Poll: Carpet or Hardwood?

[melilley]

When we purchased our home the owners had WHITE carpet in the dining room. We replaced it and refinished the hardwood before we even moved in.

Daycare+white carpet+food area???

Our house had carpet in the dining room also. ewww. Anyways, I had to laugh, we have carpet in the daycare playroom and it's a very light color. My husband thinks that the kids will be able to eat in there-I have a preschool sized table in there-he said just to put a tarp down.... I just opened so he hasn't seen toddler eat yet.

[mamac]

I had a feeling hardwood would be the more popular answer. happyface I do have a swing, a rope ladder and rings that I will be keeping in my daycare space so I will be putting carpet under that but I think I'm going with hardwood for the rest of it. Thanks to everyone who voted!!

And just to add... My dining room also had newly installed white carpet when we bought our house. :confused:

[Heidi]

I would actually go with laminate, because it has a little more "give" than real hardwood, and it's a LOT cheaper. We just layed it in my sister's daycare, and it's beautiful.

If you are in a colder climate, you can lay electric pads under parts of it for warmth. Like this:

http://www.thermosoft.com/radiant-floor-heating-products/shop/thermofloor-240v/

I posted some pics of my sisters daycare on the decor group, if you'd like to see them.

This was the inspiration, from one of the daycare catalogs I have:

[canadiancare]

We have a builder installed beige carpet (19 years old) in our front room which is the playroom. I hate, hate, hate it. I own a steam cleaner that is my best friend.

I intend to redo our whole house with hardwood (including kitchen) but to do that I want to also switch up the footprint of the kitchen so I need to make it a big project.

I am at the point, now though that I may end up replacing the underpad and carpet in the front room with something that isn't showing its age just until I get the hardwood in.

[frugalmama4]

I would actually go with laminate, because it has a little more "give" than real hardwood, and it's a LOT cheaper. We just layed it in my sister's daycare, and it's beautiful.

If you are in a colder climate, you can lay electric pads under parts of it for warmth. Like this:

http://www.thermosoft.com/radiant-floor-heating-products/shop/thermofloor-240v/

I posted some pics of my sisters daycare on the decor group, if you'd like to see them.

This was the inspiration, from one of the daycare catalogs I have:

Oh Heidi, this is beautiful! What catalog is this from? I'm looking for inspiration for my space. Thanks

[HomeMADE]

I have laminate flooring and I have a pet. I agree that the floors do show dirt. However I just sweep twice a day and damp mop at the end of the day. I can only imagine what was being trapped in the carpet if w hat I see on my laminate is any indication, GROSS.

[Heidi]

Oh Heidi, this is beautiful! What catalog is this from? I'm looking for inspiration for my space. Thanks

http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/product/productDet.jsp?productItemID=1%2C689%2C949%2C371%2C923%2C303&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181113&bmUID=1361300075299

It took me a while to find the online pic. If you order a catalog, I think it's a whole side so you can really see it.

[Heidi]

I have laminate flooring and I have a pet. I agree that the floors do show dirt. However I just sweep twice a day and damp mop at the end of the day. I can only imagine what was being trapped in the carpet if w hat I see on my laminate is any indication, GROSS.

Is that your livingroom turned into daycare, or your daycare room made homey? It's a lovely room, either way!

Just wondering why your big green shelf appears to be out from the wall, blocking that beautiful cabinet? Or is that a trick of the camera?

[Oneluckymom]

I have hardwood. I put down some large space rugs that I got from Costco. They were on sale and when the life is gone from them I can just replace them without feeling bad about it.

I suggest putting down hardwood...Its easy to clean.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I have tile in every room that the daycare is in (entryway, room 1, room 2, room 3, kitchen that they walk through to get outside, and their bathroom). It is SO EASY to mop every single day. I have hardwood elsewhere and carpets in kids bedrooms upstairs. But, I really like the ease of "hard" flooring with rugs on top.

[mamac]

I would actually go with laminate, because it has a little more "give" than real hardwood, and it's a LOT cheaper. We just layed it in my sister's daycare, and it's beautiful.

If you are in a colder climate, you can lay electric pads under parts of it for warmth. Like this:

http://www.thermosoft.com/radiant-floor-heating-products/shop/thermofloor-240v/

I posted some pics of my sisters daycare on the decor group, if you'd like to see them.

This was the inspiration, from one of the daycare catalogs I have:

I remember seeing the pics and I loved the look of the floors. I actually have laminate flooring in my laundry room but I have found it is much slipperier than actual hardwood. My kids slip slide all over the place on it. I personally like that it is much "softer" than hardwood but it will be tough trying to convince my dh to go with that. He is a carpenter so we get all our materials at wholesale places and install ourselves so hardwood isn't that expensive. I am still trying to figure out how to lay everything out. Arghh! I wish I cold hire a professional designer because I am kind of at a loss as to what to do with the space... :confused:

[Willow]

I plan to re-do everything in awesome hardwood when I retire, wouldn't be worth the damage that could/would occur having it in a daycare space to me though!

We have laminate and carpet. I love both for the purposes they serve right now

[mamac]

We have a builder installed beige carpet (19 years old) in our front room which is the playroom. I hate, hate, hate it. I own a steam cleaner that is my best friend.

I intend to redo our whole house with hardwood (including kitchen) but to do that I want to also switch up the footprint of the kitchen so I need to make it a big project.

I am at the point, now though that I may end up replacing the underpad and carpet in the front room with something that isn't showing its age just until I get the hardwood in.

I definitely recommend hardwood in the kitchen. We thought it was a bit weird when we bought the house but it is much warmer than tile and we love it! For anyone getting hardwood floors- Make sure you go with pre-finished flooring. It makes a HUGE difference. Our kitchen has been sanded and refinished twice in the same amount of time as we have had our prefinished floors and it still doesn't look as nice. The prefinished still look brand new after 2 kids and a large breed dog running all over it, dragging toys, chairs and everything else.

[wdmmom]

I would never opt for hardwood for daycare space. Hardwood for MY own personal space, absolutely but for daycare space, heck no!

I could see kids wanting to "skate" in their socks on it and I'm sure bonking your noggin on laminate rather than carpet has to hurt more. For the sake of the new walkers and littler ones, I'd opt for carpet, even if I do have to steam clean it multiple times a year.

[Willow]

I would never opt for hardwood for daycare space. Hardwood for MY own personal space, absolutely but for daycare space, heck no!

I could see kids wanting to "skate" in their socks on it and I'm sure bonking your noggin on laminate rather than carpet has to hurt more. For the sake of the new walkers and littler ones, I'd opt for carpet, even if I do have to steam clean it multiple times a year.

This was my thought too! I was surprised to see how common it is!

My parents switched from carpet and tile to hardwood in my childhood home. I remember them ranting about how expensive it was and even though we were in our teens and not all wild and crazy how easily it still scratched and dented - they had a bird every single time. I can't imagine being that worried about flooring!