skip to main content

Hardwood Floor in master bedroom in NE?

8 years ago

Can anyone share their experience with hardwood floors in a 2nd floor master bedroom in the north east? Is it very cold in the winter? How is the noise level? I've read that you can insulate underneath for both warmth and noise, has anyone done this?
We're remodeling a master bedroom, bath and hall and are considering replacing the carpeting with hardwood, tile in the bath. Would love to hear your experiences if you live in a cold climate.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

User
8 years ago
I have a good friend who lives in the Concord MA area in a 5000 sf house and she has hardwood throughout the downstairs including the kitchen and upstairs in her master (the other 3 bedrooms are carpeted). She has been in the house for almost 22 years and has had no issues. She does have a large oriental rug under the queen sized bed and some scatter rugs around. Hardwood is noisy anywhere if you have shoes on, there's nothing you can do about that. She does not have heated floors so I can't help with that question....but I can tell you WE just put heated floors in our master bath upstairs under porcelain tile and our powder room/laundry area on the first floor under LVT, and I don't know how I ever lived without it! I know heat can be put under hardwood you would need to check manufacturers information.
AnnKH
8 years ago
We don't have hardwood in the bedroom, but in the hall between bedroom and bathroom. I don't notice a temperature difference between the carpet and the wood, or between the wood and the vinyl in the bathroom. Oh, and we live in North Dakota.

I think hardwood in a bedroom would be lovely. You can always put a rug down if you feel the need.
Related Discussions
Hardwood Floors in Master Bedroom
Q
Comments (35)
Just looking at the pictures again since I am now ready to install hardwood floors in my home office and just must decide between what type (Engineered or Vinyl or Laminate with no vocs) and which species of wood and which stain. Next year I want to do my bedroom but my budget will only let me do my home office part now. I Love all these pictures so much and I can see I would be happy with any of these floors. Thank you.
...See More
Hardwood flooring in the bedroom or wall to wall carpeting
Q
Comments (38)
Hardwood, no question. The happiest day of my home decorating life in this house was the one last summer in which my son ripped out the LAST of the wall-to-wall carpet, in his bedroom, and laid hardwood. Now I have wood in the foyer, LR, DR, hall and all 3 bedrooms. As many others have pointed out it is far easier to keep clean, and I love the clean spare appearance of the wood floors. My son also ran the flooring directly through the hallway and into the bedrooms so there are no thresholds and it makes the space look larger. Someday when I do a full remodel of my kitchen I'll continue the same wood flooring into there and the back contiguous hall. A few months ago as a stopgap we pulled up the horrible homeade vinyl floor in there and laid a laminate floor that looks similar to the wood, just a lot less expensive. My goal is that the only non-hardwood flooring in my house will be tile in our florida room, which is a separate (added-on before we bought the house) space. Hardwood rules! Ann
...See More
Hardwood in bedrooms and closets or carpeting?
Q
Comments (14)
IMHO, if money is no object, hardwood floors everywhere always look elegant. Even if they are mostly covered, it's that peek-a-boo, like the perfect 1/2' reveal on a man's suit, that just looks so right. Because we were using wide plank random widht pine, i didnt want the expense of using it in upstairs bedrooms. I used sisal wall to wall, which to me is almost as good a foil for area rugs as hardwood, both functionally and aesthetically. As for the cleaning issue, our GC put us up in a rental home while our house was being finished, and it had very dark walnut floors downstairs and upstairs. We had come from a home that was all hardwood floors, and never had an issue. But the dark floors were a total pita, even with twice-weekly housekeeping. I felt you could even SEE dust on the dark walnut.
...See More
Should we only replace the carpet in the master bedroom with hardwood?
Q
Comments (1)
Also I apologize for the incorrect placement of this post. I saw Home Forums and didn't realize I was in Garden Topics.
...See More
handmethathammer
8 years ago
We live in WI and have hardwood in our master BR. I don't know about noise level. Maybe I should ask my son as his BR is directly below ours. I can tell you that I don't think they are cold at all in the winter. They are wonderful for allergies.
PRO
Uptown Floors
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Before you go out any invest in sound control think about squeaks in the sub floor. Carpet does muffle some above, but not below. Sound control can help with the second level but if you have a sub floor that squeaks it will be heard below. Won't know for sure until it gets removed. Also flat sub floors are needed before the actual hardwood goes down.

Hardwood enjoys a comfortable place to rest. Kind of an odd statement, but I can't find anything else for the moment. Any low or high spots with foot traffic weight can cause them to move ever so slightly; boards rub against one another causing squeaks.

The original framing (floor joists) in the house before they put the sub floor material down may have shrunk. That's common with framing in humid summer months. Once the winters arrive along with dry heat things shrink, nails loosen..squeaks occur.

Ken Fisher
aquinski
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you! Still trying to decide if we'll go with hardwood or carpeting. I'm leaning towards hardwood because it's cleaner and better for allergies. I haven't had either priced out yet, that may be the deciding factor.

Related Stories

MATERIALS What to Ask Before Choosing a Hardwood Floor

By Mitchell Parker

We give you the details on cost, installation, wood varieties and more to help you pick the right hardwood flooring

FLOORS How to Paint Your Hardwood Floors

By Ventana Construction LLC

Know how to apply nail polish? Then you can give your wooden floors a brand-new look

REMODELING GUIDES Transition Time: How to Connect Tile and Hardwood Floors

By By Any Design Ltd.

Plan ahead to prevent unsightly or unsafe transitions between floor surfaces. Here's what you need to know

HOUSEKEEPING How to Clean Hardwood Floors

By Bonnie McCarthy

Gleaming wood floors are a thing of beauty. Find out how to keep them that way

COLOR PALETTES Set the Mood: 4 Colors for a Romantic Bedroom

By Jennifer Ott Design

Bring your love of color — and the colors of love — into your master bedroom

BEFORE AND AFTERS Houzz TV: See Recycled Walls and Cool Cassette Art in a Woodsy DIY Home

By Annie Thornton

Walnut countertops join hardwood floors and pieces made from leftover framing in a bright Spanish colonial

ATTICS Room of the Day: Cramped Attic Becomes a Grown-Up Retreat

By Becky Harris

A New Jersey couple renovates to create a new master bedroom in a space once used for storage

BEDROOMS Room of the Day: Bringing Intimacy to a Big Master Bedroom

By Jeannie Matteucci

A smart and well-detailed design makes a spacious master bedroom feel cozier, warmer and more inviting

ATTICS Room of the Day: Awkward Attic Becomes a Happy Nest

By Becky Harris

In this master bedroom, odd angles and low ceilings go from challenge to advantage

BEDROOMS Room of the Day: An Upstairs Suite Makes Room for Family

By Annie Thornton

Efficient space planning, increased storage and light finishes transform an underutilized second floor

Sponsored

Davidson Builders

1 Review

Franklin County's Full-Scale General Contractor

More Discussions

HELP! Marmoleum repair issues

25

SOS: need urgently 2 1/4"unfinished red oak with bevel

6

legacy cornerstone floor by midwest in ashen tan

0

flooring help please

1

Bona Traffic Anti-Slip

0