Hi Moms,
I have a simple question. We moved into our current house 2 years ago. the upstairs (4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a huge hallway) have carpet. we're wanting to put hardwood floors. i thought we had decided about it, when my husband talked to my mom and told her of our plans and her comment was 'hardwood floors are great but not so great for winter time. how will you keep the floors warm?
i am very confused now. my husband says let's do hallway in carpet, and the rooms with wood. but if we're concerned about floors being cold then what about our kids' room? should we put carpet there too? i didn't want carpet because my kids are allergic to dust mites and i had thought wood floors with some kind of a runner or what is it called? a carpet on top of the floors, a carpet that doesn't go from corner to corner, just covers the most of it, but that is easily removed to have it washed,
what do you moms have in your bedrooms, and what do you think would be best for us?
thanks
L.
wow, i love you moms
hardwood floors with area rugs and runner it is. thanks so much
L.
Put hardwood everywhere and then area rugs on top.
Tell the kids to wear slippers if you think their feet will get cold.
YMMV
LBC
Aww, dont worry about what MOM said, thats why God invented slippers.
If you are having a dust mite issue you don't want the carpet. Sounds like MOM is jealous she cant have hardwood ;)
Use an area rug in the center of a room (probably where the kids will be on the floor playing most) if necessary. You can always clean them with the spray on cleaner and vaccuum them up.
I'm pretty sure you can put heating strips, radient heat, underneath the wood floor. You could do it in all of the rooms, or just one or two. Look it up on-line, or ask at your local wood floor store. I don't think it is too expensive.
Good luck!
I grew up with hardwood in our home - all of it but the hallway and living room - in Chicago. It got cold, but the floors didn't. Tile would - but wood isn't. You also will find you will want rugs/runners next to the bed etc to protect the high traffic areas. My husband and son both have allergies and we are considering doing the very same thing. I say get the hardwood floors!
Okay so I may be in the minority here...we currently have hardwood in all of our bedrooms (four) and the hall- and we are looking for quotes to have carpet installed in the master and our daughters room- I find the hardwood actually harder to keep clean and harder to control the dust- at least the carpet keeps the dust bunnies contained and easy to vacuum up. Also while the rooms are not temperature wise colder- there is just something more "warm" in the homey, comfortable way about having carpet int he bedrooms that I really miss. Also the rooms are sooo much more echoy with the hardwood. Just my two cents... The hardwood is beautiful and for that I love it- but just my thoughts on the drawbacks-
Also we do have area rugs in the room- not the same....
Wood, is not cold.
One option is: carpet tiles.
"Tiles."
It is easily installed and easily removed.
Don't glue it down.
Just lay it down.'
Then you can remove it easily... later.
Carpet tiles, are commonly used in commercial installations or in child type venues. Because, if soiled or it needs to be replaced, it is easy to do so... just remove the tile of carpet. You don't have to rip out the ENTIRE carpeting in the room.
OR, in your kids rooms... put down those foam type play tiles.. like how some kid play venues have. You know, they have the alphabets on it etc., and they interlock together.
But yes, your kids are allergic to dust mites. So no carpeting is recommended in their rooms. I have asthma since a kid... and my parents took out my carpeting. It was better that way.
Just have your kids, wear socks in the house. Or house slippers.
all the best,
Susan
We ripped out ALL the carpet when we bought our 100+ year old house. There was gorgeous walnut under there! I have small area rugs in the upstairs hall, nothing in the bedrooms, a 4x6 by the front door to catch the dirt coming in, and a 5x7 in the living room that the kids can sit on while watching tv. The floors don't really get cold, even our basement is heated. We walk around in our socks, mostly, sometimes slippers if it gets REALLY cold out, like below 0.
Go with the wood. Heat rises so 2nd floor is warmer anyways & just put an area rug & slippers next to the beds.
We have hard wood floors in every room but the kitchen and bathroom which are tile. We have a small area rug in each bedroom and one in the living room. My oldest has a severe dust allergy too and these are much easier to keep clean. The boys both keep their slippers right on their area rugs and put them on as soon as they get out of bed and take them off right before getting in. You'd never know the floor was a little cooler. when you have slippers on :)
In my opinion, if you have a chance to get wood floors, do it. You can get a runner - yes, that's what it's called - for the stairs or hallway and some small area rugs if you want to, but I don't find that wood floors get terrifically cold (and we get weather as cold as New Yorkers have). Wood floors will also add value to your house. I believe a carpet/wood combination will be a disappointment to you in the long run. Go for the wood!
GO HARDWOODS!!!! I wish I could have them in the entire house (except the bathroom)!! Not only are they GORGEOUS, they increase the resale value of your home (should you ever want to move), they are easy to clean with a 50/50 vinegar/water solution, and there are no allergens.
We moved into our house in July and there is hardwood except for carpeting in the bedrooms and basement, cushion floor (?) in the kitchen and bathroom and entrance way. I have yet to find a good way to keep the living room floor free from dust. I will vacuum and/or sweep and look at the floor at eye level (we have a split level home) and the dust still sits there. I don't find it cold but still dusty.
