Why are wood floors so popular? (hardwood floors, how much, granite, vacuum)

[NOLA2SGF]

This is an honest question, regarding wood floors - - I just don't get it. People love wood floors and I know that. Is it mostly because of the looks? Or is there a practical reason that I am unintentionally ignoring?

I put in new wall to wall carpet last year in my single story home built on a slab. I almost never have to vacuum because it really doesn't get dirty and any dirt just doesn't show on the carpet I chose, plus I don't have allergies, kids, or pets. But should I consider wooden floors next time?

I am a tactile person so I like the soft feeling of carpet on my feet more than I like the (admittedly attractive) visual appearance of wood. I also would worry about putting heavy things like my exercise equipment on a pretty wooden floor, because I wonder if this might dent or scratch a wooden floor.

Just wondering, not judging - - personally I have granite counters purely because of the looks so I can relate to that sort of reasoning, if that is the reason why people like wood floors.

So if you feel like it, let's discuss the merits of wood floors in comparison with wall to wall carpeting.

[fallingwater]

Wood floors are attractive as you already know but I find a home to be cleaner with them. Pretty much carpet hides dirt. Of course ignorance can be bliss but once you start living with hardwood floors, you get kind of grossed out thinking about all the dirt that collects with carpet that you didnt know or think about. I have had both and you definitely clean more with hardwood floors because you can start seeing the dirt add up in the corners of the room. You don't see the dirt with carpet until it gets real bad. You should vacuum your carpet every couple of days as it will add life to it. Also having the carpet shampooed regularly is also a good idea. Just think of it as not washing your favorite sweatshirt for a few years. Imagine all the grime that would be in the fibers.

The downside to hardwood floors is that they can scratch easy. They are also loud. I have hardwoods in my family room. I have my office in the basement which is directly underneath the family room. My husband sometimes drops the TV remote and from the basement it sounds like he dropped the TV. lol. I prefer carpeting in the bedrooms. I am not a fan of waking up and putting my feet down on a cold floor. Plus the bed seems to slide all over. My husband's recliner slides in the family room. Every few months I have to buy those little gripper things to keep the chair from moving. The grippers tend to take the finish off. So its either a large scratch or a few spots of worn finish.

There are definitely perks to both types of floors.

[accufitgolf]

I have hardwood for several reasons. Mainly is pet cleanup, especially pet hair. I am amazed at how much pet hair/litter tracking I vacuum/dust up and to think that much of it would be going into the rug.

Beyond the pets, I find it to be overall easier to cleanup but it must be cleaned more often as it can get dirty/dusty, but then again the dirt/dust would all be going into the rug.

I also have spare pieces (from the original installations) and hardwood floors are fairly easy to repair, especially by someone that has done it before.

Our bedrooms are carpeted and that was our choice. Also as the bedrooms are separated from other rooms by hardwood covered other floors, it would be a no brainer to just have the bedrooms recarpeted as in no matching issues.

Hardwood is noiser and not as warm under feet but I still prefer it. I have been known to open the front door and use my battery powered blower to blow all out the door......LOL

[JimRom]

As someone who has removed carpet from more houses than I can remember, I'll never have carpet in the main living areas again. Admittedly, we're talking rentals and a lot of low-income/bad area of town rentals at that, but it takes nasty to a whole new level.

Personally, I like the hardwood for the look and the ease of cleaning. I can sweep and mop my entire house (hardwood and tile throughout) in under an hour. No dragging the vacuum out, no worries about shampooing carpet (not to mention the feel of damp carpet underfoot).

Also, like Accufitgolf above, I've been known to take the leaf blower through the house when the dust/dirt got really bad. Mainly after we do a family trip to the beach, sand gets everywhere and after a day of the gritty feeling it's easier to just send the sand back outside

[Elke Mariotti]

As a Realtor, I find many people asking for hardwood floors.
Cleanliness is one of the reasons, the other - allergies! It seems that more and more people have allergies, and hardwood floors don't harbor as many allergens as carpets can or do.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by NOLA2SGF

I almost never have to vacuum because it really doesn't get dirty and any dirt just doesn't show on the carpet I chose

Ewww... just because your carpet 'hides' the dirt doesn't mean it isn't there! You should vacuum at least once a week, even if you don't want to.

I like the look, the ease of cleaning, and the fact that I don't have to decorate around a rug color.

Your love of "the soft feeling of carpet on my feet" can be had with area rugs.

I have had NO trouble with heavy items damaging my red oak or with things sliding on it.

[Tallysmom]

For years, carpet was an affordable luxury in homes, and as the prices fell, it became the standard. In a number of developments made in the 70's on up -- when you remove the carpet you have the unfinished sub floor -- they never put down a traditional floor.

But in the 90's and 00's there was a major upswing in childhood asthma, and people were told to take up the carpets, that the carpets held mites and dust and dander -- things that caused asthma.

Don't laugh (okay, you can laugh) one of our cats had asthma badly, and we were told that pulling out the carpet would be a good thing for her.

The carpet was at it's end time and it looked terrible, but I hadn't found anything I liked to replace it..... so it hadn't been done yet. But it was the perfect excuse to pull it up.

So we pulled out the carpet and have lived with our horrible hardwood floors .... and her asthma is GONE. She took about 2 months to heal up. It's been 7 years since she's had an attack.

And our floors still need to be refinished.

Anyhow -- I think it says something about carpet.

[seeriously]

Wood is timeless in it's beauty. You can take a 100 y/o house and refinish the wood floors and make them gleam. Carpeting gets matted and nasty and tile dates a house. After living in FL for 6 years and walking on cold tile flooring, I'm loving my wood floors here in New England.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by NOLA2SGF

I don't have allergies, kids, or pets.

If you don't have these and you don't walk from outside or from your garage straight on to your carpet then they will probably stay clean. But most aren't in this situation.

[Ohiogirl81]

If you like carpet, have carpet. It's as simple as that.