Hardwood vs. Carpeting - need advice/opinions

[carole]

I Have no idea what hardwood is exactly.

We used to have lino in the kitchen and dining area and replaced it with rather expensive wood, it looks great, and I know what you mean Richard my cats just love to play on it and scratch it to bits, oh well what is a wood floor without scratches and chinks out of it, it has got to have character right?

Sounds like hardwood is the way to go from everyone's response.

[neko1]

Originally posted by catcrazylady

btw-the cool thing about hardwood is the neat hairweeds that tumble around. You turn on the ceiling fan and I promise you will see things blow across the floor that you swear should have a life of their own!

LOL So true!!!! Those things just come out of nowhere and blow across the floor!

[Killearn Kitties]

We took the carpet up from the kitchen and dining room. The wooden flooring is much easier to keep clean than carpet. The cats were a little bit freaked at first with the noise their claws made, but they soon got used to it.

They do prefer to sleep (and be sick) in the rooms that still have carpet though!

[Lilith Cherry]

Hardwood every time!! My floors are maple finished with several coats of polyurethane deck varnish nd are really hardwearing! As I live in the country they also have to withstand mud , snow, and salt LOL

The floors are over a hundred years old and still going strong..

regards , Lilith

[smokey the elder]

Titanium infused hardwood?? WOW. Anyway, hardwood is a first rate surface; the new varnishes are very hard and don't stain or wear easily.

[catmandu]

Laminate , od Hardwood as Cat Accidents are easier to get out , also the excess litter , that my Big Toms throw out of thier boxes!

[Cincy'sMom]

I'm glad you asked this question, becuase we have been trying to make the same decision. We were concerned with three young, active dogs, that hardwood or Pergo would get easily sctraching up and ruined, but from what I have heard it doesn't seem to be the case. ( I have also heard this from someone with a Bernese Mountain Dog) I think we may stick to carpet inthe living room, but do wood in the dining room.

[Kirsten]

Hardwood or laminate, it's definitely better and so much easier to clean!

I used to have carpets everywhere in my old apartment, and when I moved, I first was a bit concerned about the laminate because I was afraid Luna might have problems to walk and could hurt herself when she slips. But it worked great, and even now that I have Lily and the two cats chase each other, they have learned very well to deal with the laminate.

Kirsten

[carole]

Just one simple question, does hardwood not get rather cold in the winter, despite a few rugs, and also dusty, and feel sticky and a little damp in wet or humid weather, I am only going by my wood floor in our kitchen/dining area, but because of allergy's would love to replace upstairs in wood, anyhow the carpet has done its dash after 20 years.

[kimlovescats]

The pros and cons of hardwood.....

The last house we lived in before building our current home, was an old rental house with hardwood floors throughout. I loved the homey feel of the hardwood, and even the sounds of creaking and such when you walked on it.

The drawbacks though, was that it always looked like it needed to be swept! The darker stains show every bit of dust, lint, and hair!!! We constantly had little furry tumbleweeds floating around, and collecting around the chair legs, etc. However, when someone barfed, it was really no worry.

At the time that we moved and built our current home, I swore I would never have wood floors again .... and we installed carpeting. Well, the carpets are breeding grounds for germs, have a zillion barf and pee stains, not to mention all of the torn corners at every doorway! (my babies hate closed doors)

Sooooooo, after only 3 years in our "new" home ... the carpets really need to be replaced ... but can we afford that? NO!!!!!
My conclusion, now is that I wish I had hardwood again, and a good lightweight sweeper vacuum to pick up the tumbleweeds!

Hope this helps!

[carole]

Has anyone tried those steam mop cleaners?, they are around 150 dollars here, and are especially for wood floors, so instead of mopping, you steam clean it, if I put more wood in my house I am going to insist on one of those.

[jazzcat]

Thanks for the input everyone. Definitely sounds like hardwood is the way to go.

Kim thanks for telling me about life both ways.

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by jazzcat
Definitely sounds like hardwood is the way to go.

Wait until you get 'skidding cat rear' when they try to make a fast turn when playing.....it's a gas.

[Kirsten]

Originally posted by carole
Just one simple question, does hardwood not get rather cold in the winter, despite a few rugs, and also dusty, and feel sticky and a little damp in wet or humid weather, I am only going by my wood floor in our kitchen/dining area, but because of allergy's would love to replace upstairs in wood, anyhow the carpet has done its dash after 20 years.

Yes, it's really getting cold in the winter, so I have rugs on mine. But I never noticed it got sticky when it's humid...

And yes, it's getting dusty, I'm cleaning it more of than I used to vaccuum my carpet in the old apartment.

Kirsten

[micki76]

We considered hardwood or laminate, but eventually ended up with commercial grade, padless carpet. We LOVE it! It has no pad underneath, so it doesn’t absorb anything like pee or vomit. This is the easiest surface to clean in my home, and I have laminate in the kitchen & entryway. The kids love it because they still have traction for running at a hundred miles per hour, and it keeps the noise level down and is warm in the winter. Very easy to keep clean and no pad which is like a giant sponge that absorbs EVERYTHING. I’ll never have carpet with a pad under it again.