We built our house about 20 years ago. The common areas have hardwood, but the bedrooms have carpeting. It’s about time to replace the carpet.
We could do hardwoods everywhere but I don’t think the additional enjoyment (or resale) would merit the additional expense. I would like something other than basic plush carpeting – something a little more elegant, I guess – but haven’t seen that in people’s homes so I’m guessing it’s either cost prohibitive or not very functional.
We have 4 bedrooms and none gets very much traffic. Our kids are in college and beyond, so only the main bedroom has anyone in it regularly. I would like it to be durable and classic enough that it might last another 20 years, but it’s not going to get a lot of wear and tear.
I’m really interested to hear what people say on this. Even though I just installed new, but basic, carpeting in our den for resale, I’m betting most young people would beg you not to use carpet.
My kids both have LVT in their apartments. They are fine with it – certainly less gross than moving into all the germs (real or perceived) that the previous tenant left – but I don’t like the feel of LVT.
Our hardwood that’s in most of the first floor and steps is no longer available, so I’ll have to think about what I would get instead if I were to go that route.
Also, I’m guessing my vision of a low pile, neutral patterned wall-to-wall carpet would likely end up costing as much as a lot of hardwood options, too.
I like hardwood floors, but H prefers carpeting. We have carpeting everywhere except the entry halls, kitchen & dinette area (and laundry room and bathrooms). I would like to extend our wood floors into the family room. We recarpeted our living/dining room, stairs and upstairs hallway 4.5 years ago. We used Shaw Colorwall. It’s okay. We need to recarpet the bedrooms , and I won’t use it … I don’t think it wears all that well. I just wish I could find a carpet store whose advice I trust.
We had our 19 year old carpet replaced in December. I have no idea if it’s stylish or classic, but we like it. But what I love the most is the premium padding. I thought we bought it 19 years ago but whatever we have now is so much nicer. Like walking on pillows. Laying/sitting on the floor is wonderful. (I like to watch tv that way)
I’m a huge fan of real hardwood but sometimes it’s not a viable option.
We have very basic berber carpet in a condo. It’s completely ignorable and fine, though old. The almost nonexistant felt “pad” is the main reason we are thinking of replacing the carpet. I would really like a carpet that feels a bit cushioned, not like I’m walking directly on plywood. It doesn’t make economic sense to replace just the pad.
While I would prefer hardwood it’s not an option due to the extremely rough treatment the floor gets. The layout doesn’t lend itself to area rugs. There’s also our wish to be kind to the downstairs neighbors.
We have no wall to wall carpet except in the basement and I rue the day we made that decision. And it’s nice, soft, wool carpeting with upgraded padding . It wears fine but doesn’t clean well…pets, kids, beer pong, all tough on a carpet lol.
We are going to be moving soon and when I am looking at houses on homes dot com or similar sites, I always note how much wall to wall carpet is in the house because that will have to ripped out and replaced before we move in! Even though the kids likely won’t live with us again, there are still the pets so hardwood everywhere it is.
I’m hoping @Bromfield2 will see this thread and will comment on their flooring. With the brand again. Here is a picture…and this is what I want to get in our bedrooms to replace the 30 year old carpet!
This is their description of this floor:
We had to replace the floors and our contractor recommended the LVP because it’s waterproof. We went to the showroom and were surprised because it doesn’t look like fake wood
We have carpet, I’m not thrilled with it. But as we age, it’s nice and quiet in my house. My kids have LVT, it’s hard, the house is noisy. My husband can’t hear in all those open hard surface rooms.
I don’t care, I’ve seen expensive and I’ve seen cheap, LVT looks like what it is.
I have Chelsea Plank flooring, and I like it. But I have red oak, and it dents/scratches easily. Because of the light color, visitors don’t notice, so it does look good if you don’t get on your hands and knees. You can’t refinish this flooring like you can the flooring that isn’t pre finished. I would recommend making sure you get as hard a wood as possible for the look you want. I had never had hardwood floors before, so I didn’t know … I might have chosen hickory, or a distressed plank. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. (To be fair, though, I drop stuff a lot!)
Not a fan of LVT either. Don’t care for the look or the feel with bare feet. We have had it in not main areas.
We have had very good success with finished in place hardwood. House with dog and kids for decades (toys with rolling wheels for part of that) and other house with two of us. We generally are not take-off-shoes-inside type except in other people’s homes. Durable, easy to clean, comfortable, good looking.
Have mostly area rugs now but some Berber type wall-to-wall in less used rooms in colors besides oatmeal type. Area rugs are mostly plush-type.
Yes, it’s the feel of it for me. We have LVT in our basement, and it’s practical there and totally fine for that casual living area, but I would rather walk on carpet than have to feel LVT underfoot.
We have our original 1993 carpet in LR, DR, downstairs den/guestroom, steps, upstairs hallway and 3 bedrooms. (It has lasted pretty well since no pets, and the kids spend a lot of their early years time at childcare.) The family room originally had berber, but we replaced with a nicer carpet about 15 years ago. Kitchen and a first floor hallway are oak. We do like carpet, especially in bedrooms. But… new buyers probably won’t. So we have not considered carpet upgrade. However we are in need of a carpet cleaning.
@deb922, thanks for that Chelsea Plank link! I’ve been sitting for years on the quandary of what to do with my foyer and small living room floor.
1890 house, love the dings and character but the floor has a little too much character…soft pine and very damaged, any varnish/later finish worn off and there are visible cracks between planks (letting dust and dirt fall through). It’s likely too thin to be sanded/ refinished again. And I am chemically sensitive so I could not live in a house with newly finished wood. Carpet/big rugs (nope, pets). Engineered…not in a house that old. So much new hardwood looks slick, formal, perfect …also out of character and not my style.
But…I LOVE the distressed, matte English Pub Oak plank in the cottage series. There’s even a dealer for this particular flooring in my town, which is kind of startling (rarely anything to be found locally for home products outside of Lowe’s). There is the question of affordability….Will check that out this week before getting hopes up too much, but then, I’m way past due for a big splurge .
New carpeting affected my lungs and caused a lobar pneumonia. Honestly “luxury vinyl plank” floors may be even worse. I look at houses and apartments and within minutes my glands swell up, I get a headache, and my lungs hurt. Perhaps I am a canary in the mine and without knowing it, others are being harmed. I have no idea but throwing it out there. I have read that the formaldehyde originally in Chinese plank flooring is no longer a problem but I am still reacting. This limits my housing options for sure. I do find that carpets outgas faster than the flooring.
.