms and wood for the living room/dining room (since that's kinda one big off-centered/zig-zagged room. )

Thanks!

[Beryana]

I actually have hardwood throughout most of my house. My only complaint is that it gets somewhat cold in the winter - mind you, I do have area rugs on the floor so it really isn't all that bad!

My house is about 67 years old and when I bought it the previous owners put carpet throughout the house (yes, even in the kitchen and bathroom). The floors under the carpet in the living room, dining room, bedroom and upstairs are all the original hardwood so I ripped up the carpet and redid the floors. I'm put tile in the bathroom and will put tile in the kitchen as well.

For resale value, hardwood actually ups the value of the house over carpet. I also think it gives a warm look to houses as well. You also do not have to worry as much about traffic patterns like you do with carpet and wood floors are much easier to clean.

Just my thoughts.

Sarah

[kstar]

I would also vote for hardwood.

The initial price will be greater, but the cost over time is far cheaper (can last for over 50 years with proper care, as opposed to 5-10 years with carpet), and yes, it does up the value for resale.

Plus, easier to clean, better for allergy prone people, et cetera.

[cntryZTA5]

I just took most of the carpet out of my house. We put in laminate floors that look like hardwood.



I love them so far!

[carnation]

I vote for hardwood! The house we moved into 2 years ago has it and I love not having to clean carpets. Wood is much easier to clean.

[RedRoseSAI]

Here's another hardwood vote. My townhouse is about 50 years old, and has gorgeous wood floors. They were covered by ugly carpet by the previous owners - ripping out the carpet and having the floors refinished was the first thing we did to the house!

Hardwood is much easier to keep clean, looks nicer, and is much better for you if you're alergy prone.

I have a mixture of flooring. I have tile and cheap end carpet and bought this house new 1 1/2 yr ago and i am thinking of tiling and hardwood flooring.

[winnieb]

My house has a combo of ceramic tile, hardwood and carpet. The tile and hardwood is easier to keep clean. I would prefer hardwood throughout.

[AchtungBaby80]

Hardwood is absolutely wonderful! It's so much easier to keep clean, and it lasts way longer than carpet...plus, if you redecorate, you don't have to worry whether it'll match the carpet or not. My parents replaced all the carpet in the downstairs of their house with hardwood flooring several years ago, and we all love it. Yeah, it can get a little cold in the winter, but that's where our geo-thermal unit comes in.

[lauralaylin]

I'll go a different route than everyone else. Hardwood floors are harder to clean if you have pets (their fur flies everywhere when you sweep, you can never get it all), and it scratches so easily. Granted, I still rent so I don't really care, but I have a new dining room set, and even with those cushiony things on the bottom of the chairs, the floors have scratched. And they are very cold in the winter, I have to agree with Beryana there.

[honeychile]

Depending on where you live, I'd go for hardwood, too. My house has all hardwood floors, but my bedroom is directly above the garage, so I have thick carpeting in there - and it's STILL cold!! But most of the other rooms have just the hardwood.

[aggieAXO]

I have saltillo tile and bamboo floors. I have cats and I like the fact that I can vacuum every single piece of hair up, can't do this with carpet.

[lifesaver]

saltillo downstairs, carpet upstairs.

Woudl like to have hardwood upstairs someday, but theres other things that need taken care of.

[kstar]

Originally posted by lauralaylin
I'll go a different route than everyone else. Hardwood floors are harder to clean if you have pets (their fur flies everywhere when you sweep, you can never get it all), and it scratches so easily. Granted, I still rent so I don't really care, but I have a new dining room set, and even with those cushiony things on the bottom of the chairs, the floors have scratched. And they are very cold in the winter, I have to agree with Beryana there.

Not harder to clean with pets, get a rubber broom, or a swiffer; the static charge in those will attract the fur.

And if your hard wood is scratching, you need to reseal it, or check to make sure they polyurethane-d it. That makes the hard wood wear best.

And to the cold factor- under floor heating! Love it myself.

[epchick]

like everyone else has said, I'd go for hardwood flooring also. Just think, if you spill food, soda or whatnot on the floor it is EXTRA hard to get rid of it on carpet (which is why we got rid of carpet in my room) and so much easier to clean up on hardwood.

Yes, it is an added expense, but in the long run it is much better!!