Yep, that's right... I disappear for like a month and then I pop up with a post asking for your help. Shame on me! How about I do a giveaway soon to make it up to you? Would that work? Good, then consider it done!
JD and I want to replace all the carpet in our house with wood floors, probably sometime this summer while he only has summer ball to worry about. The problem is that we have no idea what kind we should get! We have some general colors in mind (probably something similar to what's shown in the picture) but we're a bit overwhelmed by all of the different types of wood available. I'd like to use a sustainable material because I try not to be a complete boob about the whole ecological footprint thing. If nothing else, HGTV has taught me that bamboo is a renewable wood source, so should we just go with bamboo? Is it durable? I mean, keep in mind that we do have three crazy furbabies tearing around the house.
Should we be worried about the length of the warranty on the flooring we choose? I've seen anywhere from 25 to 55 years but we probably won't be in this house for longer than 10.
Would the darker colors we like show scratches more easily? And how hard are wood floors to keep clean? I can just see balls of fur floating around now.
So many things to think about! I guess I should just be glad we didn't have to build our house. We'd never have gotten anywhere! We would have had to decide between hanging vs. recessed lighting, what paint colors we wanted in which rooms and what kind of counters and cabinets we'd want in the kitchen and bathrooms, all on top of the flooring decisions!
But I digress. For now I just need to know if you have wood floors (or any knowledge of wood floors) and what kind you would recommend. What are the main characteristics we should be looking for in our floors? Anything we should steer clear of? And maybe the most important question of all: how hard are they to keep clean??
I love y'all to bits and pieces for your advice and I'll be back soon with that giveaway I mentioned!
{picture via google images}
18 comments:
Oh love I wish I could help, but I haven't covered this yet in my interior design class yet! I would say google it or go on one of the interior design blogs that I have linked on my blog and ask them...I bet they could help! If I take a future class that is more knowledgeable of your questions I will be sure to let you know!!
I hope you are doing well by the way and that you enjoy your weekend! XO!
DON'T DO DARK FLOORS! They look great but show every morsel of dust, etc...
They're a total pain to keep clean.
I went with a shade right underneath.
Oh good GOD, I have no knowledge of this at all. But I thought I'd say hi and that I miss you. Because I do.
So.
Hi.
I miss you.
I grew up with hardwood floors for several years when I was little, and two of my friend's moms recently re-did their flooring (one went with medium colored maple, the other with laminate instead of hardwood b/c she has a pool).
I am in no ways an expert, but I do know there's so much to know about hardwood floors. Starting with whether you want unfinished (stainable) or finished flooring. And there are many different types of woods too, like maple, oak, and pine. I had pine growing up, and it scratched pretty easily, and I think now they use it as a worn in, antique look. We also had to be careful of clipping pet claws, of my mom wearing high heels, rotating rugs (b/c UV rays will lighten it), and covering furniture legs for no scratching/denting. Also, different finishes require different cleaners, some of which can damage the wrong product. Wet mopping is a no. If you have a pool, hardwood is probably a bad idea since it will warp, rot, and crack. (Hence my friend's mom who eventually went with an expensive laminate wood that really looks like hardwood.) Etc. Etc.
That being said, there are so many hardwood floor owners who don't really consider a damn thing when they put it in or move into a house with it. So don't stress yourself out about it too much!
Good luck!
I have absolutely nothing of worth to contribute, but I can't wait to see what you guys do! LOL!
I have ZERO knowledge about wood floors except that they were in one room of the house we bought last year. We have a lighter color and there are a good amount of scratches on it that you can see. My parents have darker floors and you can hardly see anything on them and they have had them for over 12 years. They must have gotten them sealed really well! Good luck! I LOVE wood floors and we hope to get them throughout the rest of our home too someday!
I agree with Dee (above). Darker woods are beautiful... for half a minute! They show dust so quickly. And with pets - ack!
i LOVE wood floors!!! we had them in our last house in washington and ugh.i would die to have them again!!! i don't have any brands or types to recommend but just that they are fabulous and oh so pretty!!!! so lucky!!! be sure to post photos!!!!
I don't know any brands or specific wood to recommend, but real wood will scratch. A darker wood will show the scratches more easily & if you have three large pooches, you won't be able to avoid it.
You'll find it somewhat easier to clean from a health perspective because the allergens/dirt/dust will lay on top of the flooring to be cleaned instead of settling into carpet.
A lot of places can give you sample pieces to see how easily things will scratch, if that is your biggest concern. I think bamboo (and I could be wrong) is a little easier to scratch than some other types.
Let us know what you find out!
We have hardwood floors in our den and dining area. I love them!! I will say that you see all the dust much easier and I have to sweep or dust mop often. I can't imagine how much dirt was on the carpet that I couldn't see!! I have a medium color and love it. I think the darker would show much more lint, etc. although it is beautiful.
my parents have lighter hardwood, but not white, and it is perfect. i defintely want hardwood when i have my own house. i would prefer the darker wood but i have no experience with that! good luck love.
Bamboo floors (actually laminate bamboo) are VERY durable... much more durable than most solid woods, at least all the affordable ones, and they come in a variety of colors.. pretty much any color you could imagine actually. we make furniture out of laminate bamboo and everyone loves it. we also have laminate bamboo on our showroom floor and it is GORGEOUS. the dogs run all over it (i got in trouble for this originally but actually it didn't leave notable marks so i'm off the hook) which leads me to believe its pretty scratch resistant too.. anyway, my vote is for bamboo its natural, durable and comes in any shade you like, though i'm partial to light because i feel like it makes the room like bigger.
I'd go with bamboo. If I could have a do over, I would replace our wood with bamboo!
wow im late to the party:) but my boss/good friend is actually buying a house and all the are looking for is lightwood. (bamboo is light right?) ha! but she said in their old hosue they had dark and it made their room darker and less happy. but the light wood brightneed the place up and she loves it so much more. plus it shows less scratches:)
與人相處不妨多用眼睛說話，多用嘴巴思考，.........................
Wood floors are great! So easy to clean & maintain. Bamboo unfortunately isn't good. With your fur babies running around...it easily gets scratched and shows :(
I'd recommend making a trip to Home Depot or Lowe's and ask for the best suggestions. Those guys are sure to help out.
Good luck & don't stress. I want to see the end result!!!
When we bought our home it did not have any flooring, just the sub-floor. We put in bamboo floor since it is eco-friendly and not bad on the budget. We really got a deal and purchased our flooring at Sam's Club. It was easy to install and they have been easy to maintain. We have it in our kitchen, dining room and foyer. We are looking at putting into our family room since it is off of our walk in garage and our deck and the carpet gets so much use. Good luck.
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