Flooring question...

[bentlaj11]

I'll preface this by saying that DH really wants to make this happen for me, but... he works long weeks and has lots of other house (yard/need a new roof) stuff to do...

We have carpet in our LR. It is old, and our free (10 y/o) vacuum just doesn't cut it. We had it cleaned once professionally (2ish yrs ago :bag). I'm all for just ripping out the carpet and getting to the floors when we (he) can... he could refinish them. He wants to do new floors (wood or bamboo) on top b/c he says it will be too cold/drafty in the winter. But we need a new roof first and he has very little time now.

I want to save money to go towards the new or refinished floor, but I don't know how much longer I can live w/ the gross carpet. Would you spend money on a new vacuum or have someone come clean it? Is there a way for me to really clean them? Would it be weird to have unfinished floors (he's not sure how good the wood is, but we were able yo re-finish the bedrooms)?

What would you guys do?

[OnlyBelieve]

I would buy an new, not too expensive vacuum cleaner. I would prefer to rent a Rug Doctor or other similar machine myself so I can go over it as many times as I want.
Even if someone comes over and does the cleaning, you will still need a better vacuum cleaner to keep it clean.

[klpmommy]

I'd get a decent vacuum.

You can also buy your own steam cleaner for around $200 and clean your carpet periodically for the same price as two visits by the professional.

[bentlaj11]

:P~ I was hoping for some let's rip out the carpet enabling :giggle! I was looking at the shark since it works on hard floors, too!

:sigh I shall be content with carpet. I shall be content with carpet. I shall be....

[StoryOfGrace]

Do you have any idea of how good or bad the flooring is under your carpet? Once you do refloor, are you planning on putting down area rugs?

[bentlaj11]

Do you have any idea of how good or bad the flooring is under your carpet? Once you do refloor, are you planning on putting down area rugs?

Dh thinks most of it is ok (from what he's seen from the other side), but not too sure if it will be re-finishable. Yes, I would probably get a few rugs that I could throw in the wash (nothing too huge).

[Quiteria]

Do any of you have allergies? This significantly impacts my answer.

[mommylove]

I've had 2 instances when I was just *done* with carpet. The first was in a newer house with a particle board subfloor. We ripped out the carpet & walked on the subfloor until we got the new floor in several weeks later. It was actually cool. Part of me wanted to put a think lacquer on it & leave it that way for awhile.

The second time, we had hardwood under the carpet. After we tore out the carpet, we walked on the nasty old hardwood for a few months. In hindsight, we probably could've tolerated the carpet awhile longer. I cleaned the hardwood as good as I could, but there was a reason the previous owner covered it. The steam mop wasn't all that helpful because there were so many areas where the varnish was worn off and the surface was bare wood. Plus, there was this weird sticky stuff in some areas that we never were able to get off. Area rugs would've helped me if we were in that situation for a longer term. We just wore shoes a lot.

If you're completely done with the carpet (especially if it smells,) remove it & use the vacuum money for some rugs. :tu Just be aware that the flooring underneath may be yucky & you'll have to deal with that.

[2sunshines]

I'm assuming you have real hardwood floor underneath, right? I'd pull up some of the edges so that you can determine what shape the wood is in. If it's in liveable condition, I'd totally pull up that carpet in a heartbeat. :yes I LOVE hardwood floor. Not drafy at all, imo.

[librarianjojo]

hmmm...If the hardwoods are in decent shape, I would take up the carpet, clean them really well, and buy an area rug from a thrift store, estate sale, or consignment store. The area rug will help the draft and winter is a good long while away.

This being said, I could just be an enabler b/c I want hardwoods and I'm stuck with rental carpet. No matter how many times you clean the carpets, the mystery stains just keep coming back. Scary...

[bentlaj11]

:yes Yes, we have some allergies here... another good reason to get rid of the carpet!!

:giggle Thanks for the enabeling! I'm going to see if I can convince him to just try the floors as-is (I don't remember what the floors in the bedrooms looked liked before he re-did them. I was in a state of first trimester nausea/sleep all the time-ness.

:roll mystery stains! At least I know most of ours are from poo!

[Teacher Mom]

it all depends on the condition of the wood flloring

have hubby (or you) pull up the carpet from an inconspicuous spot and check to see.

We have hardwood floors (like century home hardwood) and will be sanding soon with a drum sander. I love hardwood floors and detest the "smell" of carpet. We have berber upstairs and throw rugs downstairs. I love hardwood. I love hardwood.

But again, it depends on the shape of the floor under the carpet and how much work you want to get yourself in for.............................................

[EMama]

I'll be an enabler. Rip out the carpet! I despise carpet, and have to deal with in the house we are currently renting. Yuck! We'd rip it out if there was hardwood underneath, but there's just dumb sub floor.

[Quiteria]

There's a certain type of subflooring...sounded like "luon" when I asked...that is a 1/4 board made to go under hardwood. It's 42cents a sq ft., comes in 4'x8' sheets, and it looks like it would be okay for a while if you painted or varnished it. :whistle

(I researched it as something to potentially lay over really awful hardwood while waiting to replace it better.)

[bentlaj11]

There's a certain type of subflooring...sounded like "luon" when I asked...that is a 1/4 board made to go under hardwood. It's 42cents a sq ft., comes in 4'x8' sheets, and it looks like it would be okay for a while if you painted or varnished it. :whistle

(I researched it as something to potentially lay over really awful hardwood while waiting to replace it better.)

The "luon" stuff sounds interesting! I'll look into it. Thanks!

I've thought about just painting the floor, too! But it would probably need to be sanded first, and I'd have little footprints/handprints running through it... :think I think that'd make an awesome floor!

I broached the subject with DH when he got home (about just leaving the floor how it is under the carpet), before he left again to go work more (poor guy). He played the "when you get the house cleaned and organized we can do it" card. :clap Well, played, DH. Well played. :giggle I have yet to get the house clean since he's been gone so much working. The piles just keep growing, and I'm already a messy mess of a housekeeper! I wish I was cleaner/more organized/handier :yes. Can I blame it on my INFP/type 2-ness (I want an ideal house, but can't get there b/c it's overwhelming and I'm just stuck).

[Quiteria]

Upon re-reading...it sounds like it's more of a time issue than expense issue. I'm sorry I wasn't thinking of that when I posted about the underlayment stuff. ("luon"...I hope I can find the real spelling someday!)

What can YOU handle doing by yourself? Ripping carpet and scrubbing underneath? Throwing another rug over it? Vacuuming more if you had a better vacuum? Renting a Rug Doctor, or buying a shampooer of your own?

Imagine yourself being the primary workman on this project, and see what sounds doable from that perspective, then make plans with hubby after the roof is done. :hug

---------- Post added at 08:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:19 PM ----------

:bag So familiar with that card... :bag ENFP, type 2, here...:o

[Teacher Mom]

that made me smile......definitely good play by your husband!!!! :giggle

[bentlaj11]

Well, the money thing is more me wanting to save towards a new floor/re-doing the wood under as opposed to spending money on the carpet (since I despise it, I don't want to spend money on it!) or getting a better vacuum since what we have still runs (haha!). I definitely wouldn't mind doing something cheap for now to cover the floor until we (ahem, DH) have more time! It's mostly about my burning desire to have the carpet gone... but I think I will have to be patient this time around. Not long after we were married, I peeled off some wallpaper in the BR to see what was under there... that led to a wee, bit of a BR remodel that DH did most of, even though he wasn't ready to re-model it yet... oops! :lol I'm pretty good at getting into trouble by starting something I can't finish (at least finish the way my perfectionist DH wants).

I could handle doing the carpet ripping out/scrubbing what's under there, but I don't think I could handle putting up trim around the baseboards (DH says that bugs would get in through the gap :shrug3).

This has been fun! Thanks for going on my floor journey with me! It's such an old house, and there's so much that needs to be done and Martha Stewart I'm not! :no

[bentlaj11]

Anybody want to remodel for me? OK.. just remodeling advice? I'm not good with colors/decor. What color would you pick for a new floor?

Here's a pic of the current wall color/carpet color. Ignore the mess ;)!
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/bentlaj11/bth_P1030683_zpsdf7db811.jpg

Most of our hodge-podege furniture is dark brown similar to the train table in the pic. The wall color could (will) eventually change, but that's probably going to be when we are past the color on the wall stage... so 3ish years or so. What do you guys think?

[EMama]

Cute pic!

I think that room would look great with a darkish wood. I don't know names of wood, so that might not be helpful.

[mommylove]

Perhaps hickory, which seems to be in these days. (Hickory is fairly dark.) Your room could pull it off since you have the bright white & that huge window :tu to bring the light in.

[Teacher Mom]

I like hickory (http://www.muscanell.com/), but it is not just dark.

[bentlaj11]

Ohhh.. that's pretty!

[mommylove]

I like hickory (http://www.muscanell.com/), but it is not just dark.


Well, aren't you all fancy with your hardwood. :P~ I was actually picturing the hickory versions of engineered or laminate, not realizing that hardwood hickory is an entirely different look. I'm not sure I've seen what you pictured in any homes IRL. :think

[Susan K]

You could use a new floor as motivation to tackle those piles.

[Teacher Mom]

bahhahahaaahaaaaaaaaa :heart

[bentlaj11]

:yes I moved the Christmas boxes up to attic all.by.myself! I've been asking DH to do it since Jan. and he hasn't had a chance (we have to bring in a ladder to get up there). They'd been stacked in our BR. Our dinning table is pub height, so the chairs were just tall enough for me to lift them up and slide them in.

I've also been better about keeping up with the kitchen cleaning, and I cleaned the bathroom... but my mom was coming to town, so I had to clean it :giggle.

Yes, dreaming of getting rid of the carpet is good motivation! :bag

[EMama]

:yes I moved the Christmas boxes up to attic all.by.myself! I've been asking DH to do it since Jan. and he hasn't had a chance (we have to bring in a ladder to get up there). They'd been stacked in our BR. Our dinning table is pub height, so the chairs were just tall enough for me to lift them up and slide them in.

I've also been better about keeping up with the kitchen cleaning, and I cleaned the bathroom... but my mom was coming to town, so I had to clean it :giggle.

Yes, dreaming of getting rid of the carpet is good motivation! :bag

Good for you! :rockon (Company is always good motivation for me to clean too). :giggle

[abh5e8]

op, we ripped out all the carpet in our old house. it had old hardwoods under....and we never even refinished them! i say go for it :) it took dh a few hours, a good pair of pliers (to get the tacks out) and a sharp knife (to cut the carpet into pieces). i loved the floors in that house....we always thought we would have the refinished, but then ended up moving instead.

eta: and fwiw...we didn't have to add any trim. the baseboards were flush with the hardwoods (then the carpet/pad was laid on top). it would have looked nice to add back in the quarter round trim, but there wasn't a gap at all, so not necessary.

[bentlaj11]

hmmm.. maybe I'll have to take a peek!! Although it looks like the base boards were done after the carpet here...there are some places with a gap even with the carpet. And, we have had a mice problem before!

[bentlaj11]

OK.. so I found some loose carpet in the hall (just a small extension of our LR) and it looks like some kind of tile the same that's in the hall cabinet.
http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s638/bentlaj11/bth_P1030761_zps04cd7b03.jpg?t=1368644825

Do you think it would be hard to paint over it? The carpet that I pulled up had trim underneath it, so I don't think DH would have to do new trim!

What color should I paint it? It would probably need a primer first since it's so dark, and I'm not sure I want dark floors... although if it meant not having to do primer... hmmm....

[mommylove]

Is it this (http://www.armstrong.com/commflooringna/products/vct) stuff? If so, call a manufacturer to see if it's even paint-able.

[bentlaj11]

I don't know!

[Teacher Mom]

it looks like heavy duty commercial grade armstrong tile to me too....I have never ever thought of painting it before, but I suppose if you put some of the liquid sandpaper and rubbed it all over, cleaned it, it would be prepped enought to try...:shrug3

Maybe do a small corner to see??

[klpmommy]

painting any surface that gets walked on is tricky at best. You'd be better off with a stain, to my knowledge.

[bentlaj11]

Yes... and finding a way to do it and keep the littles off it/not smelling it (since there probably isn't a heavy-duty paint that isn't full of chemicals:no).

I guess I'll keep dreaming!