We have lived in this house 10 years and have never replaced flooring (aside from bathrooms) but that is about to change. The mis-matched carpet that is who knows how old has got to go! The subfloor I stained in lieu of adding actual flooring has seen better days. The flooring in the whole house needs to be changed. The only question is, what do I replace them with?
Let's move throughout the house and talk about options.
The Kitchen & Dining Area
Water is the issue and the hang up in this space. Hardwood doesn't seem like a good idea but I want hardwood in the rest of the upstairs. Maybe it is because I have lived with a patchwork of flooring for so long, but I would like my flooring to match at least all on the same level. So if I am not comfortable with hardwood in the kitchen, does that mean no to hardwood elsewhere? Thoughts? This is where you earn your keep and chime in ;)
Currently I have laminate but it is not very realistic looking. They have come a long way in 10 years!
The Living Room & Hallway
I will admit that even though I want hardwood in these areas and even though water is not an issue, I still hesitate. I have 5 good reasons and I birthed all but one of them. Having kids and a dog affect a lot of my decorating decisions including flooring. I have never lived with hardwood floors (my subfloors that are masquerading as hardwood are actually soft and easily scratched and dented), so hit me up with the cold hard truth. Do they ding and scratch? Will I regret the money I spent?
Stairs
To be honest, I think I have already made up my mind about the stairs. Our house is old and our stairs are steep. I think for safety reasons, it would be best to do double pad and carpet. Do you think if I picked a carpet color that closely matched the flooring of the upstairs and downstairs that it would be alright? I have seen it done in expensive custom homes so I am assuming it is not completely taboo.
Basement
The basement is a lovely combination of mint green carpet, pinkish tan carpet, forrest green carpet, (all of which are stained) and concrete. The concrete is not level. I know, I know. You are thinking I won the flooring lottery with that mental picture I just created. Don't be too jealous. So here is my BIG question. How important is having carpet in a bedroom? Am I completely nuts for thinking of using a flooring that is not carpet? I will admit that there was a time that I thought you HAD to have carpet in a bedroom but I am warming up to other options.
I have given it a lot of thought and I think for the basement I am going to use the vinyl plank flooring that looks like wood. It is waterproof and super durable. In the nearly 80 years this house has existed, it has never flooded but if it ever did (the water heater and washing machine are both down there) it would be nice to have a flooring that could withstand it. I think it would be alright in the bedrooms if we used area rugs. I just don't like the idea of getting out of bed and having my feet touch a cold, hard floor.
And in case the mental pic was not enough, here you go in all it's ugly glory.
Alright, so what I am considering (but I am open to other ideas) as of right now is...
Upstairs either laminate or vinyl plank flooring. I just can't commit to hardwood because of the kitchen and because I am scared they would dent and scratch easily. Carpet on the stairs that matches the laminate and then vinyl planks in the basement with cute area rugs in the bedrooms. If I did a different type of flooring upstairs I would try to match the coloring as much as possible to the flooring downstairs.
Am I the only one who stresses about flooring matching or what type to get? I would love your input! Please tell me your flooring stories. I want the good, the bad and the ugly :)
***UPDATE***
So many of you talked about the wood looking tile that I thought I would address my thoughts in the post. I am hoping that some of you who have this tile can address my concerns and tell me what you think of it.
First off, I think it is stunning. STUNNING! I walked in a flooring store the other day and they had large boards tiled in it and even when super close it I thought it was wood. So the look is not my hang up. I have two concerns. First of all, when I have lived with tile in the living area in the past, when something drops on it it either shatters the item or the tile itself chips. If this tile chips, is it the same color throughout? Will the chip be noticeable? Tile seems to be colder than other non carpet choices too.
Also, I HATE tiling. I would have to hire it out or go the OCD in me would go crazy. Two little bathrooms nearly did this momma in. Hiring it out would increase the cost so that makes me hesitate. I am cheap :)
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Sarah L Franz
Go talk to Sterling at Steve Ogden flooring in SF. I'd say either luxury vinyl (waterproof and many many options) or wood-tile would get you the durability and look you want. We have original wood floor in our kids bedroom, and I wish it were carpet just to be softer while they play on it. They're also hard on the floor with their cars, trains, etc. But with older children it isn't as much of an issue. You can always accent with rugs. I like not having a ton of carpet with a dog because the hair, dander, dirt, and "accidents" can make it stinky and dirty super fast.
Stacy
Thank you! I have heard good things about that place :) Our bedrooms are in the basement which would be getting the vinyl. If the bedroom were upstairs I wouldn't do hardwood for that reason. My boys are hard on the floors with their toys. But then again my boys are starting to get bigger. Decisions, decisions....
Julie Buck
Your blog is timely. In 2016 We replaced all flooring upstairs with hardwood,except the bedrooms and bathrooms, which were carpet and tile respectfully. We couldn't be happier. This updated our 1990 home. We are currently remodeling our entire basement to include manufactured wood floor throughout except for heated tile in the bathroom. The upstairs we hired out and the basement we are doing ourselves. We own one cat and plan to use area rugs around beds for foot comfort. The stairs will be a carpet strip and manufactured wood.
Stacy
I need to come and visit sometime and see all of your handywork! You two are amazing :)
Tiffany G.
This I can totally help with. We are remodeling. I have researched floors. Tile is wonderful. We have oak floors in front living room and hallway. We used the shortest width wood look tile with texture( the short width makes it look real) in hall bathroom. We did it in a diagonal pattern. Our kitchen and family room are opened together with a huge glass door to the patio and pool. Lots of traffic with kids and animals. I wanted real wood so badly!!!!! But, we found a great large tile that is like a leather looking terra cotta look. If that makes sense. Very natural and can hide dirt because I don't mop everyday. It goes with the wood that it connects with at the different door ways. I would say just don't go with the ever popular typical width wood looking tile that's out there. It will date your house to 2016 ish, everyone seems to have it. I have oak flooring in bedrooms. This house had amazing carpet in the bedrooms. We tore it out. I have two great beautiful carpet runners on each side of the bed and that's all the carpet you really need. Cleaning is so easy with hardwood floors. Your carpet on the stairs.... Use a great color you love. It will work. Be happy with it. A nice neutral shade in maybe a Berber carpet would hold up well. They have nice patterns and colors in it. We installed our tile ourselves. Why not? We live in Savannah, Ga with lots of historic homes so I did a lot of research. If you have any questions let me know. We are doing most of the remodeling ourselves and have come to a lot of hold ups along the way.
Michael
Would you share the name of the tile you used? Sounds like something we would be interested.in.
brenda
perhaps one of the beautiful tile that appear as wood planks in the kitchen You could still have the look of wood that would co-ordinate with the other hardwood flooring throughout the rest of that level.
the bedroom carpet or not is a debate we are having at our house so i could not possible have an opinion there.]]
looking forward to how you resolve these issues. could use some insight into your solution
thank you
Stacy
Thank you! Tile is definitely an option :)
Rosemarie
i have had hardwood floors in my kitchen in 2 different houses for the past 34 years and have never had an issue. They have both been oak floors finished in high gloss moisture cure finish and are extremely durable. Do not hesitate and go for it.....you will not be sorry!!!!
Stacy
That is good to know! My mom had hardwood in the kitchen and her kitchen flooded twice which meant sanding it down each time. That has always scared me away from hardwood but I need to realize that her water heater was next to the kitchen and mine is not. Maybe I will get brave!
Diane W
We put hardwood throughout pretty much the whole house. Bathrooms and laundryroom are vinyl and stairs is carpet. We raised 7 kids and should re-do the hardwood. I plan to stain the hardwood a medium stain, as our floors are pretty orange. Basement has peel and stick tile. Its been fine but id love to change it. My hubby suffers with sinus issues and after tearing out carpet, he has hardly any problems. Our daughter just built and has a beautiful laminate, which is very pretty and been practical. They got higher end stuff. I have no regrets with the real hardwood.
Stacy
My son has bad allergies almost year round. I never even thought about the carpet being a contributor! I can't wait to tear it out now!!!
Ann Marie
If you have any problems with allergies, I would forgo carpeting in the bedrooms. After we pulled ours out and installed hardwood flooring, allergy problems plummeted. You can vacuum carpeting all day long and never get rid of all the allergens. We live in New England and I put down small area rugs in the winter and it's not cold... Wood becomes warm also with the heating.. Carpeting is tough to keep clean. Take a look at the carpeting you already have.
Go with the hardwood flooring. On high-traffic paths you can always put down an area rug.
I have been researching the vinyl plank flooring also.. It looks very durable. And I've been considering it in my mud room area to have continuity of flooring..
Good luck with your decision!
Stacy
It is good to hear that so many have loved their hardwood floors! I'm starting to warm up to the idea :)
Teri
We just put in luxury vinyl in our kitchen, family room and bedroom. The planks are 9x6 with cork on the bottom . They are waterproof and destruction proof. We had a GS dog going on them without problems. We got Cortex plus XL ( might be cortec). It is a tongue and groove product also. Check it out. It is not a glue down nor nail down. It is a floating floor . Hope this helps.
Stacy
Floating floor systems are so much easier to install! I have looked at some with cork on the back so you don't have to use an underlayment. That would be so nice.
Rust
Stacy, your post could have been written by me, detailing the same thoughts and questions, when we were deciding on flooring. I'll tell you what we were facing and what we did and how pleased I am with the result.
The one main floor (kitchen, living area, 2 bedrooms) that we were tackling had very old carpet. When we pulled it up we found beautiful 1920's oak wood flooring underneath. We were thrilled and decided to have them sanded and sealed. The kitchen had three layers of laminate and when that came up the floor was not salvageable. The wood was in terrible condition. What to do?
We went on vacation and walked into a restaurant for dinner one night in North Dakota and there it was, my flooring! It looked like wood but it was ceramic tile. When we got home I found the exact flooring online and talked to the contractors about it. They said the original floor would have to be shored up/stabilized with underlayment sheets and then the tile was laid in on top of that.
We picked a color that is almost the exact same as our wood flooring. We had that tile put down in the kitchen area only. There is a small rise as you leave the kitchen and walk down the hall but it is negligible. The contractors fashioned a very well matched threshold board to finish the line transitioning from kitchen to hallway (to accommodate the small rise by the underlayment in the kitchen).
This tile will also deal with your water concerns. I'm happy to send photos if you'd like to see the end result. Here's a link to the tiles similar to what we chose:
Stacy
I love that you saw the tile at a restaurant like it was a sign of what to do :) If you wouldn't mind, I would love to see pictures. You can email them to me at notjustahousewife@yahoo.com. Thank you!
Norma c.
I have hard wood all over the bedrooms-3/hallway and living room. Cushion floor in bathrooms and kitchen./laudry room. Changing the kitchen now -thinking of cushion floor again-no seams to think about comes in styles colours that look like tile, laminated flooring- as wood look, grains in it and various other looks but washable and wears well had old down for 31 years like you debated for the kitchen what to do. My mom had hardwood down but could see where the washing was taking some finish off at the seams.
Didn't want to worry about seams, finish coming up and something that would wear good with washing
Would be interested in thoughts as well-haven't got it down yet but deciding on a lamintated look of wood/clicklock look in grey-just painted the kitchen in soft fern green with wood trim and honey oak cupboards had alot of wood trim with wooden cupboards and oak rustic floors.
Stacy
One thing I will say is, I am grateful there are so many options but in the same breath, it makes it hard to know for sure! I have heard wonderful things about the click and lock vinyl flooring though.
Jo
Go for hardwood! I love my real hickory flooring. It's in my kitchen, dining, hallway, living room and my daughter's bedroom. Its been in place 10 years and seen some rough use with numerous kids with shoes on, scooters, cars, etc. It has scratches, but it's a lighter/natural stain so they aren't super noticeable unless you're looking for them. And I do love the calm look it brings having matching flooring. Good luck, can't wait to see what you pick!
Stacy
Sometimes at night I dream of matching flooring.... :)
Carole West
I would choose flooring that fits your lifestyle especially since you have boys and if pets are in the equations even more so. They have tile that looks like hardwoods, I'm actually considering it for our future tiny home because cleanup with big dogs well it's a breeze. I agree with your idea on the stairs.... I did wood on one of our newer homes way back and it was neat until you tripped or fell because no matter what accidents happen. Again I would think about tile in that wood finish, if it's the same through out it will make your home look larger and cohesive This was fun - Hope you're having a great summer!!.
Stacy
I'll be honest and say that I never even considered tile because i HATE installing it. I would have to hire it out so the OCD in me could sleep at night and not focus on the uneven grout lines in that one little place :P
I hope your summer is going well. It seems like you have been busy outside as usual!
Sandy B O'Neill
My daughter did vinyl plank flooring throughout her condo because of kids, dogs and water. She is very happy and it looks nice. She did a low nap carpet on the stairs. Her floors are dark and the carpet is a lighter shade. Works well.
Stacy
Everyone I have asked has said they were really pleased with the vinyl planks. I am glad she is happy with it!
Brittany
Dealing with the same thing here! We've decided vinyl plank on the main floor but up the stairs?? Our bedrooms are all upstairs and while I like the coziness of carpet it makes for a lot of lost Legos and stains... I think it will be the same planks upstairs but is that weird? Vinyl upstairs... Maybe it should be real wood, then what to do about the steps. I agree for safety's sake we deffinately need a soft grippy surface. Right now we're just trying the get the main floor done, then we'll deal with it. <3
Britt
Stacy
I'm so glad I am not the only one with a similar dilemma! We haven't done anything because we can't make up our minds. Good luck on finishing your main floor!
Kati Urbanek
Flooring a whole house: been there; done that. We went with carpet in the basement because I wanted a soft place for our little kids to play. I stand by that decision because (like you) we also have a concrete, unlevel floor. But I also kind of hate it because it's so hard to keep clean and it collects so much dirt. Upstairs, I wanted all hardwood except for in the entryway because I had all hardwood in a previous home and it was a disaster in the winter to try to keep wet, snowy mud from ruining the wood. I ultimately decided to tile the kitchen as well. My kids just are constantly spilling stuff, dropping stuff and generally being super hard on the floor in there. I was worried about not having a seamless look but I have a nice, level transition and it doesn't bother me like I thought it would. I love, love my hardwood floors upstairs everywhere else (except bathrooms). We did Celtic knots In an accent border with a darker color and it's unique and interesting. I don't let my dog upstairs because she's a farm dog and doesn't have house manners but she would absolutely scratch it. We're a shoes-off in the entryway family, too. I 100% do not regret my wood floors, but they definitely take more consideration and babying than most flooring.
Stacy
You know what is crazy? I never once considered the snow! Maybe because it is summer right now but that never got factored in. You are right, the melting snow is the worst!
Kati
It still gives me anxiety five years later...
Ky Brun
We used the wood tile in the kitchen and dining room because we also have a floor ruiner (hello, terrible twos!) and it has held up so amazingly well that we're planning on replacing all of the flooring in the entryway and bathrooms. Plus, many have commented that they can't tell that it's not wood. They've come such a long way! Our bedrooms downstairs run at a comfortable 32 degrees (kidding, but not really) so we're keeping the carpet, but making sure all the bedrooms and the living room match in at least color, if not style. Good luck! It was a battle of the wills to get to this point!
Stacy
Yes, Shane and I can't seem to agree on the same thing at the same time. I finally warm up to one idea and he has changed to something else. So many possibilities on types and then you have to decide color!
Shelley
We were actually considering flooring choices right now too for our den. It has carpet that is ratty looking and I don't really want to do carpet anymore since we are looking for non-toxic, eco-friendly choices that don't off-gas.We considered wood, cork and bamboo, a non-toxic recycled carpet (which can unravel easily), and linoleum (not the same as vinyl). I am leaning toward linoleum which is coming back big time. It is made from non-toxic ingredients and they now have a lot of color and design choices to choose from. Our bedrooms are hard wood floors since we got a really good deal on some high quality stuff on Craigslist, our bathroom is porcelain tile and the rest of the house is laminate wood, which I don't like since every spot and streak shows on it, with vinyl in the kitchen area and laundry room in case it gets wet. I have a big braided area rug in the middle of my living room. Some neighbors of ours have bedrooms in their basement with cork flooring and love it. I don't see why you can't mix up flooring a bit in your house. Seems like that's what most people do.
Stacy
That is good to know about linoleum! I wouldn't have thought it would be non-toxic. I am off to look at choices :)
Christine
Twelve years ago we put bamboo floors throughout the lower level of our condo. It's a medium color which worked for our living situation. Two adults with occasional weekend guests. We use a large area rug in the living area, a smaller rug in the dining area & two throw rugs in the kitchen & laundry. I don't like using rugs in the bathrooms. We have a no-shoe house and even though adults live here, there are still dents, dings and scratches from our daughter's small dog (one of our most frequent visitors). On a scale of 1-10, I would give this flooring a 5..... that being said, I'd love to replace it when the budget permits.
We replaced the carpet in the two bedrooms (upstairs) with engineered bamboo 6 years ago. I love it! Adding resin to the bamboo (hence, engineered) provides a beautiful hard surface that has only a couple of dings from heavy furniture dropping on it, and no scratches from dog nails. For the two bathrooms, we selected a vinyl laminate that resembles the engineered bamboo. You have to look closely to see it's not the same flooring throughout the upstairs. The only way you can tell is if you compare the width of the bamboo to the vinyl. The vinyl is thinner in width.
Our condo stairs are pretty funky, meaning we could not put flooring on them because they are an open concept. We had a sturdy industrial carpet (similar to Berber carpeting) installed that matches the color of the upstairs bamboo. The installer wrapped the carpet on the lower stairs and on the upper four stairs (closed concept stairs), added a bamboo toe board. The landing is not carpeted. We use small area rugs by the beds & have larger area rugs in our bedroom sitting areas. We love the carpet we selected for the stairs. It's sturdy, hides dirt, including spilled coffee as we carry our cups upstairs to read and makes it safer to descend the stairs. A win-win situation.
So, I suggest you look at engineered bamboo.....
Stacy
Good to know the difference between regular and engineered. I added it to the list :) Thank you!
Danalin Foster
Wood tile! My sister has it throughout her downstairs and it looks very legit. Beautiful, in fact. She has a pool in the backyard so they needed something waterproof throughout for when kiddos traipse through, dripping wet, to go to the bathroom from the pool. It's also crazy durable. Her kids (and mine) have spent many hours roller blading on it with nary a scratch. It also doesn't feel super hard like some tile. It is a little chilly at times, so maybe some radiant flooring underneath in some areas? We just built a house so we won't be changing our flooring anytime soon, but I wish I had gone that route.
Stacy
For a pool situation I think that is the only way to go. My biggest hang up with tile is that when you drop something on it it either shatters the item dropped or it can chip the tile. Has your sister found that to be an issue with her wood looking tile? It has been 10 years since I lived with tile in the kitchen or living areas so maybe tile has changed or maybe the wood tile is different? I will say that it is stunning! I saw some when we went to Floor and Decor and it seriously looked like wood!
Jennifer
I loved my hardwood floor! We had it in the kitchen, dining and entry, all areas with water. We even had our dishwasher leak within the first 6 months in the house. We did have a dog too. When we build soon I will be putting hardwood back in my kitchen and dining. I believe the only way to do hardwood is solid hardwood that you install and then finish, not the prefinished stuff that doesn't seal to the next piece so water gets between the pieces.
So here's my suggestions for you. They have tile now that looks like wood (I'm going to put this in my laundry room, mudroom, and entry). This way you have the look of wood but more durability and you won't have to refinish it every few years. You could even do it down stairs, there is some stuff to level floors that works pretty good. I would definitely put carpet on the stairs.
Good luck with the decisions!
Stacy
Thank you! I am feeling very confident in my "carpet on the stairs" choice now that you have all chimed in. I may have to take a second look at wood tile too!
Melinda
I am thinking of using Floorte Luxury Vinyl planks. It is installed very similarly to hardwood/engineered hardwood, except it is all made of vinyl and is waterproof. I think it looks pretty good. We've been searching for a few years and we finally settled on this. It's going throughout the bedrooms, hall and family room in my basement. The other room down there is a huge kitchen workroom, and it is tile. My husband doesn't want tile in the rest of the basement as it's always cold down there (summer and winter) and he thinks the warm wood look of the planks will be inviting, plus water resistant. I wish I could do my entire house, how lucky are you! I have engineered hardwood upstairs, even in the kitchen. It's fine, but getting very worn in front of the sink, and desk. It's been 17 years or so, though, so it's sturdy! I think carpeted stairs are fine, quieter and safer, especially if they are carpeted now, just stay with that!
Stacy
I haven't heard of that particular brand. I am going to check it out. I agree, wood does look warmer :)
Dana Herbert
Have you considered the wood look tile for your kitchen and where ever? I have to laugh a little at the double padded carpeting stairs as they were linoleum with aluminum at each edge of the step when may grandparents raised at least six of their kids there. I remember rolling down those stairs several times when I was younger LOL.
Stacy
The green linoleum is still under there! I had a 9 month old tumble down and ended up in the hospital with a bad concussion. It could have been worse if not for all the pad. Even though I don't have babies anymore, that kind of made me gun shy to try anything else.
Cecilia Spencer
HI , I love your thinking process about the flooring in your home.
Have you considered porcelain tiles, which have the wood grain
look?, And yes, wood in the bedroom is fine. A nice area rug under
foot should take care of the problem of hitting the floor with bare feet.
Stacy
I'm a little hesitant to do tile since it is my least favorite DIY job but the wood looking tiles are gorgeous!
Kara
We've had two kinds of hardwood in my last house, and I just couldn't deal with the upkeep. I wanted the wood look tile, but my husband vetoed that because it's cold. We installed vinyl planks in this new house, and I LOVE it. Our dishwasher actually leaked when they re-installed it after replacing the flooring, so I am go glad we went with a waterproof option! I worked with Ricardo at Ogden's in SF, and they have been awesome! You can come see it if you want to get an idea of what it looks like in real life. :)
Whitney H.
For when we finish our basement and feel like our first floor is completely worn out, we are replacing most of the house with the luxury vinyl planks. It looks and some feel so wood like. The vinyl doesn't need a perfectly level floor to install, and is waterproof and scratch resistant...pros for my basement. We'll even put it in the bedrooms down there, but add some area rugs. We didn't want carpet in the basement, and tile would be ice cold in the winter.