Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Carpet is a hothouse for bacteria to grow and is NOT easy to keep clean with pets. As previously stated here, messes can be a nightmare on carpet. Little by little, we have replaced carpet in our home with hardwood floors, sealed, not waxed. The hard floors are so much easier to keep clean and the house smells a whole lot better, too. So what if you see fur bunnies? I'll take real clean versus carpet any day.
Tile, also, is another option, but the only draw back with tile, it is cold in Winter! But, at least it stays clean!!! LOL
I agree with you, Tom. One flat I lived in had the old-style hardwood floors (you know, real wood and all....) which were in great condition and Carly loved romping and sliding around on the highly polished surface. She played much more often with her toys in those days, and I think the type of floor was a big factor in why she did so.
So if I had a choice, I'd always choose hardwood floors.
The very first thing I noticed when I looked at this place was the hardwood floors. Admittedly, one will be sanded sufficently to be painted since the flooring is not even and one needs refinishing but with the constant battle between me and the carpet at my apartment I didn't want any. Its hard to get the fur when it gets stuck in rougher places on the wood but it was impossible to get it out of the carpet. I had one dog with very short hair (beagle and one long haired cat. The dog hair embedded itself where nothing came out. The cat hair velcroed itself on top. I vaccumed and it glided over it all.
Right now I have on room with 2 and a half other rooms furnature while doing some work on them and its got a nice fur carpet, but once the furnature goes home it will be simple again. My small vaccum which missed all the fur on the carpet does a primo job on floor setting. Scatters all the cats too, who think a giant loud monster is after them.
And I just love the FEEL of wood over anything else. The kitchen has plastic tiles since the hardwood under the old lineolum was rotted out in a coupld of places but its softer than the more expensive kinds and still easy to clean. I have a nice rug but have yet to use it, though I will probably put in in the living room this winter to counter the air leaks. Some day spray foam under the house but can't afford that now.
I will never have carpet even if I didn't have animals (and would go bonkers without my furry kids so don't see that)
If you have ever ripped up carpet and padding after people with pets, you might rethink the carpet. YUCK! Better yet, if you have moved into a place with carpet and pets even after shampooing, your animals can still often enough smell the little areas other people's pets have found to potty on.
With me it wasn't the effect of pets, but a washing machine overload. We dried the carpet and it seemed fine. When he departed I started ripping up carpet (he liked it). I ended up taking out every scrap because the water had gone much much further in the padding and it ripped up like a paper bag, but was black with mold. If there are kids or pets or appliances to get it wet I don't want to take that chance. I'd rather see furbunnies and clean up accidents knowing I see they are gone.
I didn't have to replace any floorring since under the carpet was a nice tile, but would have used floor paint in the bedrooms. Floor paint is an excellent option if you don't want to spend a huge chunk of money. a nice wood base, sanding and two coats of paint and you get a floor of your choice of colors with the soft feel of hardwood and a plywood price. Just make sure to get plywood thats fully dried and flat. My mobile I used this over other options and best of all did it all myself.
I'm in the hardwood/solid surface floor camp as well.
Regardless of the vacuum, I never feel the carpet is truly clean. More importantly (at least in this house) is the ease of cleaning up after unfortunate accidents. On a solid floor, wipe up, wash/disinfect & go. On a carpet..... you're there for a good, long time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by beachmouse
My senior cat is known as The Unipuker, and I can say that the vomit comes clean so much easier on the tile and the hardwood than it does the carpet.
EXACTLY......
and its even tougher when the upchuck or whatever happens IMMEDIATELY after you leave for work for the day..... and so has all day to marinate down into the carpeting.....
Like Beachmouse, we also have a upchucker. The one I love is when she goes to just where the hard flooring meets the carpet, crouches on the hard flooring and throws up on the carpet.
I miss hardwood so much!!! Our new house has slate tile everywhere and I hate it!! It's so uneven and impossible to sweep and get everything up. Carpet is nice under your feet especially in the winter, but I agree that with pets hardwood is best.
Like Beachmouse, we also have a upchucker. The one I love is when she goes to just where the hard flooring meets the carpet, crouches on the hard flooring and throws up on the carpet.
sounds EXACTLY like my upchucker .... max can be in the kitchen (on laminate) and if he feels "the urge," makes a mad dash for the living room or family room where the carpeting is...... just barely makes it sometimes, but still makes it....
Tile or wood. And I'd rather vacuum the floors instead of sweeping them. It's a whole lot faster.
Every place hat we've owned, we ended up pulling up the existing carpet (decor or wear issues). OMG - carpet is nasty. It may look nice on the fuzzy side, but take a look underneath. Based on the size of a single urine stain, I swear the previous owners at one house must have kept a large horse in their bedroom.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
