Age old question--carpet or hardwood in master bedroom?
RNmomof2 zone 5
6 years ago
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Hardwood Floors in Master Bedroom
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 MoreCarpet vs hardwood if we hope to age in place?
Comments (21)I appreciate all of the feedback to my question. You've given me many things to consider. We are adding a shower to the first floor bathroom. It will be a roll-in shower with all of the necessary blocking for grab bars, etc. We experimented with a borrowed wheelchair to be sure that we will be able to roll under the new vanity and negotiate doorways, etc. Our current office could become a first floor bedroom if needed, and we have specified lever handles everywhere. We have been working on the plan for months and thought all was settled until I read this weekend about potential problems with hardwood or other hard surfaces. Previously, I had heard mostly about problems with carpet. Your comments have helped me put conflicting advice into perspective. We probably will go ahead as planned with hardwood. A large area rug in the middle of the living room will probably work since it is not in the main flow of traffic. I will be sure, however, not to use any smaller throw rugs or walk around in slippery socks. As I said, we have been planning this project for over a year. We are almost ready to sign the construction contract, so I am trying to make final decisions and pin down all of the details....See More100+ year old hardwoods need replacing--engineered vs hardwood
Comments (4)Wood vs. Engineered Wood? No contest in this case. If the home was built in 1905, put real hardwood in. This preserves the integrity of the home's building materials. Plus, as you can see from the age of these floors, higher grades (i.e. thicker) hardwood can be sanded several times; you usually don't get even one chance to sand engineered wood. The hardwood layer at the top of this multilayered product is simply too thin. Level Floors and Subfloors There are ways to level a subfloor, ranging from replacing parts of the subfloor with thicker or thinner sheets of plywood (or planks, see below), to pour-on leveling compounds that harden to make the entire floor level. What you use to level uneven areas depends on what the subflooring is. If it is plywood or concrete, the compound works. But more likely with this home, on floors at or above grade, there will be wood planks laid at a diagonal across the floor joists. So in your home, the layers were probably joists first, then subfloor planks of wood, then hardwood with tongue & groove joints. You cannot effectively use a pour-on leveling compound on a plank subfloor, as there are cracks between the planks. However, you can lay a new hardwood floor directly on a wood plank subfloor as long as those planks are sound and relatively level. Replace individual planks that have been damaged by water or insects, are otherwise compromised, or even missing (it happens!), with either new planks of lumber, or with plywood of the same thickness as the planks. Any lumber you install, for either the subfloor or finished flooring, should be brought in to your home several days prior to installation, so the materials acclimatize to your typical interior temperature and humidity. Unlike for ceramic or porcelain tile, the subfloor does not have to be perfectly level. And unlike vinyl sheeting, planks or tiles, the hardwood won't "telegraph" minor differences in height, and minor surface irregularities, so the subfloor doesn't have to be absolutely perfect; it should be sound, strong, uniform and essentially level. Your flooring contractor can give you specifics on what upgrades your subfloor may need once the original hardwood is removed. Joists If the floor is significantly not level in parts, or if certain areas feel spongy when you walk on them, I recommend you have your flooring contractor, a home inspector, or structural engineer inspect the subflooring and especially the floor joists. You don't want to invest in a new floor, only to have it become damaged because some joists weren't attended to. Transitions Transitions (a.k.a. thresholds or molding) between existing rooms and the new floor ought to be made of the same wood and same finish (stain, polyurethane, etc.) as the new flooring you are putting down. As wood ages, the finish becomes darker, so trying to make the transitions match the finishes of existing floors is very difficult and not recommended (what will match those floors right now won't match later after your transitions age up a bit). Eventually, the transitions wouldn't match either the new or the old floors! Transitions come in four types: reducer (when the two floors being joined are of different heights), seam binder (when the floors are the same height, and the boards from each are very close to one another), T-mold (when the two floors are the same height, but there is a crack between the two rooms' flooring) and stair nose or stair edger (when the flooring needs to curve around the front of a stair's "tread"--the flat part of a stair upon which you tread!). The transitions for your particular project can be ordered when you order the hardwood, so make sure to include measurements for those doorways/entrances. The contractor can tell you if he/she anticipates there will be a height difference or gap between the floorings, which would require those particular transitions. Dry Air Concerns Consult a local lumber supplier or flooring contractor familiar with your local climate conditions to discuss finishes or other tips for keeping your wood floors healthy in the dry winters. Sounds wonderful! Have fun!...See MoreWhat floors to use in bedrooms when rest of house original hardwood?
Comments (19)My dad loves parquet. I am not a huge fan but I don't hate it. Seems like it often elicits a love or hate response in some folks. I would be worried about that only if resale was going to be an issue in the future not too far off. Otherwise, you have lots of options, maybe even hardwood laid over the tiles? I'd check to see if that was possible. There is something to be said for a small house with uniform hardwood floors throughout, I think it is a great way to go if the house is small. Other options are cork (my brother did this) or linoleum, although I think cork would be better on the feet. It seemed like kind of a pain to install, but he likes it....See MoreRNmomof2 zone 5
6 years ago
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