Carpet or flooring?

[HIU8]

We desperately need to replace our carpet. We have had it 6 years and it's just gross. DS had GERD as a baby and there are places where the projectile vomit bleached the color etc... The carpet is only in our family room, up the stairs and in the hallway. The rest of the house is tile or hardwood (the house was built in 1970, when hardwoods were automatically put in, so it's old with some spaces etc... but we did get it sanded and sealed). Anway, trying to decide which is more economical--replacing the carpet with carpet or refinishing the stairs and hallway again and putting some type of flooring in the family room (with area rugs). Anyone BTDT? Which would you do?

[hobie]

Wood floors are so much easier to clean!

[Roni]

We have hardwood floors except for on our stairs because of my allergies. So, I don't know what is the most economical, but if anyone in your family has allergies, hardwood is the way to go.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I like carpet in a family room. Just nice to plop down on the floor to play, watch tv...

Beth

[HIU8]

I don't know if I can get hardwoods in my family room to match the rest of the house. Like I said, I have real hardwood floors all over the house. I can maybe match it but the family room will look new while the rest of the house looks it's age 41 yrs (settling etc... of the floors). I would prefer to do flooring in the family room though.

[AnnieW625]

Our huse is 98% hardwood and I do miss carpet, but wood is way easier to clean.

In your case I'd gp tp the carpet store and or get estimates. We were going to replace carpet in the hal and two bedrooms and before the carpet guy could even tell us how much it was to put in new carpet he said to have the floors redone. But to put all new hardwoods in could be $$$$ (and FWIW good quality brand name Pergo isn't that much cheaper than wood).

[edurnemk]

Wood floors are so much easier to clean!

:yeahthat: And I hate how carpet starts showing wear in high transit areas really fast.

My IL's had their carpet replaced in the bedrooms and the new hardwood matches the rest of the house perfectly (20+ years), it's hard to tell the difference.

[KathyN115]

A few years ago we moved into a house built in 1955, refinished the hardwood, and put new wood in the one room that did not have it. At first I could tell, but after a while it was harder to do so. I would put the wood in, and get an area rug to sit on. Then you won't have to replace the flooring in there again.

[sste]

Another hardwood fan. The only place I don't mind carpet is adult bedrooms - - cozy and adults can keep it relatively clean. Even then I usually don't opt for it because of the allergen/mold/goodness knows what factor.

For your family room, I am going to put in a vote for hardwood coupled with the home depot shag area rug (available in off-white, red and a few other colors, dirt cheap, totally synthetic so extraordinarily stain resistant, and looks more expensive than it is - - only downside is if you are uncomfortable with non-wool options due to scotch guard and other treatments).

[viba424]

We looove Interface Flor tiles. They hold up beautifully, clean well, and look good. Had them for years. I hate cleaning the dust bunnies and crumbs all the time on our hardwood. Roombas are also great on Flor tiles. They have a ton of reasonably priced ones that look great.