Wood floors or carpet?

[ani'smommy]

We're moving into a co-housing community this summer and we get to choose what kind of flooring we want. We'll have two stories. The upper floor (with the bedrooms) will be carpeted.

We're still deciding on the main floor. Our options are carpet or for $1300 more, bamboo. So, I would prefer bamboo, but $1300. . ..

Also, it's an open floor kind of layout. The kitchen would be marmoleum. Would it look weird to have the kitchen marmoleum and the rest of the floor wood?

I just can't decide. . .

[4evermom]

It won't look any weirder than the carpet and marmoleum.

I'd go with the bamboo unless I seriously could not afford it. Theoretically it will increase the value should you ever resell. It's so much easier to clean up spills and toileting accidents on wood, not to mention dirt tracked in from outside. It gives you more flexibility in decorating because you can choose (or not) to have area rugs. And it will just look nicer.

[grniys]

I would also go with the bamboo. I hate carpet. I'm constantly cleaning it, and I know it will never look as nice as it once did. Plus, like 4evermom mentioned, it would bring the value up a great deal. It sounds like a pretty good investment.

[catholicmama]

Definitely the bamboo!!!

[ani'smommy]

So it does make reasonable, practical sense? And I'm not picking bamboo because it's so much cooler?

[marybethorama]

I vote for wood

I prefer wood to carpet.

[crl]

Bamboo--totally practical. It will look good for so much longer than carpet. Plus if anyone has dustmite allergies, carpet is bad. And resale is better.

[emdeecee_sierra]

carpet is so very bad for you, offgassing, etc. i personally would opt for subflooring vs. carpet until i could afford wood floors if need be. like pp said, wood is so easy to clean, and you KNOW it is clean, vs. all the crud that stays in carpet ewwwww.

[cyncyn]

I vote for marmoleum and bamboo! Those are both great floor materials.

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by ani'smommy

So it does make reasonable, practical sense? And I'm not picking bamboo because it's so much cooler?

No, you are picking it because it is the ecologically sound choice and you are a responsible citizen of planet Earth .

[DevaMajka]

Wood floors are definitely easier to get totally clean. Carpet, I don't think you can ever get completely clean.
It is uncomfortable to sit and play on wood floors though. lol.
But if you can get some nice big rugs, you're set on that too.

[philomom]

I love wood floors. I can't wait to get rid of all the carpet in my home and put down hardwoods. Sigh. One project at a time.

[sunnysideup]

So it does make reasonable, practical sense? And I'm not picking bamboo because it's so much cooler?

It's practical too because it lasts so much longer. The wood floors in our house have been here for 90 years.

[MomToKandE]

Wood. Our house is a mix of wood, ceramic, and carpet. Lately I just feel like the carpet is unclean. I mean the hard floors get washed but the carpet just gets vacuumed... maybe I'm becoming a germaphobe but that doesn't seem as clean.

[grniys]

Originally Posted by MomToKandE

Wood. Our house is a mix of wood, ceramic, and carpet. Lately I just feel like the carpet is unclean. I mean the hard floors get washed but the carpet just gets vacuumed... maybe I'm becoming a germaphobe but that doesn't seem as clean.

You're right, carpet is unclean. I have carpet and I not only vaccuum but I have a carpet cleaner and even if I clean it in the morning, if I were to go over the spot again later there would still be dirt and gross stuff in it. I can't wait to own a house so we can have wood floors!

[artemis33]

Wood all the way!

I don't know about the long term durability of bamboo (if it would last 90 years like hard wood) but I would still choose it over carpet any day. I hate carpet!!!

Like a PP mentioned, you can have area rugs if you want some areas to feel more cozy.

[cuttiebearmom]

Bamboo all the way!!! In the end the expense will be less than replacing carpets frequently if you are there for a while, if not you will be adding value to resale anywho!

We have all wood (not even any throw rugs). I don't own a vacuum cleaner, just a broom and mop. Easy, easy, easy, imho.

Good luck with the new community. Enjoy!

[momto l&a]

I would go for wood.

I am interested in cork click boards as the house we live in is very noisy. But I dont know what the life span of it is.

[sunnysideup]

Originally Posted by momto l&a

I am interested in cork click boards as the house we live in is very noisy. But I dont know what the life span of it is.

Make sure you get the cork floors that can be refinished, they will last forever. I love cork floors!

[UptownZoo]

Hard floors are way healthier because carpet is a friend and happy habitat of the dust mite. So the earth wins, and so do your lungs.



Plus, bamboo floors are way cool.