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There are many types of hardwood flooring, and just as many types of wood, with varying hardness factors. It seems that the hardness factor translates into expense - so keep that in mind. I have engineered floors, which are layers of wood crisscrossed together. They are typically less expensive than full hardwood. It also depends on where you live what may be a better option.
Hardwood flooring can also be installed in a variety of ways, so make sure you do your research, and go with a reputable company. I did my research online and found they type of flooring I wanted, but I didn't research properly who I bought from locally. My installer did a GREAT job, but I had problems with the transition strips and it was a nightmare dealing with the company getting that resolved. In fact I am still unhappy with the strips, but I gave up dealing with the dirtbag owner.
I prefer hardwood floors. They are not harder to clean, they are much easier, and most importantly, they can actually be cleaned. A quick swipe with a swiffer type mop and they are clean - much easier than dragging a vacuum around.
I totally agree. I have two small shedding dogs, and it has been wonderful keeping up with them with the hardwoods in our new home. I feel like my house is much cleaner ... just because the dirt is hidden in the carpet doesn't mean it isn't there. And it is much faster to clean the floors than it ever was with carpet, especially if you have a central vac with the Dustpan system.
I'm not one of those people who make you take your shoes off when visitors come over because hardwoods seem to be a durable product, and I have found them to be very liveable. I've noticed visitors are a lot more careful with muddy/dirty shoes on my hardwoods than they ever were on the carpeting tho. I love 'em!
Get yourself the consumer reports top rated Dirt Devil Dust Broom for $49
It is great for hardwood and ceramic tile. If you have hardwood steps it makes it very easy to keep them clean. Just plug it in and it stays charged. Even more valuable if you have pets.
I like a mixture. I prefer carpets in bedrooms and playrooms, as well as on at least one staircase. I like hardwoods elsewhere, including family rooms, kitchens, half baths, and a second staircase if you have one. And, of course, tile in bathrooms and laundry rooms.
The reason for carpets in playrooms is to provide a soft place for small children to play. And small children or older adults can find hardwood stairs without a runner difficult to traverse. And I just like carpeting in bedrooms - I prefer the warm, soft feel over hardwoods, even when there are rugs used over the hardwoods.
Depending on "who" you use, completely NEW flooring, including sub-floors up from the basement, are cheaper than ANYTHING pre-finished, and that was MIRAGE, which is TOP OF THE LINE, pre-finished flooring.
It doesn't sound like it wouldn't be so, but to the surprise of us, and our insurance company, it was.
hardwoods floor is the best options easy to maintain, no dust/dander buildup, slipage issues. as what a carpet would do. you can also use an area rug for detailed design (you can always remove a slipped on rug w/o having to replace an entire carpet).
Another vote for hardwoods-at least in the main living areas. The house we just bought had (new) hardwoods on the main floor, hardwood under carpet on all stairs and the two bedrooms on the 'split' level, and plywood under carpet in the three bedrooms upstairs.
We pulled all the carpet ourselves-yes, carpets get FILTHY. The air was cloudy, we were coughing, and filthy. We had the hardwoods sanded and refinished (came out so nice, even the room I thought was too far gone because of damage looks decent) and had new berber installed over the plywood-it was simply out of my budget to do hardwoods up there at this time.
This is a good combination-the three upstairs bedrooms don't get much traffic and should stay fairly clean, and all the traffic areas have hardwoods. Already, the hardwoods are proving wonderful-with the melting snow, I just wipe up drips tracked in.
I love carpet. I'm afraid I would be one of those silly people who would cover hardwood with it. I spend a lot of time sitting on the floor and carpet is so much nicer also, I just like the look. I am one of those old fashioned heavy drapes on the window/brocade sofa/thick carpet kind of folks. I find wood floors to cold and hard and unwelcoming.
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20yrsinBranson
I cannot stand carpet and the dirt and dust that gets stuck and just festers there, I feel it is dirty. We have all hardwood and I feel like the house is much cleaner. I just use a bissell electric stick broom every other day and it keeps everything clean. Wash floors about twice a month otherwise. I have some rugs as well and when these get dirty I just toss them in the washer and hang them to dry.
Carpet for me too. We removed carpet and installed bamboo in half our house and I HATE it. Scratches easy - within the first week we had a deep 8" scratch from a rock (pebble) that caught on a chair being slid - chair had two layers of felt attached to legs. Dents easy. The dog has ruined spots with her running and sliding from her toe nails. BTW - the hardwood floors we looked at all would have voided warrenties if you had a dog. Bought a small cordless vacuum and it wouldn't clean half the floor before the battery was so weak that it would need recharging. The vacuum also had disposable filters that needed replacing about 3 times each time we did the whole floor ( 700 sq ft.) Dust bunnies. Sweeping with a broom puts dust into the air. The only vacuum I have found to work well was a canister vac. The upright didn't work at all.
My wife and I used to love sitting on the carpet and play card games - not now. Even with a throw rug it isn't comfortable due to the hardness of the floor. It is cold - especially in a Maine winter. Seems stupid to spend thousands on hardwood and cover it with area carpets.
Out vet also said it would be tougher on our old dog. She can't get up on the hardwood, so most of the spaces are now covered with area rugs. I will NEVER put a hard wood floor in a house I am living in again.
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Love my hardwood floors!
