Flooring Opinions?

[Iron Chef]

So, I've been a little MIA lately. New house, new job coming up, kids going back to school, etc. Thought I'd pop in to get some opinions from everyone.

I'm going to blow up the inside of my house. New flooring, new kitchen, paint, etc. The house is somewhat unconventional. I have a 42 X 42 main room, with all bedrooms off of it (no hallways). The main room will definitely get treated to all solid surface flooring. I'm leaning heavily towards hardwood, specifically cherry, but I could possibly go with slate, or a mixture of both. I've always liked the warmth of wood, but this is a more contemporary house and layout.

I also thought about a very high grade of carpet in the bedrooms. I've decided that all the bathrooms will be slate.

Opinions? All one type? A mix? Different floors for kitchen vs. living vs. dining area? Type?

Discuss. :cert:


EDIT: My budget is open. I can put down pretty much whatever I'd like.

[kingpin]

Astro turf for that feeling of being outside. :D

I don't know what you're budget is but contemporary doesn't mean you can't use wood.
I'd just use lighter tones then darker ones.
Maybe a nice reclaimed wood or even a bamboo.

The only issue with using wood in the kitchen wood be potential moisture problems.

[DAB]

cherry flooring? new one on me. cherry changes color over time. something to be aware of and consider.

hardwood? i'd think about maple too.

we have a 29x29 greatroom, all tiled, and to be changed this fall into different tiles. works very well with the in slab heating.

a room that large, you'll have a fair amount of wood movement with humidity changes.

i'd tend toward tiles for that room. could work in inset sections of carpet, or just different tile colors and patterns, something to break up the large expanse.

[kingpin]

Polished concrete might work well also depending on decor.

[Iron Chef]

cherry flooring? new one on me. cherry changes color over time. something to be aware of and consider.

Sorry Doug...I think I must have been thinking about cabinets when I put down cherry. :confused:

Polished concrete might work well also depending on decor.

I haven't lifted the carpet yet, but I have a feeling the slab isn't in good enough shape to do that. :dunno:

[Datawiz]

I'd vote to stay with carpet in the bedrooms. That soft, warm feel, when you step out of bed first thing in the morning sure is nice.

Hardwood for everywhere else is great. You should also consider some nice, quality tile with some decorative work.

[simpleman68]

We have Brazilian Cherry on our entire 1st floor and it has been durable and an excellent color.
There are a lot of good hard woods out there aside from your everyday Oak; which gets boring and can make your house look like every other one.

There are some deals to be had on hand scraped wood as well, but furniture tends to not sit so well on it as it is uneven.

Depends on your design tastes, but if I had a huge open room as a central portion of the home, I'd look into Pecan. Gorgeous wood with incredible grain.
Probably going to run you $8/sq ft though.

I would NOT do a floor that large in slate. That is a TON of weight for the substructure to hold. Unless you're in a no basement area and the house is on solid foundation.
Slate, like all other stone is cold as hell too.
Scott

Found a few shots of Pecan.

http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://www.greengoodsproducts.com/images/ecomm/products/large/natures-beauty-pecan---natural.jpg&sa=X&ei=qqQuUPWWCOeNyAG7_IDoBg&ved=0CAsQ8wc4Jg&usg=AFQjCNHySketjMew-i0c9m_0RsfmAZuFwg

http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://flooringmylife.com/images/detailed/0/brazilianpecanhandscrapedhalfinchindusparquet.jpg&sa=X&ei=8aQuUK3uB4OqywH9mYCQAg&ved=0CAsQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNE7HSaY8i8dfeg2OFBsnV5hnlPWmw

[Bill]

Two issues with wood, one already mentioned.

Wood doesn't react well to water, spilled or resulting from broken pipes, toilet backup, flooding, or wind driven rain.

Second, if you have dogs or cats, the claws are particularly hard on wood. My best friend is probably around 75 pounds, and that has taken a big toll on my hardwood flooring.

[ConstantChange]

I put hardwood floors in my living room, hall, and bedrooms about 9 months ago and love it. I would highly recommend going all wood in non-wet areas. Not one time have I wished I went with carpet in the bedrooms. It's A LOT easier to clean than carpet as well.

Personally, I like a limited number of flooring types in a house. I have two kinds. The same tile is in the laundry room, kitchen, dining area, bathrooms, and main entry. The wood is everywhere else.

Wood is also timeless. The trend in color changes, but in 15-20 years you can sand it down and stain it lighter/darker.

[ConstantChange]

Sorry Doug...I think I must have been thinking about cabinets when I put down cherry. :confused:

They make cherry floors and some of them look great. A big issue I've seen is where someone will place a big rug in the middle of a room that receives a lot of sunlight. When they move the rug, the color of the wood is significantly different than the surrounding wood.

[Stangkiller]

My wife is an nterior designer...she tries to avoid residential, but I'm sure she might be able to lend a hand. I'll send you her phone # and email, get ahold of her.

[BuckyThreadkiller]

I'd vote to stay with carpet in the bedrooms. That soft, warm feel, when you step out of bed first thing in the morning sure is nice.

Hardwood for everywhere else is great. You should also consider some nice, quality tile with some decorative work.

I have hardwood in the bedrooms. I bought a rug.

[mrvette]

WARM fuzzy on the footsies is GREAT in the AM, so carpet the bedroom all the way into the TILE floor with throw rugs BATHROOM.....

kitchen simply must be ceramic tile, wood rots and discolors, and all that fake p/lam bullshit WILL ROT OUT....bee leemee when I say, seen way tooooo much of it.....and it's MUCH worse in kitchens/WET areas.....

for the main walk/living areas......pick a good hardwood or maybe Bamboo SOLID flooring...one thing to glue up the laminate edge wise like the Bamboo strips, another thing to lay it like typical plywood and have the top layer gone in a couple/few years, then to have ANY water soak into the adjacent pieces....and peel up the edges and look like where the DAWG PISSED......

U more than welcome to ask my opinions if I miss this thread....

:seasix:

[Black94lt1]

Definitely wood in the main area, too much for tile/slate and unless you heat it, it will be cold to the feet all the time. Carpet in the bedrooms is nice for the reasons already mentioned, nice to step out onto in the morning. Bathrooms, slate/tile, and heat the floor if possible.

[lander]

I just put cork flooring in my sons bedroom a month or so ago and it's really nice. Warm to the touch and provides a cushion on impact. Dogs haven't managed to hurt it and water puddles up on it because of the sealer. We're going to put it down in the other bedrooms as finances allow it.

[Brett K]

Just about all of the exotic or Brazillian hardwoods will get a little darker with sunlight, but it usually happens during the first few months. just wait to put down area rugs a bit. I put down Brazilian Teak floors throughout my upstairs living area with a 90 lb dog. Just keep their nails trimmed and they won't scratch. A hard wood with an aluminum oxide finish will hold up very well.

[78SA]

We have Brazilian Cherry on our entire 1st floor and it has been durable and an excellent color.
There are a lot of good hard woods out there aside from your everyday Oak; which gets boring and can make your house look like every other one.

There are some deals to be had on hand scraped wood as well, but furniture tends to not sit so well on it as it is uneven.

Depends on your design tastes, but if I had a huge open room as a central portion of the home, I'd look into Pecan. Gorgeous wood with incredible grain.
Probably going to run you $8/sq ft though.

I would NOT do a floor that large in slate. That is a TON of weight for the substructure to hold. Unless you're in a no basement area and the house is on solid foundation.
Slate, like all other stone is cold as hell too.
Scott

Found a few shots of Pecan.

http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://www.greengoodsproducts.com/images/ecomm/products/large/natures-beauty-pecan---natural.jpg&sa=X&ei=qqQuUPWWCOeNyAG7_IDoBg&ved=0CAsQ8wc4Jg&usg=AFQjCNHySketjMew-i0c9m_0RsfmAZuFwg

http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://flooringmylife.com/images/detailed/0/brazilianpecanhandscrapedhalfinchindusparquet.jpg&sa=X&ei=8aQuUK3uB4OqywH9mYCQAg&ved=0CAsQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNE7HSaY8i8dfeg2OFBsnV5hnlPWmw
:iagree:
Just about all of the exotic or Brazillian hardwoods will get a little darker with sunlight, but it usually happens during the first few months. just wait to put down area rugs a bit. I put down Brazilian Teak floors throughout my upstairs living area with a 90 lb dog. Just keep their nails trimmed and they won't scratch. A hard wood with an aluminum oxide finish will hold up very well.

:iagree:





Pics of the room would help us with ideas for a combination wood/tile:iagree: floor. Some tile could help break up all the wood if you have a huge open area. If your budget is open then think about remaking the entire room into something unique. A place you enjoy hanging out in but doesn't get boring. Something like making one area kind of like a separate room in the room without walls separating it.

[lspencer534]

I've said it before, but maybe it's worth repeating: Wood floors are beautiful and timeless, but too much wood is too damned noisy. In a 42' x 42' room, noise is going to be a problem. That room has 1764 s.f., as big as some houses. By coincidence my great room was exactly the same size. I divided it into inner/outer rooms, each 21' x' 42' with a half-wall separating them with plantation shutters above the half-wall and and double glass pocket doors at the center of the half-wall. I can close the shutters for a cozier look or leave them open for a more open look.

I'd still go with wood, but with lots of noise absorbers like area rugs. Why I mentioned dividing the room is that (a) it reduces the echo effect of noise, and (b) you can lay out more area rugs without it looking patchwork. You can also use different decors in the two rooms.

Don't use stone in that room--then you have both noise and coldness. Slate in particular is cold looking and cold to the touch; it's also uneven, which makes furniture shimming neccesary.

Make it easy on yourself in the kitchen: Large tile only in a neutral color, preferably installed on the slant. Water doesn't bother it, and clean-up is easy. The other reason is that you should definitely use carpet in the bedrooms. A high-quality carpet will last 20 years, it's warm on the feet, and it's classy. If you spring for wool, it'll last forever. If you use Berber carpet, be aware that a lot of installers don't know how to lay it properly, and an improper installtion will show up in a few years. If you use wood in the large room, carpet in the bedrooms, and stone in the kitchen...well, that's a little too much variety of things with distinctive looks. If you're set on slate in the bath rooms, okay, but IMO ceramic tile would be better. I'd spend my money of faux finishes for the baths. My master bath walls were finished to look and feel like marble.

If you do what I recommend, you'll be pleased with the look, it won't ever look dated, and it will be easy to take care. :seasix:

[Iron Chef]

Thanks for all the great ideas. Y'all have helped to push me in the direction of carpeting in the bedrooms. I'll get a high quality carpet but have never been a big fan of berber.

[mrvette]

Thanks for all the great ideas. Y'all have helped to push me in the direction of carpeting in the bedrooms. I'll get a high quality carpet but have never been a big fan of berber.

In order to lay hardwood of ANY type on a slab, you need lay a leveling mix, and I have never dealt with it....so dunno, just that slabs are not level/FLAT and so laying hardwood over it is....well hard.....


:lol: welll harder than normal wood, anyway....:rofl:

[Iron Chef]

In order to lay hardwood of ANY type on a slab, you need lay a leveling mix, and I have never dealt with it....so dunno, just that slabs are not level/FLAT and so laying hardwood over it is....well hard.....


:lol: welll harder than normal wood, anyway....:rofl:

This slab is 30 years old so I will almost definitely have to put down a self-leveling compound. :yesnod:

[lspencer534]

Thanks for all the great ideas. Y'all have helped to push me in the direction of carpeting in the bedrooms. I'll get a high quality carpet but have never been a big fan of berber.

I can understand your dislike of Berber carpet. It was an example of something to be aware of, not a recommendation. I have some Berber in my house, and it hasn't held up as well as I thought it would. Another thing to consider is some commercial grade low pile carpet for the bedrooms. There are some beautiful designs and color choices, and it lasts like iron. I have it in my master bedroom in a mauve color with small navy designs, and it still looks like new after 20+ years. Put a top-quality pad under it, and it's luxurious.

[Allan]

wall-to-wall carpet is the way to go . . . pure white.

[78SA]

Thanks for all the great ideas. Y'all have helped to push me in the direction of carpeting in the bedrooms. I'll get a high quality shag carpet but have never been a big fan of berber.

:lol:

[mrvette]

Berber in our HIGH traffic l/r with two cats, and a Chiwawa dawg, and elder care with canes/walkers, and shit.....and it's just fine after some 6? years now....

only snag was when dragging some POS furniture over it, and so a spike left over from a plastic POS FOOT grabbed a loop....Linda managed to resew it into the pile so that it takes a good HARD look to see it, right in middle of the floor....little kid is GOOD at that shit....:seasix::hurray::lol:

[Grey Ghost]

I live in the carpet mfg. capital of the world. Here is a link to a local wool carpet company. Stanton was/is another...not sure if they are still in biz. though. Berber is bad for pulls. Never cared much for it either. Just look for the ozs. per sq. to rate the quality.

Standard Broadloom Products: (http://www.glen-eden.com/products/standard/broadloom)

[DAB]

EDIT: My budget is open. I can put down pretty much whatever I'd like.


gold bricks. :yesnod::yesnod:

very shiney, easy to maintain, won't chip or nick, or swell up if wet. easily buffed for special occasions.

oh, maybe there is a budget..... :hide: :DAB:

[lspencer534]

gold bricks. :yesnod::yesnod:

very shiney, easy to maintain, won't chip or nick, or swell up if wet. easily buffed for special occasions.

oh, maybe there is a budget..... :hide: :DAB:

My FIL left my wife some gold bricks in his will. She had to fly to Switzerland to pick them up. I was expecting some ingots that we could use as door stops. They were about 1/2" wide by 1" long. :toetap: