<p>We ripped up the carpet in the bedrooms of our townhouse, and installed floating engineered hardwood. No regrets. The insulating material under the floating floor even makes it as warm (if not as soft) as carpeting.</p>
<p>I despise wall-to-wall carpets. Especially with kids who spill things all the time. We have a bunch of area rugs on hardwood, mostly hand-me-downs. I don’t demand that my floors look pristine and I have to admit I wish the carpet in the dining room was just a little larger as we’ve scratched up the floor in their from the chairs. We put felt tips on the legs, but they are always falling off.</p>
<p>@mathmom, I think to those felt circles for the chair legs is to get the thinner ones. I would buy the thicker ones thinking that they would be more protective, but they just became easier to fall off. The thinner ones seem to stick better! </p>
<p>I grew up at a time when plush wall-to-wall carpet was very desirable. So when we moved into our current home, and our kids were still young enough to spend a lot of time on the floor, we carpeted their hardwood floor bedrooms without a second thought. Then DD developed a dust allergy and her carpet had to go. I pulled it up myself. What a revelation! Despite weekly vacuuming, the accumulation of crud under the carpet and in and under the padding was absolutely disgusting. I would never, ever lay wall to wall carpeting again, because I’d know I’d be living with that stuff under my feet. Dust, animal hair, crumbs–it all makes its way deep into the carpet and padding, and vacuuming can’t get it out. Yuck.</p>
<p>We have stained baseboards too…and they are not the same stain as our floors…which actually are red oak without any stain…just poly finish.</p>
<p>We love our hardwood floors…easy to dust or vacuum. And we happen to like the look of the rugs we have as well.</p>
<p>The baseboards can stay put for carpet. Possibly even for hardwood- they may slip the ends under the edges of the baseboards as well. </p>
<p>In WI I had carpet in most areas and vinyl flooring in kitchen and baths, with a hardwood foyer. If I were to redo it for myself I would have extended the hardwood into the contiguous dining room. I had nice dense carpeting which was wonderful for sitting on the floor et al. Vinyl was softer and warmer for feet than tile. We also had our house built and the builder did a great job of choosing different thicknesses of the plywood underlayment so the floor levels are the same.</p>
<p>Here in Florida we used tile and carpet. Avoided wood because a neighbor had just ruined her floors when a toilet filler hose leaked when they were gone for a week. Here the colder, harder tile is more durable than vinyl and a good choice. We took out the dining room carpet and tiled it- contiguous with other tile. I like the softness of carpet, again especially for sitting on the floor. I really enjoy stepping on carpet when I get out of bed, despite the temperature. Area rugs aren’t the same. We have a fancy Indian one currently in the family room on top of the carpet because it looks good and has family meaning. I would NEVER get a rug that wasn’t soft to the touch and feet. We have used good vacuum cleaners and never had a crud problem with carpeting (also found chocolate cake comes out of dining room carpet after 10 3-5 year old boys come for a birthday party in the months old house).</p>
<p>For the OP- I would price the type of typical carpet and hardwoods you would be installing, including all labor. Once you have the numbers you and your H can decide if the cost difference is worth it to you. Don’t forget to look for sales. I prefer lighter woods and carpets to dark- even if the trends say otherwise. You should also check with local real estate agents about the value changes your house may or may not have with a change to wood in your area. Climate plays a very real role in what people want.</p>
<p>I love hardwood floors. We have them everywhere except our Master bedroom. We didn’t build the house, so we didn’t have a say. I don’t mind carpet in the bedroom, but I would re-do any other room that didn’t have hardwood because it’s such a strong preference. </p>
<p>ETA: Utility room and full bathrooms in our house are ceramic tile. </p>
<p>I too am in FL. When I could, I had all the wall-to-wall carpet removed in all but bedrooms, and replaced with 5’ plank engineered wood floors. It remains the best improvement I did to my house. I had many Oriental rugs that look so much better on wood floors. </p>
<p>I bought the Sharp wood cleaning machine from Costco, so I have a good feeling about the cleanliness.</p>
<p>We have hardwood throughout our first floor and carpeting on the second floor. We are going to replace the carpet within the next couple of months. I had a decorator advise me to just stick with carpet upstairs(Berber) instead of installing hardwood. </p>
<p>@abasket, I’ll try that. At the moment the dining room floor is covered with construction paper, but if the contractors ever leave, I’ll have to come up with a better looking plan!</p>
<p>I hate carpet. I go for wood or tile floors, depending on the room and the location, and persian rugs. :)</p>
<p>Wall-to-wall carpet literally cannot be kept clean over the medium-to-long term; the pads are a haven for dust, mites, and mold. It’s actually quite filthy, especially if there are household pets. Go for hardwood and area rugs (which can be lifted and cleaned, with fresh pads if needed).</p>
<p>Okay, you guys have thoroughly grossed me out. I have hardwood in public areas but wall-to-wall in bedrooms. I like to lie on the floor because it feels good on my back and I’ve always thought it was nicer to lie on carpeted floors. But your descriptions – yuck! </p>
<p>If we weren’t so cash strapped when we were buying our house, I would have splurged on hardwood floors throughout. My carpets look great despite pets and kids - we take the shoes off in the house - but I hate, hate vacuuming them. I much prefer Bona mopping my kitchen hardwoods! </p>
<p>We all have allergies and hardwood floors are MUCH better for our noses and allergies. I am SO happy we have no carpet in our home. My sis who just built her home put hardwood throughout her home as well, as better for allergies and possible resale in the future.</p>
<p>30 years of working in retail flooring has given me a unique vantage point from which to answer your question. My experience is that in cooler climates carpeting is much more common and desirable. On the coasts and in the south hard surfaces seem to find more use.</p>
<p>That said the big difference should be style ! We make incredible carpets that are even immune to stains, soft and warm to the touch, and available in 1000’s of colors and styles and patterns. If all you seek is floor covering you could be missing out on the potential carpet has to set the mood in a room.</p>
<p>Also, the right carpet in the right place, properly maintained (well vacuumed, spot cleaned as needed, and professionally cleaned each 18-24 months) is every bit as hygienic and practical as hard surface floors.</p>
<p>I personally would recommend either Mohawk’s Smartstrand ,or a “filament” polyester fiber. My smartstrand customers have been so happy they are the most brand loyal buyers in my store.</p>
<p>Hardwood also has advantages. For the family with heavy traffic, people who enjoy the natural beauty and simplicity of wood, or those who are very concerned about dust and dirt. Ironically, since dust, dirt, the occasional tumbleweed of pet hair has no place to settle or hide, wood requires more frequent attention in many homes. Also excessive moisture and wood do not go together well.</p>
<p>I have both wood and carpet in my home. In the sunroom a warm cherry floor draws nature into the room as the large windows overlook the back yard. All the bedrooms however, have carpets.Our MBR has a very textural carpet that adds interest, warmth, and softness.</p>
<p>I hope the take away for everyone is that flooring can be more than a practical item. Floor fashion can define your room, set the tone, express your style.</p>
<p>So please find a professional, independent flooring store ( like me ) where your repeat business is our highest priority. And find a floor you really want. There is no perfect floor, only the right one for you.</p>
<p>I hate our carpeting in the rooms that have it. Most of the first floor is a Bruce hardwood with those awful grooves that catch crud. I so want to remove all of it and completely add new hardwood floors. If I didn’t have a kid in college and another one following soon. I’d really consider replacing.</p>
<p>I removed some carpeting out of one of our rooms. OMG! The crap that is under there. There were a lot of construction dirt left over from the builders like razor blades, nail, mud, and off course our dirt. Carpeting is gross. No matter how much vacuuming or steam cleaning one does. It’s still dirty.</p>
<p>Yes, having a nice, flat hardwood floor with nothing to “catch crud” is WONDERFUL! You can just use a dust mop or a robotic vacuum cleaner to have your floors always kept perfectly clean, without stuff falling beneath the carpet and pad to fester and grow. Carpet makes us ill, between the dust, mites and crud, not to mention the offgassing of the chemicals in it. Sheet vinyl has been a great option for us, for both kitchen and bathrooms; the whole house was originally vinyl, which made a nice underlayer for laying the wood floor. It’s nice and soft underfoot too and tends not to break glassware and dishes dropped on it.</p>
<p>My bro has his whole house in ceramic tile, but that’s cold and hard; not my favorite. Having hardwood floors, I could never go back to carpet. It’s just so nice to walk on and so easy to find anything you drop on it!</p>
<p>Singers dad…how often are folks “return customers”. I’m just asking because we have 20 year old carpet in our upstairs that will likely get replaced next year…after we have the wood floors downstairs refinished. We will definitely go back to our local installer…but really after 20 years, I hope our repeat business isn’t making or breaking him!! </p>
<p>The thing about happy customers is that they will share their happiness and satisfaction with others. I’ve told folks who did our flooring in our house and for our vinyl kitchen because we love it. I believe it may have gotten him some business. Same with our roofing guy. It is also someone we would use if we needed work done on any rentals we own. In fact, I did use the flooring folks to remove the moldy carpet from mom’s house and coat the floor with a protective sealant. She would have given me a lower price to put in a new carpet but I told her I just wanted concrete sealed, so that is what she did.</p>