Wall-to-wall, tacked down carpeting is a dirt catcher. It becomes more filthy as the months go by. Steam cleaning is a good way to create mold since it can take quite a while for the carpet and pad to get bone dry again down to the floor, especially if multiple passes are done which will wet the pad.

I don't have any carpet or area rug in the bedrooms and only an area rug in the living room and office. One can call a cleaning service for an area rug where they will thoroughly clean it and dry it at their establishment. Of course, if you'd never do that and only vacuum, then there's not much difference with wall-to-wall.

The only place I'd consider tacked down carpeting is for a runner on stairs since there's no other choice for safety.

I prefer carpet. Right now we have hard wood downstairs and carpet upstairs. I'm getting used to the hard wood, but I like walking on carpet in the bedrooms.

put wood as in the rest of the house

(my husband wanted carpet..as in our previous place)

my thought process was like this: the house is a single story. master has a door to outside..the carpet will be ruined within two weeks

the MIL/guest rooom-had the door to outside(redid -installed a window instead-amazing idea, but I didn't know then we'd do that..)-same problem

DD's room..some people are very rough on things..that's my DD..:) same problem

so, only one bedroom (my younger son's one) left..why to do it already? also happens to have a very nice window with the stained trim..the best window in the house..probably prevous owners installed it to compensate over the fact it overlooks the fence and cypresses along the fence..))

that's my thought process

carpet is soft and all, and was important to me to have it in the previous house -bedrooms on the second story, stairs, softens sound..but that was all positive about it. This house-in my opinion, all positives were gone.

So with some time and patience, was able to explain my point of view..:)

PS and yes, we have a lot of allergies..especially DD and me..but we have so many so weird ones that it's not like I feel some grand change not having carpet..just lucky like that lol. Less problems with dust, that's true. New things appeared. Never a dull moment.

How long do you think it will take small children to ruin a carpet? Especially a light-colored carpet?

As a pet-owning, gardening fiend asthmatic, I wholeheartedly agree with no carpeting. Even without the health issues, walking on fabric that holds germs, dirt, dander, thumbtacks, etc., makes me rather nauseous. For kids, I'd suggest indoor/outdoor washable throw rugs — if the inevitable happens, just take them outside and hose them off. If they don't come clean you can "throw" them out.

As a pet owning asthmatic carpets in bedrooms really help me.

Carpets are not for everyone and I have a love/hate relationship with them but some of the air quality issues are not exactly true. The production of most allergens in a home such as pet dander aren't created in carpets, but are trapped in carpets. Allergens that are trapped in your carpet are not floating around the air of your house, this is especially true when people use fans.

A properly cleaned and maintained carpet (good vacuum with a HEPA filter and occasional dry cleaning) will result in fewer airborne allergens than hard surface floors. Most allergy and asthma sufferers do better with one or the other.

Now of course, if you cover the entire area with rugs that you clean you can accomplish substantially the same thing.

Not to sound like a science-denier (which I certainly am not), but I can only go by my own lungs. Carpeting and drapes, whether in a home or public buildings, set me off horribly. Living in our new house with bamboo floors, I have no problems. There may well be other factors at play, such as the immediate visibility of white dog hair and hay (from horse feedings).

But when all is said and done, I just don't like walking on textiles.

Well...as someone with chronic sinusitis and asthma, I'm certainly sympathetic to any and everything which helps someone with these or similar conditions.

When it comes to maintenance and maintaining good looks and finishes over time, carpets may be the last thing to have in a house which contains many small feet and hands (which drop, spill and leave scraps and other types of stuff distributed all over the house).

Wood, vinyl and linoleum, on the other hand, are durable and maintainable if cared for on a need by need basis. When there's a spill, an ooopsie, or other minor-life event--like left over food stuff--it shows and it can be cleaned up quickly by alert parents.

Not so much for carpet! What is a properly cleaned and maintained carpet when children from 2-18 are in the home? At least with hard surface flooring you can see where the problem lies...

I'd put the LVP everywhere and then get some rugs. In my experience, carpet usually looks good for a couple of years, then it starts looking worn. It then seems to spend a lot (most) of its life looking not so great, until it gets replaced again. Then, the cycle starts over. Carpeting can be expensive and it won't last as long as the LVP. The LVP will last a lot longer and should spend most of its life looking good vs looking not so great.

cpartist, what do you have in your bedrooms?

I have never made peace with carpet and it's always been a compromise or sorts. I am never 100% sure if its clean and never looks as good as the day it is installed. I mean even 6-8 months in it starts to show.

I think i am leaning towards area rugs over LVP. Although i see they have runners now that run around the perimeter of the bed, how well does that work? When people talk about area rugs i see photos on Houzz where the area rugs(8' x 10') run underneath and around say a queen bed. Why not use runners if the area rugs underneath the bed just play no role. At least you could just take the runners out and wash them in the washer. What am i not getting here?

well there's no rules against using runners or smaller size rugs too

can't be sure

my guesses are purely theoretical since I myself don't have rugs..:) I have a couple smaller ones-say in a hall bathroom. I love them; I just can't commit to somethiing as big unless I'm fascinated to the point of no return. My point of no return somehow starts at thousands..

(and yes I do check vintage sites, everything. I'm very much okay with second-hand)

or say I really love something but it's pictorial, so should be fully seen..and I have just one spot like that in the house-makes it even more difficult.

I'm also preoccupied with what they're made of. I prefer hand-knotted wool since it withstands more abuse. (Even though depends on the area of the house of course, and people who use it, etc)

I also kinda like the look of bare floors too. But then of course it's warmer here where I live.

We haven't built yet, but hardwood throughout with exception of laundry room and bathrooms is a must.

In our current home, we have gutted it down to the studs and have hardwood in living, dining, staircases, upstairs hallway and all bedrooms. I think it provides the house with a cohesive feeling and is so much easier to clean. Our hardwood still looks as great as the day we had it installed. I consider it an investment. While it is more money upfront than carpet, it certainly lasts a lot longer and just feels so much cleaner.

Bathrooms can be hardwood too. I don't allow standing water on tile as it would be a sipping hazard so hardwood will be fine. Perhaps not in kids rooms.

Laundry? How wet does it get in there? Sure leaks can happen but that is what code required drains are for anyway.

I'm sorry bry, but in this instance you are wrong. I'm a lifelong allergy sufferer and the first thing experts suggest is to remove all carpeting if you have allergies. Seems like most of the contradictory "evidence" supporting carpet use for allergy sufferers comes from the carpet industry.

bluesanne, in this case it appears, you're not the science denier.

From the Mayo Clinic site:

• Flooring. Remove carpeting and use hardwood or linoleum flooring or washable area rugs. If that isn't an option, use low-pile instead of high-pile carpeting and vacuum weekly with a vacuum cleaner that has a small-particle or high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Shampoo the carpet frequently.

All good points above. Still, carpet remains the number one flooring choice in America -- and for a reason (or many).

For aging in place, carpet is certainly a "safe" choice -- area rugs can create trip hazards, especially for the elderly.

Yes, carpet does help actually improve indoor air quality by removing and trapping allergens thereby keeping them out of the "breathing zone." But they do require maintenance if allergies are an issue (especially with pets around).

In bedrooms that are not subject to the wear and tear (or spills and stains) that other rooms receive, carpet is a fabulous choice with many consumers opting for better, higher quality goods.

Warmth, comfort underfoot, sheer plushness and the ability to bring texture, pattern and color to any space make carpet America's favorite flooring choice.

LVT is primarily a performance floor and is hard to beat, especially with today's fantastic visuals. Still, do you really need that level of performance for a bedroom? Or is style more of a consideration?

Tough choices. Good luck.

cpartist, what do you have in your bedrooms?

I have engineered hardwood going into my new bedroom and I'll put an area rug in.

I've only had hardwood or vinyl tile in all my bedrooms since I was a little girl.

Oh and all my rugs are wool. Not sure if that makes a difference.

I'll second what cpartist has said. I have different family members with varying degrees of allergy issues consulting different allergy doctors. ALL were told to remove tacked down carpeting at a minimum from bedrooms and best case from the entire house. If hardwood could not be afforded, they were told to use sheet flooring (vinyl, linoleum). One relative with a more severe affliction was told to remove all window treatments from the bedroom as well, only use roll-up shades, encapsulate the mattress/boxspring and pillow and no area rugs. Not that I've done a survey, but I find it hard to believe that any allergist would recommend tacked down carpeting because it "captures the allergens" and makes the indoor air quality better.

All good points above. Still, carpet remains the number one flooring choice in America -- and for a reason (or many).

Yes because it's also the cheapest option.

For aging in place, carpet is certainly a "safe" choice -- area rugs can create trip hazards, especially for the elderly.

Actually carpet is NOT a safe option for the elderly.

It's harder to maneuver a walker or a wheelchair on.

And the transition between carpet and uncarpeted areas such as the bathroom is worse. In my new build, there will be no transition between the hardwood flooring and the tile flooring, which actually is safer.

I do agree with you 100% that area rugs can create a trip hazard but unlike carpet, they can be more easily removed from a house.

Yes, carpet does help actually improve indoor air quality by removing and trapping allergens thereby keeping them out of the "breathing zone." But they do require maintenance if allergies are an issue (especially with pets around).

I think this is the carpet industry trying to promote their own business. If not, please show me scientific literature that proves the point.

They may trap allergens if no one uses the room, but the minute you walk on the carpet, you're again stirring up the "dust" so to speak.

In bedrooms that are not subject to the wear and tear (or spills and stains) that other rooms receive, carpet is a fabulous choice with many consumers opting for better, higher quality goods.

No they're not in a master bedroom, but in children's rooms they are.

Warmth, comfort underfoot, sheer plushness and the ability to bring texture, pattern and color to any space make carpet America's favorite flooring choice.

And I'm guessing that it being America's favorite flooring choice is nowadays a red herring. Why do I say that?

Because the hard flooring options are many. Hardwood flooring, vinyl flooring, LVT and LVP, Marmoleum, Engineered hardwood, Cork, etc.

Meaning yes carpet is the top choice if you include all the different flooring options as separate categories, but I'm guessing if you combined all the hard flooring choices and asked the question of buyers,"Which do you prefer? Carpet or one of the hard surface flooring choices (Hardwood flooring, vinyl flooring, LVT and LVP, Marmoleum, Engineered hardwood, Cork, etc.)?", hard flooring surfaces would be the winner by at least a 2-1 margin.

Statistics can be manipulated to make any outcome seem plausible.

Well since the Mayo Clinic site said it, it must be right...

From the American Latex Allergy Association.

Comparison data from Sweden supports that there is no link between carpet usage and the incidence of asthma or allergies. CRI is not aware of any published scientific research demonstrating a link between carpet and asthma or allergies.

A study, based on historical figures for ten years, was reported by scientists at the Swedish Institute of Fibre and Polymer Research. They found that while the use of carpet in Sweden had steadily decreased since 1975, the occurrences of allergic reactions in the general population had increased.

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The critical point, however, is often missed. Carpet holds allergen-causing substances tightly and, as a result, keeps allergens from becoming airborne, minimizing the level of allergens in the breathing zone. This translates to lower exposure potential. The allergens held by carpet's filter-like effect may be removed by vacuuming, refreshing the filter-like properties of the carpet to allow more material to be removed from the air. Vacuuming mattresses, carpet, and upholstery once or twice a week removed allergens, including dust mite feces--a known source of allergen. It is important to use the proper type of vacuum to minimize re-suspending allergens.

In Carpet and Airborne Allergens, A Literature Review, Dr. Alan Luedtke refers to the results of a study aimed at determining the effect of routine vacuuming cleaning that indicate frequent vacuum cleaning over a short time significantly reduces house dust and mite allergen levels in carpets.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies indicate the effectiveness of carpet in reducing airborne particles. This data indicates that soil in carpet is significantly reduced following cleaning. Visit CRI's web site to learn about the Green Label Vacuum Cleaner IAQ Testing Program that approves vacuum cleaner models that are most effective in soil removal and dust containment, while keeping carpet looking good.

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An extensive toxicological assessment of components of, and emissions from, carpet concluded that the chemicals in carpet "present no health risks of public health concern." Further, allergens in carpet may be removed by vacuuming. Vacuum cleaner machines bearing the CRI IAQ Green Label meet scientifically established standards for soil removal and dust containment and help maintain good carpet appearance.

EPA/RTI Total Building Cleaning Effectiveness Study states, "Organized cleaning contributes to reduction of particle VOCs and biological pollutants 50%+." Contact the CRI to request both the Carpet and Your Indoor Environment and Clearing the Air in Your Home: A Guide to Safely Minimizing Allergens brochures. Also referenced is the previously mentioned 1994 report from the Environ Corporation, Safety Assessment of Components of and Emissions from Carpets.

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From the EPA

The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has developed a program known as the CRI Indoor Air Quality Green Label Program (CRI "Green Label") to determine the level of VOC emissions from carpet, floor adhesives, and cushion products. The CRI Green Label attached to a carpet, floor adhesive, or cushion signifies that a representative sample of the product type has been tested by an independent laboratory and meets the requirements for each program established by CRI. While the CRI program has contributed to significant reductions in the emissions of certain compounds from carpets, it does not necessarily assure that emissions from carpet, floor adhesives, or cushion will not pose problems for some people. More recently CRI has developed Green Label Plus, an enhancement to the CRI Green Label which incorporates additional requirements to meet California's Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) low-emitting materials criteria. Products listed as CHPS-compliant materials have been chamber tested to meet the indoor air quality guidelines outlined in California's specification section 01350. Green Label Plus, in addition, incorporates on-going product testing.

Carpet also acts as a reservoir for dust, dirt, pollen, mold spores, pesticides and other materials which may originate indoors or be brought into the indoor environment from outside. If kept very clean from the time it is installed, carpet can trap a significant amount of particles, which can be removed through regular and effective vacuuming. However, inadequate maintenance can allow large quantities of dust and debris to build up in carpet. Some studies indicate that poorly maintained carpet can release significant quantities of particles into the air during the course of daily activity. In addition, young children may play on carpet where they may be more likely to come into contact with contaminants that have not been properly removed through regular and effective vacuuming.

[...]

It cannot be over-emphasized that proper cleaning and maintenance is a critical component of any flooring system. To help ensure longer life, maintain appearance, and help protect indoor air quality, carpet requires regular vacuuming with a well-functioning vacuum cleaner equipped with strong suction and a high-performance filtration bag and periodic wet extraction cleaning. CRI has established a Green Label Vacuum Cleaner Indoor Air Quality Testing Program to identify vacuum cleaners that effectively remove soil, contain dust within the filtration bag and the machine itself, keeping it out of the air, and which don't damage the carpet.

Please note reservoir - A place of collection (not creation)...

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A study of indoor air quality by Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology found higher indoor air quality in public areas with carpet (such as libraries) than other areas.

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Research by The German Allergy and Asthma Association found that hard flooring allows particulate matter to get kicked back up into the air, whereas carpet captures it and holds it, allowing it to be vacuumed up and disposed of, rather than floating around the house.

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I can do this all day long...

There is extensive scientific evidence for this and plenty of anecdotal evidence. Ask any HVAC professional to compare the coils in a home with and without carpet and they will all tell you that houses without carpet need more frequent filter changes and coil cleanings.

Now please note that I didn't say allergies would be helped by carpet, I said specifically that allergy and asthma sufferers do better with one or the other. It really depends on what each person specifically reacts to. People who react to pet danders and hairs tend to do better with carpet than hardwoods, I am in this category. Carpet has long been held to be a source of problems when it is really people not spending money on a proper vacuum.

We might also note that on the VOC list engineered wood is much higher than modern carpets...

A poster up thread reminded me of what I told my kids when they were small and had mixed floors...if you get sick try to aim for toilet or a hard surface! I did have some awesome wool carpet! I am now a fan of only hard floors.

Just to be clear...I don't have carpet. I have hardwood or tile throughout, I just suffer for it.

I'm guessing if you combined all the hard flooring choices and asked the question of buyers,"Which do you prefer? Carpet or one of the hard surface flooring choices (Hardwood flooring, vinyl flooring, LVT and LVP, Marmoleum, Engineered hardwood, Cork, etc.)?", hard flooring surfaces would be the winner by at least a 2-1 margin.

I really don't have a dog in this fight but curiosity got the best of me.

You might note that some of the flooring may just last longer and that one reason carpet sells so much more is because people must replace it more often or something.

How long do you think it will take small children to ruin a carpet? Especially a light-colored carpet?

Mine? Two hours. If the first hour is a nap.

Bey the study you linked to industry sales the second graph combined carpets with rugs. A rug can be easily removed. A carpet can't. The comparison needs to be made to carpets only

I was just linking the data. I found something that says carpet revenues are about 75% of total carpet and rug sales, but they don't break out the square footage by sector.

You have to understand that the average age of a home is 35 years old and many if not most of those used carpet. Carpet replacement is too big a market for hard surfaces to catch up anytime soon.

We replaced carpet in our living, dining, hall and stairs with hardwood 15 years ago, and love it. One needs to vacuum up dust and dog hair - but that is much easier than vacuuming carpet. We have carpet in our bedroom, but walk across bare wood to get to the bathroom. Even when it's cold in the house, the wood floor does not feel cold to my bare feet.

I am anxious to replace the carpet in our family room with cork (it's below grade, so solid hardwood is out). I will probably do the same in the bedrooms, as the budget allows.

We reluctantly have carpet in the bedrooms and playroom of the new tract house. We actually put carpet in the family room and one other non-eating/non-wet public room, too.

Here's the thing for me. I hate carpet. Really. If it were up to me, I'd have hard floors everywhere and put down pretty rugs with awesome plush padding underneath, covering the bedrooms to almost the edges (maybe 1' of hard floor exposed all around).

My first problem is, I'm like Aprilneverends. I only want to buy rugs that I absolutely can't live without, and I can't find any. And since I currently lack the time and skill to learn how to weave/hook rugs myself, that leaves me rugless at the moment.

My second problem is, I've had young children since 2006. My young children, from the time they are 6 months old until around 10 years old, have tendencies to fall and bust open their faces/backs of their heads on hard floors. (My earliest walking baby was 4 days shy of 8 months old when he let go of furniture and took his first steps.)

My third problem, which is directly related to #2, is that because I've had a steady stream of youngsters that have destroyed a ton of stuff (as kids are prone to do, mostly via accident, exploration, and conflict-resolution sessions among themselves), I am hesitant to invest much money in things that I know aren't going to last very long. Replacing carpet at regular intervals is a given, anyway, so I'm not as stressed if something happens to it.

So, I get carpet because, for our rowdy, testosterone-filled house (1 girl, 4 boys, 1 boy-in-utero), the kids sustain less injuries, and I don't end up crying when I fail to remove blueberry stains out of expensive rugs that took me 8 years to find.

We do not have allergies to worry about, thank goodness.

When we no longer have little ones running around, I'd love to skip the carpet and go with wood.

Anyway, those are my thoughts, for what they're worth to ya, Susha. :-)

As a general rule, it isn't a great idea to trust a corporate group when they tell you their products are safe. The CRI is one such group - it is paid for and is a voice for the carpet companies.

I can show you studies from the American Beverage Association that will tell you sugary drinks don't cause health issues including obesity.

The tobacco industry used to have a similar lobby.

We call this FUD.

I do love the line that says - "soil in carpet is reduced by cleaning" - because that means a whole heck of a lot.

I'm a physician and don't practice allergy medicine. It has been dogma for years that carpet is bad for people with allergies. It is also true that HEPA filters in vacuum cleaners are nearly worthless. We only have one bedroom hard wooded in our current house - our child's because he came home from the hospital to that room. We used a water based urethane.

Three of the studies I posted came from peer reviewed journals from universities rather than the CRI.

Indoor air quality became a big issue when the CARB started regulating VOC's, and the results were somewhat surprising. These were mostly commercial areas.

I really don't have a dog in this fight other than my pulmonologist told me to invest in rugs to help and it did. I don't have or really like carpet but all of the studies that actually measure air quality with scientific instruments are coming back slightly in favor of maintained carpeting.

It's completely subjective to personal preference and region. If in a hot area, then little/no carpet seems to be common. If in a cold/snowy area like me, I see a lot of carpet in bedrooms and family rooms where you might lie on the floor.

Personally I'm a fan of carpet in a bedroom since its warmer, is pleasant to walk on, and absorbs sound (wouldn't you want it to be quiet in there?). However, a hard surface is superior if there are allergies. Granted carpet is pretty cheap to replace, but it does get dirty and has a limited lifespan.

Currently I have 3 carpeted bedrooms (I also grew up with that). In my next build I'm going to do hardwood master with area rug, and dark-colored carpet kids rooms.

Bry - I see no references to peer reviewed journals.

The first quote is that carpets have decreased and allergies have increased in Sweden. Correlation does not equal causation. The question of whether allergies are caused by carpets has nothing to do whether carpets make allergies worse.

The second quote states that cleaning carpets reduces allergens. Great. No comparison to hard surfaces though.

CRI is behind all of your quotes except one. That one doesn't say much.

Publish a reference to a study not a cherry picked one liner from an industry group. A reference should include the date, journal name and pages. Then we need to see disclosures from the authors. Not all that is published is clean, pure and correct. In fact most of it is not. You can be spoon fed partial conclusions from journal articles all day long that mean nothing.

Now - that being said. I can see the possibility that carpet traps allergens and that helps. But - the vast majority of vacuums do a terrible job of controlling that on cleaning. And the net result (even if I conceded the above) would be that carpet is worse for allergies in the real world for the vast majority of people.

Here is the NIH statement on dust mites - one of the most significant allergens.

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/allergens/dustmites/index.cfm

No allergy issues with us, except DD has a few pollen allergies, so I am not going to get into that debate.

for the most part carpet or not is personal preference and I prefer carpet in bedrooms. In our current rental we have vinyl plank and I don't like jumping out of bed to the cool hard floor. I also end up sitting or exercising on the bedroom floor and the carpet is nice. Bottom line for me is that carpet is just more comfortable. And for its longevity, I can live with replacing it every 10 years or so. Actually the carpet we have chosen for our new home is almost exactly the same cost as the LVP, but we did go with a pretty pricey carpet, while the LVP we fell in love with from the start was relatively reasonably pricesd around $4 per square foot.

Area rugs ARE a tripping hazard for the elderly. And I am shocked that they are even being suggested here for older homeowners. The first thing a senior specialist does in assessing a seniors living quarters is suggest removing all area rugs.

I also have serious doubts that hard surfaces or more elder friendly. In the last year, I have toured many high end senior independent living facilities, (some very much so) for my Mom. Without exception the corridors and primary living areas are carpeted with low pile carpet, and those with walker or wheelchair are getting around just fine. Entrance and wet areas are the only hard surface. However falls happen, having nothing to do with the flooring, an elderly person loses balance, a knee goes out etc, and the falls are easier on carpet.

It's a bit late and I am still at work so I will link studies tomorrow (or sometime soon). I remember there was one from Japan, one from one from Gdansk and one from the BASE study in the U.S. The CRI has quoted material from other researchers and some lit reviews have probably been sponsored by CRI, so some of the information gathered by CRI is not necessarily theirs.

We don't need even need them. If you have a carpet or rug do your own experiment. Tape off a 6' square of rug and vacuum it again and again until nothing else comes up. Then dust or damp mop a wood floor until nothing else comes up. Wait one week and repeat only this time measure what came up from each. Then explain why the vacuum collected twice as much dust as the damp mop.

I am not a casual observer in this and honestly I am shocked by the number of allergy and asthma sufferers here. Nowhere else have I found such a collection of compatriots.

For those of you who are not allergy and asthma sufferers let me tell you what it is like. There is a common misconception that asthma sufferers are constantly having attacks that constrict airways, in truth, most adult asthma sufferers have constricted airways well in hand, the real danger is drainage. Asthma sufferers who have allergies get something akin to bronchitis that lasts for months when airways are irritated by the drainage that allergies cause. Only the cough is much worse for asthma sufferers, cough syncope is the real enemy of adult asthma sufferers. When I get an asthma related cough I will pass out ten to twenty times a day.

I have had monthly allergy shots for most of my life and if I guest lecture somewhere that they are not available, I will fly to a country that allows/has them.

When I buy a house the first thing I do is remove all the old carpeting and textiles, then put a Lennox PureAir filtration system on every AC. I put two in just 18 months ago for $8,200. I vacuum my entire house with a botvac every time I leave for more than 3 hours and the the entire house is dustmopped daily with a thorough weekly cleaning. Prior to the botvac we paid for cleaning services every day.

Rugs increase the filter life of my Lennox PureAir filters and lamps noticeably. Rugs decrease the frequency I have allergy drainage.

if it were up to me, i'd use hard surface dh much prefers carpet in the bedrooms so we went with his preferences on this carpet is more quiet, and cozy in winter....

We are building now. 2 of my 3 kids have moderately severe asthma/allergies and we are doing hardwood in the entire house (minus tile in baths and mudroom). I can't wait. The house we moved from had carpet in the bedrooms only, and they were so disgusting after 8 years there....and we had it deep cleaned regularly on top of normal vacuuming. I'm really hoping to see a difference in the kids' allergies in the new house.

Rugs in kid's room.

Hard surfaces are better for allergies. Carpet makes the floor below quieter.

Interesting discussion. I can only comment based upon experience with various family members being treated by various allergists from the late 1960's to about 2007. All were told to remove tacked down carpeting throughout the house, have no area rugs in the bedrooms or only small ones that can be laundered frequently.

Regarding dog and cat dander, the doctors' answer was simple - get rid of the pet. For the milder cases, the patients were told absolutely no pets in bedrooms and better to confine them to a single room in the house (i.e. family room). For the most severe case (the one I mentioned had to remove window treatments, etc.), he was told to get rid of the pet within the week, tears and protestations notwithstanding. Never was anyone told to put down any sort of carpeting to control the allergens.

I freely admit it is possible this is old school treatment and all those doctors got it wrong. Having only very mild, seasonal pollen allergies, I don't see an allergist to comment on what is recommended in 2017.

Carpet IS worse for allergies.

Dirty carpet is worse than clean carpet.

The studies cited above say that people with allergies don't stop having allergies because they don't have carpets. I think that's obvious. The studies are being misinterpreted.

Carpet harbor dust mites. Dust mites can't survive as well on hard surfaces because they are more subject to desiccation. You can use Dust Mite X and steam your carpets every month. But I prefer to just steam the hard floors!

Used a smokey grey colored engineered hardwood as the majority floor covering in our just finished second home. Looked at LVP but didn't like the finish options available. I use area rugs at the entrance doors, under dining table and in living room. I may but them in the bedrooms but haven't decided. The house is built on the shores of a lake and I knew sand would be a huge problem in carpeting. I use a vacuum for hard surfaces which makes sand "sweeping" a breeze. Both DH and myself have no regrets in our choice.

Okay - late to the party. I want hardwood floor in every room in my house except the bathrooms, where I prefer tile. I do have antique wool oriental rugs in all rooms. But if I could afford it, I would have some wonderful Stark wool carpet in my bedroom. Since the room is 24'x24', that is out of the question. Yes, I DO have allergies and asthma.

My daughter has hardwood floor through out all the rooms in her house, but in the MBR, she has carpet over hardwood. She prefers a carpeted bedroom, not area rugs. Yes, she has cats and a son with allergies.

Many decades ago, I had an allergist in St Louis who aid that unless a child is ending up in the hospital, there was no reason to get rid of carpet, draperies, upholstered furniture, stuffed animals, and family pets - the recommendation of most allergists for households where a child has allergies. He said that allergies are so complex, that just getting rid of a couple of things will not change things much. He said the only way to totally avoid allergens would be to live like "The Boy in the Bubble", and that wasn't recommended for serious emotional reasons.

When we moved to LA, I started calling allergists, explaining that I had 5 cats and 2 dogs and no intention of getting rid of any of them. Finally found a terrific one who totally agreed with the St Louis allergist. When we moved to KY, I did the same - found one who agreed with them. He retired and I now have yet another allergist. He, too, agrees.

Another thing I liked about all these allergists was that they were not selling ANYTHING other than their medical services! Most allergist's offices want to see you special filters, air purifiers, special bedding - you name it - they have a very expensive product just for you. This is especially true in pediatric allergist's office. Don't like that at ALL!

Allergies are very complex. When I go somewhere without my dog (now only 1 dog), my asthma is no different than when I'm home sleeping with the dog. Allergies are very complex.

If one is already having hardwood put down, put it down EVERYWHERE. If you prefer carpet in a bedroom, put it down over the hardwood. Do it for resale if nothing else.

I'm surprised at how many people say that kids ruin carpet. That was not my experience.

We were in our last house for 10 years and the carpet looked great--we didn't replace it even for selling. (The kids were 12, 15, and 18 when we moved in). In the house before that, we were there 12 years--and the kids' bedroom carpets still looked great. (I had to replace the living room carpet but that was due to water damage, not kid damage.)

Now, cats are rough on carpet--but the kids weren't.

In my area quality, nylon carpet costs nearly as much as finished-in-place hardwood flooring. It's almost a no brainer for public areas. Hard flooring is definitely easier to clean, but not impervious to damage.

One benefit of carpeting is sound abatement and it would always be my preference in a bedroom.

I once saw a house that had hardwood flooring on the perimeter of the room and carpet in the center. That seemed like a good idea. Carpeting is very difficult to clean at the edges where it meets the baseboard. For a bedroom, it might very well be a perfect compromise.

I'm surprised at how many people say that kids ruin carpet. That was not my experience.

Probably depends on several factors, like:

• Number of people and square footage. The more folks in a smaller footprint, the more quickly things get worn.
• Quality of carpet. Despite daily vacuuming -- sometimes 2x-3x a day, I know, I am totally psycho -- the carpet in my 1.5-month-old tract home looks awful in frequented travel/play areas.
• Ages/abilities/number of children. I have 6, ranging in age from 11 to preborn (with special needs, so all young); and schooling choice (homeschool = more opportunities for crayon/clay/mud damage).

And mostly boys. Which is why adding a dog will be nothin'. :-D

Pull up carpet and see what's under there. Disgusting is the nicest word I can think of...

As for the cold feet getting out of bed, what happened to putting on slippers? I've noticed that ladies slippers are very difficult to find. The big dept. stores only seem to stock them at Christmas.

Hardwood floors with rugs provides the best of both worlds. Once a year or so you roll up the rugs and send them out for a thorough washing so they don't accumulate the disgusting junk that wall to wall does, and you can have as many or few as required only where you want them. If you can't access both sides of a rug or carpet there is no way you can get it properly cleaned and dried.

We used KARASTAN LVP in our kitchen, DR, LR, laundry. Now we are set to do the bedrooms. I don’t want my very nice baseboards messed with again. That’s a strong argument for carpet. Another argument. We are on a slab. Carpet is warmer. However, the Karastan LVP isn’t cold, even though we live in a colder climate.