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After searching online at housing available in the area, I've noticed that most houses have hardwood flooring. I was just curious as to why? Is it due to the high humidity in the summer? I understand that because I currently live in a tropical area; if you have carpeting it will mold in a heartbeat. Or is it just a status thing? I really like a lot of the houses I'm seeing, but I really don't want hardwood floors.
Also I noticed a lot of places don't have basements. Are the soils there not suitable to build basements? Water table too high?
Thanks!
Looking forward to moving there this summer!
I'd be curious to know the age of the houses you're looking at. Only houses I saw with hardwood flooring when we were house hunting were either built before the 70s or built after the 90s.
Also I noticed a lot of places don't have basements. Are the soils there not suitable to build basements? Water table too high?
There was a long discussion on basements a couple of months ago. Soils are not suitable, water may be an issue, people don't like them, and it raises the cost of building. But basements *are* available if you look, especially walkout ones on sloped lots.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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Hardwood floors are "in." As someone said, you will find them in homes built before the early 1970's when they started to fall out of favor and carpeting became the "in" thing. (My parents had a house built in 1972, which came standard with hardwood floors. But my mom covered them up with carpeting because she said no one used hardwood at the time - everyone was using carpet, and it would have looked ridiculous to not cover it. I think that time period was about when hardwood stopped being the norm.)
Carpeting has since fallen out of favor. I'm guessing because it wears out/needs to be replaced frequently, the "classic look" of hardwood is popular, and more and more people have allergies and don't want to deal with carpet. And hardwood is an upgrade to a house, similar to granite countertops, which makes it more prestigious to have it. However, it is still popular in certain rooms - basements, bedrooms, or dens.
and more and more people have allergies and don't want to deal with carpet.
This is the thing for us. Carpet is so disgusting when you really think about it. I'm always grossed out how much stuff comes out of the carpet when we vacuum and we vacuum regularly! I keep telling my husband if we would get rid of the carpet in the common areas he wouldn't have as many issues with his asthma.
This is the thing for us. Carpet is so disgusting when you really think about it. I'm always grossed out how much stuff comes out of the carpet when we vacuum and we vacuum regularly! I keep telling my husband if we would get rid of the carpet in the common areas he wouldn't have as many issues with his asthma.
If you want a real thrill to the senses, tear out 10 year old "clean" carpet, and wonder at the dirt under it. It is amazing how much dirt goes through the carpet and pad to subfloor.
hah yeah I remember that pleasantry when my parents ripped out the shag carpet in their house when they first bought it. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of all was finding all the urine stains throughout the house where the previous owners' dog had done its business.
Yeah, carpet is pretty bad. I have to admit that I really like the Pergo that covers most of my first floor. Won't be good for resale of course, but it's GREAT when you have three big dogs that sometimes have "accidents." If I replace it, I'd give the vinyl planks serious consideration. Hardwood is really too easy to damage, imho.
If you want a real thrill to the senses, tear out 10 year old "clean" carpet, and wonder at the dirt under it. It is amazing how much dirt goes through the carpet and pad to subfloor.
My IL's carpet is worn right through so we get the best of both worlds there
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