Odd Question (Auburn: hardwood floor, loan, houses)

[delta269]

Looking to move to Maine next month. Have been looking at houses online for the last couple weeks....my question is if it gets so cold up there in the winter, why do most of the houses have hardwood floors? I have never had hardwood floors, but it seems to me that would be colder vs warm fuzzy carpet. Is there something I should know?

[elfyum]

I don't live in, nor have I ever been to Maine, but I had hardwood floors in Miami Beach & they were too cold!!! Carpet rules, & I have no clue why anyone would want wood, tile or anything else! It's much easier to vacuum than mop, & steam cleaning periodically isn't a big deal. Well worth it for the nice soft warm plushness under your feets!!!

[Dragondog]

Hardwood is used on floors in New England because of the warmth and charm it gives a home. Hardwood flooring is used mostly in older homes in New England (pre 1965) when it was cheap. It is now only used in more upscale homes or as an upgrade because of the now expensive costs for wood. I have hardwood floors on my first level, and berber carpet on the upper level. I live in Connecticut. Most people in New England use either braid or oriental type area carpets which make the wood floors look even jazzier.

As far as wood floors and cold- I see no real big difference. Plus carpets collect dirt and mold, which cause allergies- including mine to be worse.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by elfyum

Carpet rules, & I have no clue why anyone would want wood, tile or anything else! It's much easier to vacuum than mop, & steam cleaning periodically isn't a big deal. Well worth it for the nice soft warm plushness under your feets!!!

Carpet is a haven for all sorts of bacteria, molds, and fungi, especially in humid climates --- even with regular steam cleaning. Unless you can fork up the cash to replace your carpet every 3-5 years, hardwood floors are MUCH more sanitary.

To combat the cold floors in the winter, put down a rug.

[delta269]

So it's about the look and nothing to do with climate. Gotcha.
Thanks guys!

[chickadee]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

Carpet is a haven for all sorts of bacteria, molds, and fungi, especially in humid climates --- even with regular steam cleaning. Unless you can fork up the cash to replace your carpet every 3-5 years, hardwood floors are MUCH more sanitary.

To combat the cold floors in the winter, put down a rug.

Agreed! Also, if you have a woodstove and are hauling and stacking firewood inside, and are tracking dirt inside from a garden, and your children like to play outside in mud season just like the rest of the year, you will probably prefer hardwood floors -- much more practical.

[skyesmom40]

sighhhhhhh........hardwood floors....how i loved them as a kid....totALLY AWESOME to slide on in your stocking feet asthetically pleasing, much easier to keep clean, dry faster when tracking in Piles of snow, hehehee...and in the summer the cool wood is nice to bare feet as for winter...hey, we have slippers right? lol oh yeah, washable area rugs do the trick

[Raisedinmaine]

Originally Posted by delta269

Looking to move to Maine next month. Have been looking at houses online for the last couple weeks....my question is if it gets so cold up there in the winter, why do most of the houses have hardwood floors? I have never had hardwood floors, but it seems to me that would be colder vs warm fuzzy carpet. Is there something I should know?

3/4 inch hardwood floors are a better insulator than 1/4 inch carpet. The nap on the carpet is not much of an insulator. Here in Connecticut back in the 50's hardwood floors were required for new construction if you were trying secure a home under the government loan system.

I grew up in the 50's-60's in Auburn and we had all hardwood floors covered with large carpets. Was it cold? Yup. But if it's just the floors you're concerned about, that's the least of your worries. Good ceiling insulation would be more of a concern to me. We sure didn't have much and I guess we didn't know any better because the furnace was always cookin'.

Cold feet on a hardwood floor can be solved by putting on slippers.

What should you know?
Know about the amount of insulation in the ceilings and walls and where all the leaks are in the house. A tight house with no drafts helps a lot up there in snow country although I think we had more in Connecticut last year than the folks in Maine did.

Good luck.