Hello,
I am about to be in the market looking for a new home to buy (my first home purchase). I currently rent a home that is all carpeted except the front door walkway, kitchen, and dining room. I have two dogs and four cats (hoping to find homes for two kitties before hand). I wanted to find out from all of you what you prefer in your home and why. Do you prefer carpet or tile (or hardwood flooring)?
Right now, here are my pro's and con's on both.
Carpet: Pro's: Soft, warm during winters, easy on your feet, not noisy, easier to clean as far as vacuuming. Con's: Dirtier due to pets, Stains are hard to remove, Needs professional cleaning about once a year.
Tile: Pro's: Can see any stains and clean them up thoroughly. Con's: colder during winters, hard on feet, hard period, harder to clean as far as pet fur (floats up rather than sticking to carpeting).
So, those are my weights between the carpet and tile (or hardwood flooring). Please add to my list pro's and con's of each. Why do you prefer what you have?
Thanks so much!
I have lived in homes that have both and also have family that has tile throughout.
I much prefer tile throughout a home. It is clean looking, easy to clean and it can't hold dust mites etc. You can always use area rugs for color and accent.
Also, if you are moving furniture around to clean, furniture moves much easier on tile.
I love the tile.
Good luck and congrats on being a soon to be homeowner.
L.
Tile for sure! I love tile no messes, very easy to clean. I have two dogs and two wild boys and the tile holds up against their chaos. It is not that cold in the winter and it feels great during the summer.
Another plus for tile/hardwood is the gross factor you may see when you pull up the old carpet. When we pulled ours, you could see all the dust, hairs and anything else that the vacuum didn't pick up over time. If you get a dust mop/broom that will help clean your harder floor, and help to stop the floaty hairs as you clean. Then its easy to mop. With your two dogs and four cats, you will be amazed at how much hair there is by the end of the day. We did not vacuum every day. After getting wood laminate floors, we sweep everyday. (Two cats, Four kids, and one dog sure do make a mess of the floor)
When we bought our house new, we had carpet throughout (way cheaper) but with two dogs, and children - needless to say very dirty and wear happens very quickly. We tiled the main parts of the house and left carpeting in the bedrooms. I love my house now. I use the vacumn cleaner on the tile to take care of the dog hair quickly and easily (much better than dry mopping). Hard wood floors can be scratched due to dog nails but tile can't. I wear flip flops in the house (super soft ones) so it is not as hard on the feet. It is much cooler in the summer (dogs love this) and not too bad in the winter. Area rugs under the dining table and in front of the couch help keep it warmer in the winter and more cozy (and they are much easier to clean than a wall to wall carpeting).
Good luck with your new home.
Congratulations on your engagement and your success in school! It takes a lot of tenacity to do that with little ones.
Ok, to the subject at hand...Tile or Bamboo have my vote.
Pros for hard floors -
Cleaner than carpet
Better for health
Last longer
Easier to clean
Carpet harbors dust mites (major allergy producers!) and dirt. With all your pets, you'll have a really dirty carpet pretty quick.
Hard floors are easy to clean. Get a microfiber mob with extra cloths (Lowe's or Home Depot's are priced nicely and hold up well) and just wipe it along the floor daily to keep the hair problem at bay. When you're through, throw the mop in the washer. If you buy the extras you'll always be able to grab another when you need it. Easy and eco-friendly.
Another pro about getting rid of carpet... Your house will stay cooler! Carpet holds heat.
Bamboo is very tough (if you get a good brand - we have EcoTimber) and will hold up to pets/kids etc.
Have fun shopping!! :)
M.
As a full time realtor I can tell you tile is a better investment then carpet. Homebuyers would prefer tile because they know it is clean. Also, carpet shows wear and tear that tile does not. If you use a micro-fiber dry mop on the tile the dog/cat hair will not "fly around" but sticks to the mop and is easy to throw in the washer. I dry mop at least once a day and it takes only a minute or two since there is no cord to plug in.
Tile is also much cooler in the long hot summers. Tile is better for people prone to alergies.
I guess you can see what my preference is!
Since you are a first time buyer make sure you take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit! Good luck and have fun house hunting!!
Mystyque, I have mostly tile and a 3 year old, just carpet in our 3 bedrooms and I love it! I just vacuum and clean up spots in between the big cleanings. My sister has tile and all of the rest wood(Pergo) flooring and she really likes that too-less dander to worry about with Pets and she thinks it feels good on her feet as it is so warm here most of the time! If you need any asistance with a loan for your new home, I have been in the business for over 13 years, so please call me with any questions, I would love to help you!
S. Atkinson, Peoples Mortgage
www.peoplesmortgage.net
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Take care, and good luck in your schooling to become a full fledged nurse!
