Poll: Who prefers hardwood floors, tile or carpeting and why
 

Having had all three and knowing some of the pros and cons from years gone by, but not knowing what folks building new homes or buying resales in The Villages think is the best flooring material to choose......I'd like to start a poll of sorts.

We all know what happens to carpeting and yet it is soft on the feet, knees, joints, etc. and quieter.

Hardwood floors are indeed beautiful nowadays (not like the ones I recall from our first houses that needed waxing).

Tile is what my husband would want in the entire house, but although I don't mind that we tiled our three bathrooms up here as they are easy to care for, being the shinier tile..........the type of tile I chose for my kitchen floor is not easy to care for.......with all the coffee drips, grandchildren spills, etc., especially near the dishwasher area. I do have the steam cleaner.

He suggests using DARK GROUT......but I don't think that would look good on light colored tile.

So, opinions please........the pros and the cons on carpeting vs. wood floors vs. tiled floors in homes in TV.

I now wish I had put hardwood floors in my kitchen. But are they slippery???
Especially as one "ages in place".

Do THE VILLAGES new construction homes allow for "upgrading" to a better carpeting that might wear well? Anyone who has done this, I'd love to hear from you......and please tell me the brand of carpeting you are happy with. Height of padding, etc. Any help would be appreciated..........before we finally go ahead and decide to choose a model, choose a location and then get down to the particulars. Looking forward to our visit end of year.

THANKS IN ADVANCE TO ALL RESPONDERS.

Maybe someone else can speak to the designer/premiere selections, but in all the others, you select a "package" To include floor covering and countertops in specific color combinations. I was told that the designers in house will look at your selections to make sure you don't do anything too outrageous. IMHO, because of what the developer charges for any changes, you're probably better off living with base selections, and changing to your selections after you have lived in your home for a while. If you choose to make upgraded selections up front, be prepared for limited choices and big charges.

My wife and I have always preferred tile, primarily for ease of maintenance. We currently have a beautiful hardwood floor, it looks great when it is swept and mopped, but the dark floor combined with our white haired dog makes upkeep very difficult.

We are closing on a resale home next month and while the current owner has just put in brand new caprpeting, my wife decided it has to go so she has already made arrangements to have tile installed post-closing and prior to the moving truck's arrival.

As an aside (and not meaning to hijack this thread), does anyone know who we can donate the to once we have it removed? My immediate thought is Habitat For Hummanity, but I wasn't sure if they had a Habitat group near TV

We have all three in our home. Bedrooms have carpet, kitchen has hardwood and the living area halls and bathrooms are tile. I think each has there purpose and we like all three. I might go hardwood in all living areas and carpet in the bedrooms if I was selecting new everywhere. But the tile is nice as well. I like the look of the hardwood in the kitchen.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...e/IMG_0955.jpg

We have all hardwood except in the bathrooms and kitchen. Wish I had it in kitchen but when we bought the house the tile was fairly new and we like it so it stays. Beware of dark grout with light colored tiles because all your eye will see is that dark grout, it also makes the room look a little choppy.

While I prefer tile and wood for their looks, and had both in our previous home, I find a major difference acoustically with carpet. I've found that you have much more sound reflection, even with area rugs and curtains, and that distorts the sound from my surround sound system with wood and tile. Now this might just be my ears, but my son has a home with tile and wood floors, and he can hear a major difference. If you're into home theater, you might want to consider this, or maybe consult and audio-visual specialist.

I have hardwood in the living room and dining room. Tile in Kitchen, baths and foyer. Carpet still in bedrooms to be replaced at future date with wood. I love the wood and tile, both so easy to take care of. Our grout color was changed from the light color The Villages had to a slightly darker color when we had the grout sealed. We use an organic cleaner on the tile and it's very easy to keep it clean. Same with the wood, just a pad and the cleaner. Having lived in the south for 15 years I really don't want to carpet but that's what came with the house. We took the carpet out of the living/dining room asap and put in the wood.

Although I don't have it in my current house, nothing looks finer than real hardwood flooring. I've had it in previous homes and if installed properly it is stunning. However, it can be quite expensive. Given all the alternatives, price not an object, I would probably go with hardwood in all areas of my home except the kitchen and bathrooms where I would use tile.

Dislike Tile
 

I currently have tile in the kitchen and bathrooms up north, and hardwood in the rest of the house. In TV, have vinyl (high grade) in kitchen/baths and carpet everywhere else. Our carpet was an upgrade (looks like a short shag, not sure of the brand or name - came with the house) and after 5 years, and 1 good cleaning, it's in very good condition.

Even though I have sealed the tile up north at least twice with a supposedly "15 yr" grout sealer, it looks dirty and I think it's difficult to keep really clean unless maybe you clean thoroughly more often than I do. I don't think I'm a slob, but I don't clean the floors every week. A steam cleaner makes it easier but the grout still looks dirty.

Some neighbors in TV have put in tile thruout - I think they are sorry. Other neighbors replaced the vinyl and LR/DR carpet with a good grade of laminate wood-look flooring - doesn't scratch from dogs, looks great. I am one who always thought wood-look laminate looked like fake wood. This product has made great improvement in the last 10 years, and probably what I would go for when the carpeting needs replaced.

We are getting good about taking our shoes off when in TV and I like the feel of carpet on bare feet. I wear sandals/shoes when spending much time in the kitchen. Tile is hard on your feet and back when standing for very long.

We have carpet in the living room and bedrooms, tile throughout the rest of the house we're in the process of buying. I love the tile, but wonder how long it will be until the grout looks dirty- what do you use to clean it and keep it clean? Any hints, tips, suggestions to keep it looking new?

Re the package selection, hubby said it is because they buy it in volume and that would make it easier on them. Good advice overall....thank you.

Thank you for your insights.........yes, the hardwood is always beautiful.
I think our problem up here is we never had the tile grout sealed. In the bathrooms it still looks good after three years.....but the kitchen it seems to show all the spots near the frig and near the sink and dishwasher, stove, etc.
That about says it all. It's a light sand color with matching grout. I'm sure in Florida the tile would feel nice and cool also.

I like it also..........the wood floor looks great. No grout to clean.
Nice kitchen. Beautiful countertops. So, they were an upgrade?
Thank you.

I HEAR YOU. I agree. Sometimes, model homes will have white tile with black grout. We chose a matching grout to the light sand color tile, but it does show in certain places....like coffee drips or splatters. Thank you.

All good advice. My husband like the idea of the high quality vinyl.
We have also seen good quality laminates for the wood flooring as well as top of the line.........much improvement nowadays, for sure. Thank you.

YOU ARE SO RIGHT ON TARGET RE THE ACCOUSTICS......WE NOTICE IT ALSO IN PLACES SUCH AS YOU MENTION...........so it is a consideration.
Thank you.

The floor is from when the house was built, so yes an upgrade. This was built in 05 when they still allowed changes and upgrades. As an example, this model is a Gardenia with 2 feet added through the middle of the kitchen and 2 feet through the garage and master bedroom/bath. I bought it as a resale and added the island and the granite. In that picture you can also see the laundry room door is coming into the kitchen is different then the standard model. I am not sure what they are doing today as far as upgrades and changes. If you look at homes built in 04 to 06 you will find many many changes from the standard models.

I own another home built in 05 where the garage will easily hold two full size cars and two golf carts because they made it 2 feet wider and 6 or 8 feet longer.

Yes, as I replied in my p.m. in response to yours........all along, we've been looking at resales, thinking that previous owners sunk a lot into upgrades including underground sprinkler systems, etc. that do not come with the brand new home..........plus with so many resales on the market, and many gently used at that.........it would be a good buy indeed. Thank you !!!

Tile is "work"
 

Have had them all and real hardwood in the kitchen looks and feels best IMHO.

Tile grout lines' roughness holds ordinary dirt in the pores no matter how well it is sealed off from liquid staining. Tile is "work", and it's a killer to stand on in kitchen and laundry room. (Men usually do not understand this nor do they care.)

In all other living areas, my vote is for better-quality carpeting.

Bare floors remind me of hospitals and nursing homes where they need to be able to mop up and sterilize. A home should look plush and inviting.

Yes, Habitat for Humanity is on Rt. 44. Go down Buena Vista and turn left onto 44, and it's down on the right a few miles.

Hardwood in bedrooms, living/dining.

Tile in bathrooms, kitchen, laundry.

Carpeting no where. However, rugs where appropriate! [Note the distinction, to me, between carpeting and rug!]

This decision was partly because I have always lived in a house where hardwood floors were prevalent. However, never in a kitchen! [I think my Mother would have been so scared that something messy, "toxic," or staining would happen and ruin her kitchen!]

Many of my TV friends are challenged by breathing problems, usually brought on by years and years of smoking! Some of them have ripped out all carpeting because it tends to harbor things that increase breathing problems! Worth considering!

SWR
:beer3:

I agree with the hardwood in the kitchen , also that tile is work and a killer to stand on, etc. However, dear hubby just mentioned the new bottle of Balsamic vinegar which accidently fell out of our lazy susan yesterday and ran like a dark brown river, spreading all over the tile kitchen floor.......he wiped it up, used the shop vac, etc. (wet vac) and then I sprayed Clorox on the grout which did work.........before I steam cleaned it. But all the broken glass.........yikes. So, he said, "If it was wood, it would be more of a concern".........and "If the dishwasher leaked, the floor might warp"....."nothing can hurt tile". Don't think he cares about my arthritis.
Just kidding.

Yes, I am aware of all the allergens that carpeting holds, but it is nice and comfy when new and looking good...........I know for a fact that my children, their spouses , all their friends, all our neices and nephews and the younger generation in particular DISLIKE CARPETING and prefer natural wood floors.
But our generation did use wall to wall carpeting over and over again.
Now it is known to harbor allergens, dust mites.......not mention the chemicals with which it is treated. But still lovely when new...soft and quiet.

Between tile & carpet in my living room area, I prefer the look and feel of carpet. Given the choice between wood and tile, I would prefer wood but it would have to be in the kitchen, living room and foyer. I don't like the look of tile and wood bumped up next to each other.

As far as changing your carpet choice. You can mix and match "packages" when building. I inquired on mixing and matching on the flooring package and exterior package. Was told I could do it, but the "upcharge" (as they call it) quoted was bit high to me.

I agree....would not want tile in the living room. Other than the bathrooms, I'm off tile in the kitchen too. Good to know re the options. Thankyou.

I like bedrooms and living areas in carpet, wet areas and entry, tiled. Carpet is more comfy under barefeet, and Merlin doesn't slide or click his toenails on the carpet.

flooring experience
 

We replaced carpeting with laminate and love it. Much cleaner and brighter. Wood or laminate reflects more sound and light. Our dark laminate is brighter than our white carpet.

We have tile in the kitchen and baths. Tile in the bath is great. Kitchen tile chips due to dropped knives etc. Eventually we need to get the old chipped kitchen tile replaced but tile removal is expensive and messy.

You can avoid tile grout color problems by sealing and most importantly cleaning with water only. Other cleaners leave a residue that darkens the grout.

We put tile in the lanai to avoid mold issues with wood or carpet and love the tile for this location. The carpeting was nicer on the feet in every location but the cleanliness, ease of cleaning, lack of mold and brightness out ways the foot feel.

High quality vinyl
 

Before we bought in TV we stayed at the Top Of The World. I loved the feel and look of the flooring in the model that we stayed at. I asked the realator what kind of wood it was and she said it was vinyl. Since then have looked at various styles of this vinyl- wood look, stone, tile and fell in love with a slate tile look a like 1/4" thick. Haven't purchased it yet but the best price for the kitchen, livingroom, diningroom and halls in a corpus cristie ranch will be about 1800.00. I just want to be sure before we buy. Anyone have this?

I spend alot of time in the kitchen and I love a good quality vinyl floor. It is easier on the knees and feet then tile and there is no grout to maintain. Wood floors also need to be maintained and a big problem if you have a water leak. I now have laminate floors with rugs in the rest of the house and I love it. I just use a microcloth mop to dry wipe the laminate floors and if I see a stain I use a Pledge product made for laminate floors.

I have dogs... Ripped up my carpeting when my oldest became ill and couldn't take care of his needs as he should. Tile for me in the future all the way!:thumbup:

I take it Merlin is not your hubby? Just a bit of levity.
Yes, carpeting is comfy and soft.......

Could be you are correct about only cleaning with water.
I had been using a Swiffer with their cleaning detergent bottles.
Since I've been using strictly tap water / steam......it's much cleaner.
Unfortunately, we never had the grout sealed. Our tile guy never even mentioned it.......whereas, in N.J. our cousins sealed all their grout.

The bathroom tile does not get as soiled, except for the shower stall.
We should never have tiled the shower.....but it was in vogue at the time, a few years back. Also should never have bought glass shower doors.
Does anyone know a quick cleaning trick for the glass doors? They are beautiful etched glass with roses and vines.......but we have HARD WATER up here in Vermont and no water softener......so soap scum doesn't take long to build up. THANKS................P.S. THE BEST SHOWER FLOOR WE'VE EVER SEEN WAS LAST SUMMER IN TABERNASH COLORADO AT THE DEVILS THUMB RESORT RANCH.......ALL THE SHOWER FLOORS HAD RIVER STONES........LIKE PEBBLES TO WALK ON.....BUT VERY NICE AND NON SLIPPERY....HUGE GLASS SHOWERS.........AND SOAKING TUBS IN ALL THE ROOMS. WE HAD NEVER SEEN RIVER STONES BEFORE.........they were various shades of grey.

Those stone-look tiles can actually be bought in interlocking sheets at home depot. Also as far as the dirt/stain issue with tile, there is an epoxy grout available in most colors which is actually stain proof as opposed to stain resistant like most other products. It's more expensive to buy and install, but the results are worth it IMHO.

I wonder if those bumpy type river stones would adhere to a fibreglass shower floor ?
 

That's good to know. We do have a Home Depot that came into town a few years back, which is when we bought all the new tile. Everyone in town began remodeling when H.D. came to town. After awhile, everyone got tired walking the HUGE store to find things, that we all went back to our one and only hardware / lumber yard, which was much smaller and easier to navigate.

If it's the "bumpy" type river stones like in Colorado, I wonder if they would adhere to a fibreglass shower FLOOR???????? Do you think it could be installed by the average husband handyman type? Next time he's out there he said he will look at them. The ones we saw were all shades of grey, etc. and very bumpy. Our shower walls are tiled with large tiles but the floor is a fibreglass floor in white.........which is difficult to keep clean. Again, hard water. Thanks..........

We haven't been in TV long, so my experience is from prior homes I've lived in..
One product I have used is called Glass Wax (Glass and metal cleaner). Comes in a thin rectangular can and it is a semi-thin pink liquid with a strong chemical smell. You apply it with a damp sponge, let dry and then wipe off with a soft cloth.
I have used it on shower doors, glass and chrome. It seems to dissolve everything, leaves a nice shine and has a water-repellant property as well.

I can't say we get much soap scum, because we usually use liquid soap. Bar soap (except pure olive oil soap) was banned from the house as soon as our contractor told us it causes soap scum, due to the talc and other ingredients. So the Glass Wax, for us, helps to eliminate water deposits and makes the squeegee float over the glass nicely.

It should work well on soap scum unless it is really thick and old - and needs removal with a razor blade first.

I re-apply this product about 1-2 times per year. In-between that, I just use the squeegee and dry afterwards with a soft cloth, if I'm feeling persnickety.

We just found them at Home Depot and also on other sites that have a huge selection of colors.......in smaller 12 x 12 sections.....Home Depot had the longer lengths, but still doesn't seem that hard of a project.

Strata Stone had a huge selection of colors. They all ship to you, even H.D..

Thanks for the info.

Sounds great. Thanks....I just wrote it down for our next shopping trip.

Our realtor when we first moved into our present house, with a nice big shower with glass doors, to get a window squeege and use it religiously every time your shower before leaving the shower. Our glass, is still like new looking after 8 years, and so simple, and I would not have thought of this.

Lee and Richard

We have ceramic tile in our kitchen and engineered wood flooring most everywhere else, and the ceramic tile kills my back. The engineered wood flooring is much easier on your bones, than tile or real wood. We love ours, and plan to change to it in TV after we move in (they no longer offer the engineered (fake) wood flooring it as an option we have been told). Just a comment for those who may have back problems.

Lee and Richard

I’m a bit confused by all the posts here claiming the installation of real hardwood floors. My understanding is that real hardwood flooring is problematic for the average home in Florida.

First of all, hardwood flooring is normally designed to be nailed into the plywood sub-flooring that is the norm up north in homes with basements. So to overcome that, a typical Florida home with a slab foundation needs a ¾” plywood subfloor installed first. This introduces installation issues in an existing home in order to allow molding and doors to have sufficient clearance once the hardwood is added on top of the plywood base. That adds significantly to the cost of the installation.

Secondly, is the moisture issue in humid Florida. To overcome this, several layers of moisture barring products must be sandwiched between the cement slab, and the sub-floor adding additional cost.

Would any of you care to explain how your hardwood floors were installed here in TV?