Tell me about your floors.

[icebrat001]

I want to know the good, bad and the ugly.

What do you LOVE about your flooring, what type is it, what would you change and why?

Thanks,

ETA - Please post pictures if you don't mind.

 

[LoriKay]

We have wood, tile and carpet. I always make sure the tile I chose is porcelain because it's stronger than ceramic tile, therefore, less chance of a tile being broken if something is dropped on it. Our last house had a marble floor in the foyer and while it was beautiful it was a pain in the bottom to clean. I was instructed to use only water on it and the water had to be wiped off right away or the marble would have sort of a film on it. No more marble for me. I also like the laminate wood floors because we have a greyhound and she doesn't scratch it like she did the real wood floors in a previous house. Good luck with your selections.

 

[mom2boys]

My carpets need vacuuming.

My tile needs washing.

 

[icebrat001]

My carpets need vacuuming.

My tile needs washing.

Darn! I hate cleaning, too bad I can't lead a floorless life, where would I stand, even cement would have to be cleaned.

 

[Stacerita]

We have tile in the main parts of the house and carpeting in the bedrooms. The carpet is fine. Needs to be vacumed often though because our dog loves the carpet too and the sweetpea has allergies. The tile is a PITA! I hate it. Takes forever to sweep/clean and the grout is always looking like I haven't cleaned it. Plus, the tile has no give what so ever so its a literal pain in the back. Anytime I am doing something that requires me to stand on the floor or be on the floor for a long time my back starts aching me like crazy. If I had my choice, I would get the wood laminate flooring. I like the way it looks much better than the tile anyways.

 

[mudnuri]

REAL hardwood in the entire house- not pergo, not prefinished- real old hard wood.

Love that its warm in the winter and cool in the summer
love that they are easy to clean-I vacume them daily and swiffer wet to wash
love that they were recently refinished and have 10 coats of poly on them and shine like no end

hate-
they have gaps between them since they are original to the house- however, thats why I vacume

tile in my bathroom- never really thought about that- its a small room so i dont do much except vacume daily and wash by hand 1-2x a week

Brandy

 

[daisyduck123]

Hardwood in the kitchen & dining room. If I had it to do over....3 or 4 years ago when we put the hardwood in, I would have taken out all scissors from the kitchen drawer. Everytime someone drops them, aaarrrgggg!!! They make a dent in my floor.

Otherwise....no problems.

 

[beckmrk04]

Just put armstrong antique oak swiftlock floor in the kitchen- it looks like real wood, with knot holes and wood grain, and I love it. I have a 70 lb dog who is hard on EVERYTHING and it's great- vacuum, swiffer, never dents or scratches.

Carpet in the living room is new. ask me in 2-3 years.

Hardwood in Bedrooms- scratched to h-e-double, well, you know. Saving for carpet. Disney trip trumped carpet.

Tile that looks like ceramic (but isn't) in bathroom. easy- vacuum, swiffer. (I'm a no-mop sorta gal).

 

[crz4mm2]

LR/DR= carpet, light brown/dark tan color... LOVE the warmth, hate that it gets dirty and you can't get it clean.

BR- Hardwood. Love the ease of cleaning but hate how cold they are. Also shows every bit of dog hair there is no matter now often I sweep (and I hate to sweep).

Kitchen has linoleum. It has a tile pattern which shows very little dirt which I LOVE. Easy to clean. Cold to walk on. Other than that I love it.

I would love to have all hardwood, but DH hates how cold they are.

 

[kelsco99]

Hardwood in kitchen, dining, hallway, and bedroom - love the warmth - I do have to wear slippers for comfort but I don't mind- tiny cracks between planks that are difficult to clean in the kitchen.

Tile in bathrooms, foyer, and mudroom - easy to clean - doesn't show dirt (have dark tiles and dark grout)

Love how all of it looks and wouldn't switch to anything else if I could.

Kelly

 

[LadyyRedd]

tile in my bathroom- never really thought about that- its a small room so i dont do much except vacume daily and wash by hand 1-2x a week

Brandy

I have to ask, curiosity is killing me.....you vacuum the bathroom daily?

Kimya

 

[1of6]

Hardwood in the kitchen, foyer, powder room and dining room. I hate the grooves!!! Love the look. Hate the dropped toys, scissors, tools and you name it. With 4 kids and a dog... you get the picture.

Carpet every where else except bathrooms. White carpet! Really...what were the previous owners thinking? Didn't they know we were going to buy the house 2 years after they had it built and white does NOT work for us.

Tile in the bathroom. Looks good and easy to clean. Freezing on the feet though. It doesn't help that our master bath is over the garage.

 

[Choc_marg]

We used to have tile in the kitchen & entryway, vinyl in the bathrooms & carpet everywhere else. Last year we pulled out all of the tile & replaced the carpet. The tiled area & some of the previously carpeted area became covered with cork. I LOVE everything about it. We did the tongue & groove planks and it was fairly easy to install. We did 1000 sq ft in a weekend. I love the way it looks. I love way it feels. It isn't hard like tile. I like to cook & standing on the tile was just killing my back. It is easy to care for (just sweep & damp mop). I alos like the fact that it harvested from the bark of a tree & not he actual tree, so it keeps growing back. It also a repellant to certain insects. Termites are one of the insects that don't like the cork flooring. We have also noticed that we haven't seen a scorpion in the house since we installed the cork.

It is soft, so it does get slight indentations. Since cork is full of tiny air bubbles, the compression is supposed to go away in time.

Here are some pics of the installation and finished floor.

http://www.taborkids.com/2004/oct/floorprogress/

 

[mudnuri]

I have to ask, curiosity is killing me.....you vacuum the bathroom daily?

Kimya

Well, I vacuum the entire house- Since I've had my hair straightened and am on Depo my hair falls out- so on the bathroom floor by the end of the day there is quite a bit of hair from me combing it. I cant stand cat hair- and dustball sleeps on the bath mat, so yes, I do...

It's off the kitchen, and takes about 45 seconds to do. not very big at all.

Brandy

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have put in nearly 4000 Sq Ft of slate in our log home, and I love it! It is over radiant heated floors, so it helps hold in the heat, which is good, since it is our only heat source. We also have a few pine floors, which I would not reccomend if you aren't interested in rustic.

 

[Nancyg56]

We have tongue and groove pine planks in the bedrooms and in our computer room. I have had them for 5 years, and so far I am happy with the wear. I have had oak planks in the great room for 1 1/2 years, and see some scratches now. Tile in the kitchen area, entryway, and in the bathroom. I love both! I vaccuum, and use a microfiber mop on the wood floors, but I find them much easier than rugs. There is no give with the tile, though, so now I avoid any glass candle holers in the bathroom, and cringe when I hear anything fall in the kitchen.

 

[Disney Doll]

Hardwood throughout most of the first floor except the bathroom. I also have hardwood in the kitchen. It has a water-based acrylic finish on it which I love...very easy to keep clean. Bathrooms have ceramic tile. Upstairs bedrooms and hallway have a wall to wall carpet.

 

[Katy Belle]

We have 100% tile, everywhere,over 4,000 sq. ft. Not our choice, rented villa. I vaccuum, mop once a week, kitchen about every other day. I like it. Its so much cleaner than carpet and you can have some nice rugs! With tiny kids its too hard, trying to crawl, etc, but with my big messy boys, 6,8,10 its perfect. Cinnamon colored grout is awesome, doesn't show dirt like white grout. I've had real wood and laminate wood in two other houses. Loved the look but I hate to clean floors...hate it...I didn't take care of them very well. I remember the floor guy telling me to dust mop daily...yeah right..it didn't happen. Good luck making your choice!
Katy

 

[Southern4sure]

Darn! I hate cleaning, too bad I can't lead a floorless life, where would I stand, even cement would have to be cleaned.

Get a Roomba! Best invention ever. I use the roomba downstairs on tile and laminate.

 

[Mercy]

We just completed renovating our first floor... We refinished the hardwoods in the LR
http://photobucket.com/albums/a166/Mercymygft/?action=view&current=Picture007.jpg

Here is a picture of the tile we put in the kitchen...
http://photobucket.com/albums/a166/Mercymygft/?action=view&current=Kitchen045.jpg