hardwood floors

[chester]

i am having a house built most of it is done but now i need to make a desicion of hardwood floors or flat carpet . the place i live now has that flat carpet looking stuff in it which works fine for moving around in the chair but i can get some hardwood flooring at cost , i like the look of a hardwood floor but i would like the opinions of those whom have hardwood and whether your happy with it or not. my friend says what if you get a pebble in your tire and it scrapes and scuffs the floor ? i am so confused - opinions ? thanx

[hapahouli]

I have wood floors in my house but
the path I mostly travel on is covered by very thin carpet so I don't scratch the wood. My Dad upkeeps the floor, vacuum and polish. Carpet only needs vacuuming, but the look of wood floors is very elegant. For me I can barely push my chair on the wood floor so I would prefer the wood. If you can push over carpet then the choice comes down aesthetics.

[Grange]

HEY cHESTER,
After my SCI I had all the carpet removed from my house cause it was like pushing through sand. (It had a pretty thick padding.) I installed a commercial grade perggo laminate fake hardwood. Looks good and is supposed to be tougher than real hardwood. Been pushing on it 10 months. No scratches yet. Only complaint is it is harder to keep clean than carpet. Carpet you just vacuum. Wood has to be swept and mopped pretty often to keep the dust bunnies down. Hope this helps you with your decision. Ultimately my choice remains wood.
Grange

[chiappa]

Wood, wood, wood! Cleaner, holds up fine and it's much easier on you.

[Chris Chappell]

Agreed with chiappa - wood. I have hickory floors throughout with area rugs. I would not go with carpeting given the dirt, tire tracks, etc.

Good luck with your new place.:)

[Wheelieboy]

I have mahogony hardwood and haven't had a scratch on them yet. The biggest issue I have with them comes when I come in from outside and it has been raining. I leave tracks on the floor, but it's nothing a mop can't clean up.

[CowboyCrip]

We have wood in our house. Real hardwood. Original to the home. It's pretty good with the diamond hard finish (durability wise). Easy to clean.

My advice to you, would be to go for a top of the line, wood laminate floor. They come with 25 and 30 year warranty.

I saw a thing on TLC comparing wood floors. They dropped hammers, tomato tins, walked on them with pointy high heals and even had a rugby team scrum accross the floors.

The high quality wood laminate faired the best.

Good luck! This must be a very exciting time for you!

[lynnifer]

I hate carpet - it just holds dirt and crap no matter how much you vacuum ... but then again I have some shedding cats here.

Laminate is definately hard to keep up with to keep clean. You have to sweep every other day at the least and mop often ...

[Tiger Racing]

the place i live now has that flat carpet looking stuff in it which works fine for moving around in the chair but i can get some hardwood flooring at cost
Berber and other types of flat carpet can look great and not be terribly difficult to push around on, but nothing beats hardwood for beating inertia. It is ever so much easier to carry a full wine glass when pushing across a floor that allows one to roll easily. It is almost impossible to push and steer with one hand across carpet, but with practice, it can be done on hard floors where one can maintain a bit of momentum.

i like the look of a hardwood floor but i would like the opinions of those whom have hardwood and whether your happy with it or not. my friend says what if you get a pebble in your tire and it scrapes and scuffs the floor ?
I would worry a lot more about the damage that women in high heels could do to your hardwood floors than what could be done if you happen to catch a pebble. Even if you did, you'd notice it long before it could possibly do damage.

In terms of keeping your floors clean, I would suggest getting a Roomba (http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=95). These things really work!

C.

[rivasfrank]

Go With Wood, You Will Get Scratches Regardless Nothing You Can Do. Yes The Forst Couple Of Scratches Will Hurt But Trust Me Well Worth It. (they Do Get Pretty Dusty)

[Kathi49]

I just had top of the line laminate flooring put in my family room. I love it!!! Much, much better than carpeting although I do LIKE carpeting. What I got was Armstrong Laminate and I am just thrilled with it. Also, you don't clean it ever with sudsy water. You just dry or damp mop and that's it.

[cass]

going on 11 years for my pergo. 4 dogs, 2 cats, kids and wheelchairs. still looks great. furniture has been literally dragged across it, too.

[chester]

thank you all so much for the input - i am going to go check things out tomarrow - sure glad i checked here with you all . sounds like you all like the wood and more than likely that is what i will go for. will let you all know.

[lilsister]

If you get wood floors make sure they are good quality.The pre-finished ones can only be sanded down once or maybe twice, We put in oak flooring and it has been great, we had an extra coat of sealer put on. Never had pebble problem in seven years. I am ripping out the laminate flooring in the kitchen and putting in wood, the laminate is loud, cold and shows spots and dust easily, although it is very w/c friendly. Will keep the laminate in the laundry room as a buffer before the hardwoods, to melt off the snow, dry from the rain. Wonder how bamboo would be, pretty eco-friendly. The one thing I liked about the laminate was watching the cat slide around the corners on her butt since she could get no purchase on the laminate on a fast run!

[Jeannette]

It's much easier to run a dust mop/broom over a hardwood floor from a WC than it is to vacuum carpet from a WC.

If you get the good stuff that's made to last forever, it really will last forever. My mom got some laminate stuff for her kitchen and it's scratched and scuffed all to hell now, but I know other places that have some really nice hardwood flooring that has been there forever and is in really good shape.

[Broknwing]

In terms of keeping your floors clean, I would suggest getting a Roomba (http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=95). These things really work!

C.
I was going to say the same thing...We have one and are considering a second b/c the layout of our house lends itself to multiple since it's multi bldgs...Also looking at the Scooba from the same company....

Hard surface floors are def WAYYYY better than carpet, wether you go hardwood, laminate or tile...whichever your pref...Carpet has 1001 drawbacks . I have hardwood that's waiting to be exposed and refnished from under commercial lenolium tiles, concrete w.comercial lenolium tiles waitng for laminate to be put down and slate tile...Roomba does all surfaces beautifully :)

[ldykawakii]

We put beautiful oak wood floors in our newly built house, we'd never do carpet again. Carpet got dirty way to quickly, we also had them out an extra coat of protectorant on whn the stained the floor, it's worked wonders. About 6 months with a dirt yard, snow, and salt no scratches yet.

About cleaning bought a Roomba and put central vacuum in the house so cleaning has been a sinch. The roomba is amazing, and we are definatly thinking about a scooba as well for the winter time and the occasional mess. We thought we'd never use the roomba but fiqured we'd give it a try anyway now we use it all the time --great product.

[cass]

roomba: 2 questions. how do your pets react to it? does it suck up larger things (like a pen) that would screw it up; in other words, how delicate are its mechanics?

[Broknwing]

roomba: 2 questions. how do your pets react to it? does it suck up larger things (like a pen) that would screw it up; in other words, how delicate are its mechanics?

my cat sometimes chases it, sometimes runs away...some of the other cats react differently. The dogs are primarily outdoors, so they aren't inside when it runs. The bird squaks over it's running, but then she squaks over a standard vacuum that's much nosier, so it's similar reaction.

No, it couldn't suck up a pen, the resoivoir isn't that large. It has run over coins, not picked them up, but does pick up leaves.

[SoFla]

I'm very happy with my hard wood floors. Cleaning is a quick pass of the Swiffer every week or so. It rarely needs mopping, only a damp cloth for spills.

My friends are in the process of installing cork flooring in kitchen, family room, halls, and entry. They abused a sample area, in every way imaginable, for months before making the decision. The kitchen is complete. It is the nicest surface I have ever rolled across, for both my chair and walker! Yes, I took part in the abuse experiment.

[Van Quad]

I too have the first grade commercial laminate flooring in my condo. I'm using a power chair on it for seven years. It's lasted great.

[Tiger Racing]

roomba: 2 questions. how do your pets react to it?
One cat chases it, one cat runs away, one cat is rather indifferent to its existence.

does it suck up larger things (like a pen) that would screw it up; in other words, how delicate are its mechanics?
Not very. It's got great safety sensors built in, but it's not a wussy machine. Check out the website. It gives good info on how the Roomba works. What it will pick up and how often it needs to be cleaned to keep it efficient. There's even a version for workshops that is meant to pick up bigger stuff like nuts and bolts.

C.

[chester]

do you have hardwood floors in all rooms ? what i should be asking is what about having it in the kitchen as well ? i do not have any design blood in me - dont know what color to do the walls , hate the door i picked out for the front of the house , i asked the design lady at the lumber yard if she would take over designing the home for me . she wants to lay hardwood in all rooms but the bathroom . will it look weird in the kitchen ?

[LaMemChose]

going hardwood is never a bad idea. great for resale, too.

check into beautiful tile for the kitchen if you'd rather skip the hardwood there. avoid anything too trendy or which will 'date' your home.

enjoy your new home. ::thumbs up::

[ldykawakii]

We used hardwood throughout the house except in the bathroom and kitchen. In the kitchen we used 18 X 18 tiles and it looks beautiful. I would suggest going to a tile store and speaking with them about what tile holds up best, and take a couple samples home and give them a good test run--spill juice, try and scrap up, etc...


Woodfloors can look beautiful in a kitchen, just your own preference. I agree with LeMemchose choose what you enjoy but stay away from stuff which it to trendy in an ten years you'll have to replace.

[cass]

i live in my house now. i don't care what is trendy or adds resale value. but of course, this is not a temp home for me, but, in any case, i believe ppl should put in what they want/need. if one chooses to sell, prob the resale value is not much affected. jmo. tomorrow is promised to no one. jmo. :o

[CapnGimp]

anything BUT carpet
it is NEVER truly clean, harbors germs and such. NEVER understood why a human would use carpet on a floor. If you use tile, try to minimize the grout and get a dark color. The grout is the hard part to keep clean and stains over time if it is light color. . Tile is non porous and easy to clean. Wood floors are easy to clean.
We have hardwood and marble floors all over the house. Beautiful, cleans in a flash. ME, I'm a dirty cuss. I kept concrete from my garage, thru the hall to my room and all the way out the other side through the woodshop. My bil and myself work and play hard. Painted the floors "haze grey and underway" with little plastic chips sprinkled on, then sealed. Gives it a bit of 'design'.
I can hop in a power chair, take my cadillac and mop the whole shebang in about 15 minutes. I thrive on FORM not function. I don't have to worry about going in and out in the rain, spilling etc.
I suggest whatever you decide on looks wise in tile on the high traffic areas. Hardwoods in the bedrooms and living room. Usually wood isn't in kitchens and baths, moisture. Laminates don't have that problem. Shopo around, you can save a FORTUNE doing your floors if you take time and hunt the bargains. Not cheap QUALITY, cheap PRICE.

[Dave E]

Wood in the whole house except bath, kitchen, utility closet and laundry. Tile in those areas. My wife does like the High quality floating laminates with the thin pad underneith. She says it's much easier on her feet and joints than the solid hardwoods. Both look great, wear well and clean super easy. (so she says!)

[Mombo]

I know this thread is a few months old. We just re-did a house for our son. Built in 1966, we ripped out all the carpet, vinyl, etc. Went down to the concrete slab and acid washed it, stained it dark charcoal gray, sealed it with epoxy. NO UPKEEP. He rolls around very nicely. The stain enhanced the cracks, dings, etc. and gave the floors a real "edgy" look. If we had the money, we would have done what they call "Liquid Dazzle" sooooo beautiful. Check out their web site westcoat.com, click on "epoxy coat" and then "Liquid Dazzle". When it's time to re-do our home, that's what I would like to do. Had the hard wood, loved it, but hated the upkeep. We now have tile, like it, hate the grout!

[Eileen]

LOVE my hardwood floors! Easy clean up, only a few scratches, and much cleaner that carpets no matter how often you vacumn them.

[Adrian]

I have wood and would not go back to carpet. As has been said already, wood is easier to clean, it looks good and I have never had a problem with scratching it.
It rains quite alot where I live and with wood if I come in with wet wheels the cleaning is simple and quick. In my previous house, which had carpet, the floor by the door quickly became dirty and difficult to clean even for an able bodied cleaner.

[Miss September]

I have bamboo floors,like wood. No scratches from my chair yet and SOOO much easier to push on than the carpet I had before. Just be careful if you tend to move things around the house 'bobcat' style by shoving them along the floor with your chair .They might scratch. Oh, and put felt or carpet under the legs of ALL your furniture straight away!

[Van Quad]

I know this thread is a few months old. We just re-did a house for our son. Built in 1966, we ripped out all the carpet, vinyl, etc. Went down to the concrete slab and acid washed it, stained it dark charcoal gray, sealed it with epoxy. NO UPKEEP. He rolls around very nicely. The stain enhanced the cracks, dings, etc. and gave the floors a real "edgy" look. If we had the money, we would have done what they call "Liquid Dazzle" sooooo beautiful. Check out their web site westcoat.com, click on "epoxy coat" and then "Liquid Dazzle". When it's time to re-do our home, that's what I would like to do. Had the hard wood, loved it, but hated the upkeep. We now have tile, like it, hate the grout!


This is a really smart idea for accessible flooring. It's more beautiful than a person can describe. There is a housing cooperative here in Vancouver that has used it in their accessible units. Making use of existing materials, a sustainable solution.

[tumbleweeds]

Wood floors are too cold and noisy for me. And go over backwards or do a face plant on hardwood (I've done both) and you'll be wishing for carpet.

[cass]

my pergo is still holding up after almost 13 yrs of wheelchairs, dogs, teenagers, etc. including furniture being dragged across it. granted, it is noisier than carpet, but i have replaced carpet 2 times and need to again in same amount of time. am now seriously considering no carpet. too much trouble and expense.

[altico]

thanks for the tip.

we just bought a house in colorado with hardwood floors. great for cold winters......tile would be too cold on the feet. and it has held up real well with rentals.

see pictures;

www.vrbo.com/109581 (http://www.vrbo.com/109581)
or
http://www.myaspenrental.com

it works!!

[RSieck]

We are just putting down some real ash hardwood in my house this weekend. It's bellawood with a 50 year warrenty. I hope it holds up. And put down ceramic tile on the bathroom floors and halfway up the walls with some decrotive pieces and a chair rail top boarder. In the kitchen we used 12x12 porcelin tile. They said porcelin would hold up better than ceramic. So well see how well it works