If anyone is considering installing carpet

[Aggie_Ama]

We have concrete slabs in Texas but I am lobbying to remove as much carpet as possible from our house. As an allergy sufferer it seems to help. My parents house only has carpet in the bedrooms, I think this is what my husband will go for. The dogs seem annoyed with my parents hardwood because they can't get traction to chase each other but they get no votes.

[badger]

carpet is badbadbad. When I was renting with carpets throughout, I always had problem with fleas. Now that I only have hardwood, aside from the stray bite I don't really have a problem.

Speaking of concrete, when I renovate my kitchen, I really want to just have concrete with that acid finish. I hate grout, and cleaning would be a breeze. The only problem is I've yet to see one that's actually decent looking.

[jessmarimba]

That stained concrete stuff is neat! I always kind of wanted the black and white tile floor for kitchen (at least concrete subfloor will hold tile - my floor joists aren't built for the extra weight).

I read the book "Help, my house is killing me" once and have had to try really hard not to think about it since I moved in here. Way too much stuff lives in carpet. It's not so bad if you wash it regularly and replace it every 5-7 years, as apartment complexes should, but most homeowners don't.

And yes, my cats hate me now too. But if they hadn't shredded the carpet enough for me to see the hardwood, I probably wouldn't have taken the risk of tossing it yet!

[tangentgirl]

I appreciate that fact that the original owners kept our hardwood floors safely covered with carpet for 50 years. Of course, I wasn't the one who had to rip it all out - someone did that before we bought the place.

I could never cover them up again, hard wood is too pretty. I look at the floors and can't imagine why they would have in the first place.

Then again, they covered the patio with astroturf, so there you go.

[jessmarimba]

Someone here in the 50s? 60s? was apparently obsessed with turquoise. So far I've discovered that the old wood siding under the transite shingles is turquoise, the kitchen walls are covered in turquoise fake plastic tile (that someone fortunately painted white), and there are scraps of turquoise vinyl flooring that were under the upstairs carpet. I can only imagine what this place looked like then!

(I can't wait to get these floors finished and this place cleaned up...I really want to show before and after photos!)

[Owlie]

EEW. Too much.

My mom is in the process of removing most of the carpet in the house. (Granted, the carpet has been there since we moved in and was nearly 20 years old...) The bedrooms now have bamboo floors. Kitchen and hallways are wood. Basement now has laminate (I think?). I think the only rooms in the house with carpet are the dining room, living room and family room...

[bmccasland]

My Great Uncle sold "flooring" which in-the-day meant vinyl or carpeting. Each area of his house had something different. Vinyl in kitchen/dining room, a lovely patterned carpet in the formal living room & dining room, one bedroom wing had another carpet, family room - different carpet, and the master's suite a 4th carpet. Thresholds were interesting to say the least. But carpet everywhere was the thing to do in the 1960's and 1970's. Funny how things are coming full circle. Unless you have in-floor heating, one thing carpet does hold over solid flooring is that it's warmer. Not important in the sun belt, but does have it's value in cooler climes.