Thanks bodica, I spent some time before starting this thread in the stairs gallery. Just wondering if anyone knows if olefin would be a good choice and to see any pics of runners used is your homes.

gracie, only the upstairs balcony/landing hallway can be seen from below, but that area has hardwood like the stairs. so the bedrooms are separate. i am wondering though if all of the finishes should "relate" to each other? i plan to do beige carpet in the bedrooms, should the runner also be a beige? i am shying away from beige on the stairs due to high traffic, but don't want whatever i choose to feel random, kwim? chispa, do you know of any good carpet brands that would offer the oriental style runners? the couple of stores that I went to did not seem to have machine made runners, but told me they could bind whatever carpet I chose for the stairs. great idea to extend the runner down the halls. thanks!

I've read about undesirable consequences of "powered" attic exhaust systems. As I recall the problem caused by all such systems, whether turbines producing an exhaust draft by spinning or those using electricity, is that they create a negative pressure condition in the attic. Yes, that's what pulls in air from the soffit vents. It often also pulls in air from the living space below because most houses are old enough or built in such a way that little attention was paid in construction to having an effective air seal between the living space and the attic above. That produces a negative pressure in the living space and that pulls in outside air. Which, during cooling season in hot and especially humid areas, works against what the AC is trying to do. I'd follow up on CR Homes suggestion and consider ridge vents. Soffit vents or their equivalent are always essential, to allow cooler air to enter replacing the hot air that exited at the top. (By equivalent, some houses have attic intake vents that aren't in a closed-in soffits. In my area, most commonly seen is an un-closed area in the two legged open triangle caused by the roof overhang, where it extends beyond the outside wall. Just under the roof plane at the top of the wall surface one typically finds vent holes from the outside to the attic. They usually have screens or grills to keep out larger critters. These serve exactly the same purpose as if the roof overhang space were closed by a soffit which itself had vent openings in it)

I think people go to Ruggables.com. I've used local places as there is Ikea and a lot of furnishings stores w rug departmnts and good deals on runners/mats etc. I would get an Asian motif w multiple colors and a pleasing pattern. You dont have to get the "real thing" in silk/wool...these are found in durable polypropylene blends . Otherwise a green tone to blend with white cabs/black handles and red toned stain on the floor. dont worry about matching the counter .....Home Depot website offers many sizes in lots of options and you can pick up at store..and easily returnable if you dont care for it. This should not be that difficult.