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I have carpet left in just a small portion of my home - as soon as I get some money together, it's going to be replaced by tile.
With pets (two of which are getting older and will soon be more prone to "accidents" if past experience has taught me anything), it's just impractical for me to have carpets. Moreover, if one desires carpet, a large area rug can be had quite cheaply as a substitute. Area rugs are easier to clean and easier to replace.
I have hardwood floor and cheap linoleum (also to be replaced with tile) upstairs. Downstairs in the basement is mostly tile, with a single room and a hallway still having some really old carpet.
If you DO go with carpet, get a short Berber carpet - again, easier to clean. But I'd shoot for tile or laminate or hardwood.
Much depends on expectations.... I have renovated beautiful hardwood floors only to find every tenant wanted carpet.
One of my tenants gave notice to move because I would not spend the money and put down carpet... we compromised and carpeted the living room and she stayed.
On the other hand, I've prepped homes for sale and hardwood sells... even if it doesn't "Rent" around here.
Wall to wall carpet was a big deal at one time where neighbors would come and oooh and awe over it.
So many times as a child I heard neighbors say I'm so glad to be done with that cold, drafty and loud hardwood...
Even those that love hardwood and I do... often have very nice throw rugs strategically placed...
I once lived in a house with tile in the basement- it was miserably cold and the acoustics were horrible. I can understand non-carpet in the basement if it's humid, but in our arid, dry and cold climate it makes no sense. Carpet is totally more comfortable, warm and inviting.
I'm not sure what all the fuss is- our pets don't urinate on the carpets that often, and when they do we nuetralize it and clean it. We clean our carpets regularly and don't seem to suffer and issues with it. I guess if one is striving for some ultra-sanitized environement then yeah- carpet would be the least choice, however we don't mind having a non-sterile bubble. Crickey I'm outdoors more often than in- dirt, germs and nasties don't give me any second thought.
We had solid oak, random width wood floors in a house when we lived in WV. Gorgeous floor all through the first level. Area rugs throughout the great room, down the hall etc.. It was really nice, but the dogs shredded the finish after 3 years, my son slipped on the floor and broke both his brand new adult incisors off on a chair leg and then the dust.. Christ all mighty the dust.
If we do it over again no way are we going all wood on the first floor. Maybe in just the living room, but not throughout. I'd rather vacuum weekly and steam twice a year then have to dust twice weekly, re-finish every three years and deal with accidents.
If looking for clean/sterile... do what we do at the hospital... seamless med and tech vinyl with 6" coving on the walls or for stone go with a terrazzo that is sealed and polished.
No where do we have hardwood... we do have carpet in the lobby which makes a huge noise reduction.
I'm not sure what all the fuss is- our pets don't urinate on the carpets that often, and when they do we nuetralize it and clean it. We clean our carpets regularly and don't seem to suffer and issues with it. I guess if one is striving for some ultra-sanitized environement then yeah- carpet would be the least choice, however we don't mind having a non-sterile bubble. Crickey I'm outdoors more often than in- dirt, germs and nasties don't give me any second thought.
Good points. The carpets in my house are vacuumed 2 or 3 (or more) times a week, and shampooed 2 or 3 times a year. About the same number of times I launder the bedspread or the sofa's slipcover ... and more often than I mop the hardwoods, other than spot cleaning.
And I wonder how many animals walked etc. on that park bench I sat on this afternoon?
I don't understand the people thinking carpet is "dirty." I've never felt that way, even if I don't vacuum for 2-3 weeks unless it's my own fault like dropping food on it. Even then, some carpet cleaner or oxy-clean has always brought stains right up as long as they're dealth with right away.
When I moved out of one of my apartments the carpet had a couple DARK spots on the carpet from where I think I dropped some honey on it & didn't clean it up properly. Some oxy-clean and some scrubbing and it looked new, the owner complimented me on how clean I left that apartment.
They have this amazing invention called a VACUUM CLEANER that does a pretty good job at keeping carpets clean looking and feeling. If you really want it to feel clean, buy a Dyson.
How often do some of you vacuum? If your carpet feels "icky", perhaps try vacuuming more often. I vacuum every 2-3 days, carpet is great after many years. Some of you seems to live a less than clean lifestyle, which is fine, but it is promoting false info that carpets somehow become "icky". This is along the same lines where people clean their cat litter box once a month and complain that cats smell and use the bathroom in different places around the house.
As for not having carpet, yes, personal choice. However, I find that vinyl stuff to be like an electric power station when it is cold out, way too much static made from walking on that stuff, and it scratches so darn easy, scratches just by looking at it.
And in regards to apartments; people who have hard floors in those things are just evil, such an idiotic concept. Drop on darn thing and it vibrates about to everyone else, seems everyone likes dropping marbles at six in the morning or something, or decide to hammer together two boards at two in the morning. Zero noise protection. It is even better when they install them, get to listen to loud, hammering noise all day, day after day until they are done.
To the people asking why others think carpet is not as clean, have you ever personally pulled up carpeting? I recently pulled up the carpeting in two rooms. This was carpeting that was vacuumed regularly. And it was FILTHY underneath. Tons of dust under there, even under a "clean" 10 year old carpet. And that's in a home without pets who occasionally urinate on it, which even when surface cleaned, it still gets onto the padding and the subfloor underneath.
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