Crashing this could get expensive.

[luv2climb]

I'm with you on the carpet thing--yuck. Besides the dirt/dust/allergy factor, I would much rather sweep/dust mop than push a heavy, loud vacuum cleaner around. My last apartment was all hardwood and linoleum floors; the place I am in now has carpet as did every other apartment I looked at here (but around here all the landlords seem to love putting in medium-blue carpet rather than beige). I think part of it has to do with noise reduction; people stomping around on a carpeted floor make less noise for the people below them than if they were stomping around on a hardwood floor.

You're right about the noise factor. Too bad they can't come up with some kind of insulation underneath a hard floor that reduces noise.