What do you like about your flooring? (hardwood floors, vinyl, laminate)

[PNH]

I am going to be putting in new flooring in a house I just bought, and I'm trying to decide what type to choose. The new flooring will be installed over a wood sub-floor in the entire living area, including the kitchen, as well as the master bedroom and stairs.

I love the look and feel of hardwood, and am considering site-installed hardwood floors, but I am also a very lazy housekeeper, and so am considering high quality laminate. I also would like to make an environmentally conscious choice, so I've been thinking about bamboo.

I have an almost-teenager and a couple of dogs. I don't mind the somewhat weathered patina that hardwood gets, but I don't want to get something that will be really damaged by doggy toenails, or something that I will have to fuss over all the time.

What are your experiences? What are your recommendations? What mistakes should I avoid?

[shadowfax1997]

Worst thing I ever did was install bamboo hardwood. It scratches easy, dents, and for the life of me - i can't keep it clean. I sweep/vacuum/wash, and it still looks dirty with footprints, pawprints and dustbunnies. It is slippery with wet shoes. I hate it. Hate hardwood.

We had wall to wall carpet and linolium in kitchen, and that was great. I know - most people don't liek carpet, but not me. Warm. Easy to clean. Hides dirt. Not slippery with wet shoes.

I wish we hadn't done hardwood.

[teatime]

I second loving linoleum in the kitchen (and bathrooms). My former house came with marble tile and that was awful because it chipped if you dropped anything. Lino is easy to clean and sturdy.

I have parquet flooring in my dining room and living room. It was easier to install than laminate and looks better because it's real wood. I LOVE the parquet design and look! Now it WILL scratch from doggy nails if they're not kept short BUT there's a new Orange Glow product that cleans and restores in one go. I love the parquet -- it's so pretty!!!

[KristyLiz]

I have hardwood (oak) throught the first floor, and i love it!!

I have three little boys, and although the floor gets some dings from the matchbox cars and dropped light sabers, for the most aprt - it holds up well.

Keeping it clean is easy - swiffer vac, best thing I ever bought. It vacuums and dusts the floors at the same time. I rarely ever have to wash the less used rooms, only the kitchen and hallways.

I hate vinyl flooring. I've seen the new stuff, and yea, it looks good, but I still know it's vinyl. Tile is a not for me - too hard and cold.

[JFRRACING]

I have a few of my rooms that are tile. tile is low maintenance and will hold up well to doggy paws. i love my floors, they look nice and are very easy to take care of. just some food for thought.

[Ohiogirl81]

Linoleum is a good and environmentally sound choice for the kitchen, and much safer than laminate if the unthinkable happens and there's a fire at your house.

Otherwise, hardwood is the best choice. I rarely fuss over my floors other than to dust them a couple times a week (stupid cats ... argh ... ) and wash them down a couple times a year. I've got area rugs on high traffic areas, and the stairs and hall are carpeted. I like the feel of carpet on stairs.

[twinmma]

I have had all types and I think I like the tile or lam better. My hardwoods knicked when something was dropped on them (like a pot-left a huge knick) they were bruse gunstock hardwoods and they were BEAUTIFUL but it drove me nuts to see prefection get knicked. I currently have porc tile and I like it a lot. Lanolium is fine..just not as nice in my opinion.

[NickMan7]

Our entry (foyer), powder bath, laundry and kitchen are all 15x15 porcelain tile and we LOVE it. Super easy to keep clean and very low maintenance. We've had one tile crack in 3 years (we have about 900 sq ft of tile on the main floor) and it took 10 minutes to replace and re-grout. Bedrooms, family room, study and formal areas are high-grade, hard-wearing carpet.

[Fairfax Mom]

I have two large dogs and they have nicked up the hardwood floors but I still love them.
I hate the cheap and fake look of laminate - no matter how well made it is - it still looks cheap

[texasfirewheel]

My entire house (kitchen, living room, bedrooms, etc) has 15x15 porcelain tile. I used to have carpet and hated it but hesitated to have tile installed throughout the whole house. Now I wonder why I waited so long. I truly love the look of the tile and ease of care. (Roombas and Scoobas keep it spotless.)

Yes, the floors are very cold in the winter but the benefits far outweigh my having to wear socks three months out of the year.