Question re: replacing carpet

[LaraW]

DH and I are considering replacing the carpet in our house. We went shopping over the weekend to price it out and just see what is available so that we can start to think about it.

We found a carpet that we really like. It is kind of expensive ($30/sq yd, including installation) and we would be upgrading the pad at a cost of ~$1.50/sq yard. In looking at what we would be carpeting, it would likely be close to $3,000, plus the steps, which they charge for separately.

This a fairly high-grade carpet. It is a berber loop carpet, and has a high density. It is also "solution dyed" which means that it is not white carpet that is then dyed; the dye is part of the fiber. This means (from the brochure) that it has very high stain resistance and you can use a bleach solution to clean spots without ruining the color.

We have a 1 year old daughter, and plans to have at least one more child. We do not have any pets, and have no immediate plans to get any pets. I guess I am just wondering how smart it is to purchase expensive carpet with a small child/children in the house.

Part of me thinks that when you replace something in your house, it is best to upgrade if you can afford to. Our current carpet is only 8 years old, but it looks like it is 20 years old. We can afford the money, and DH and I have the feeling (on this hand) that if you're going to do it, do it right.

But, part of me knows that things like markers get dropped, mud gets tracked in, kool aid gets spilled, that kind of thing. And, we have a lot of that ahead of us. We have talked about rules such as food stays at the table, shoes come off when you come inside, that kind of thing but accidents do happen.

So, my question is, given this situation, would you put this carpet in your house? Even if it could be kind of a pain to keep it looking nice? BTW, we would be going with a light-colored carpet, probably a light beige (I think the name of the color we were looking at was "oatmeal" or something like that).

[lindrusso]

It depends.

First, are you SURE you won't be getting a pet?

I ask because when we got our carpet installed in the family room, we had no immediate plans to get a pet either. About a year or two later, we got Bailey and the carpet is getting battered! It's a loop (not quite Berber - the loops stick up higher than typical Berber) and his toenails catch on it all the time and loosen the loops!

I wish, wish, wish we had not gotten this carpet. It was fairly expensive and I too did not want to base my decision on what MIGHT happen in the future. However, now I am faced with an expensive carpet that is getting ruined and we will not fork over the money to replace it since it's only 2 years old. :(

Just wanted to give you something to mull over.

As for kids - is it in a high traffic area? Our rug, even without Bailey, is in a much-used room and I wish I had gotten something with flecks of color in it to hide the stains. I prefer the plain carpet, but what good is a solid color if all I do is look at the stains and get grumpy. ;) Anyway, if it's in a high traffic area, just make sure it's a good carpet for stains and wear and tear.

I have to say though, I would prefer to never have carpet again. I'm sick of the stains and having to vacuum so much. I much prefer my two rooms with Pergo and tile. Not as cozy, but much easier to keep in good condition...

Alysha

[rburganmckinley]

We just put new carpet in our house. We have a dog, though we did be sure to wait until he was well housebroken. :D When we first looked at carpet to get an idea of price we looked at the big home improvement centers, and pretty well decided we couldn't afford it yet. So time came when we thought we could afford it and we started really shopping around. Well, the carpet that sold for $35/yd at the home improvement store sold for around $25/yd at a small, locally owned carpet store. So shopping around might put you a bit lower so you feel more comfortable with the money spent.

I feel about the same as you, if you're gonna do it do it right. Especially if you intend to live there for a while. Do you really want to replace your carpet again in 8 more years? Plus, if you do buy a higher grade, it should clean up better too. If you're particularly concerned about spills etc buy one of those spot cleaners (like a mini electric carpet cleaner). They work great. That's what we ended up doing and it works like a charm. The dog pukes on the carpet, we blot up what we can and use the spot cleaner. I think we paid $40 for the spot cleaner, I think it's made by bissel.

[rosie_one]

Personally, I hated having light carpet and little kids. It was just a constant nagging thing in the back of my mind. Our current house is all hardwood and tile and I MUCH prefer that.

You might try pricing hardwood. We were amazed at the fact that having it installed new cost the same or just a little more as a good carpet, especially if you have a fairly large area done all at once.

[tbb113]

Many years ago we carpeted the house in a commercial grade, off-white berber carpet. At the time I had a 120 pound black dog (bouvier) and Michael was born the following year. We lived there until Michael was 3. I LOVED the carpeting, the dog didn't ruin it, Michael didn't do any damage, etc. As long as the carpet is cleanable and can withstand the traffic, I personally, would go for it.

[lisas3575]

I hesitate to answer because I don't have kids, but we did just put in new carpet throughout our house and we have two dogs. I really wanted berber, and picked out some that I had my heart set on. Then I went to a wholesale flooring place, and they changed my mind. We ended up getting a high grade plush style carpet that's dark tan with flecks in it, and I'm really glad we did. The berber colors were much lighter and have loops will catch the dog's toenails, and I remember being about 5 and taking my scissors to the loops in the carpet in my bedroom out of boredom and general kid destructiveness. :o So I'd recommend spending the $$ to get a higher grade of carpet that will wear like iron and look good for a long time. When Abigail (is that right?) moves out, it will be time to replace it with the berber you love. :)

Check around, there may be a wholesaler in your area too.

[LaraW]

Thanks, everyone.

I am certain that we won't be getting a pet for a long long time, if ever. DH is fairly adament about that, and I personally tend to agree. We're just not "animal" people. I'm personally willing to keep the possibility open, but I seriously doubt that it will ever happen (at least while we're living in this house).

We do have hardwood through part of our house, and we are actually looking at putting hardwood in some areas such as the dining room that would be possibly subjected to more spills and accidents.

I should have mentioned that we're not planning to put this carpet in DD's bedroom. The carpet that is in there is still in pretty good shape, and if we do get to the point where it needs to be replaced, I'd probably replace it with hardwood or something and use an area rug.

We did talk about how long do we expect to stay in this house. I think that we would safely plan to stay until (if) we decide to have a 3rd child (no immediate plans for #2, so #3 is REALLY far off!)

Thanks for the answers, everyone. It gives me some more to think about.

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by LaraW
We do have hardwood through part of our house, and we are actually looking at putting hardwood in some areas such as the dining room that would be possibly subjected to more spills and accidents.

Oh yes, hardwood in the dining room would be a great idea. We have carpet and it's such a pain when food gets ground into it.

Well, it sounds like you don't need to consider pets.

Good luck.

We have been looking at new houses off and on and I hope that when we buy one, we'll be able to afford wood floors. :)

Alysha

[Kristilyn1]

We just put in a light colored berber in our family room. I have some weirdo sensory issues (regular carpet skeeves me out) so the only kind of carpet I can stand is berber. Ours is light colored, with flecks. One thing I was reminded of when buying it and looking at samples---really seriously consider getting the next darker color to the one you like! I've picked out berber 3 times in the last few years (different houses, different rooms) and each time I've thought I'm going darker and it always ends up being lighter than I thought, or even what I really wanted.

One of my main criteria is the size of the loops---the tighter, the less likely it is to catch and "run", which is what happens when a loop pulls out. We also just got a puppy a few months ago. I have to say, the newer kinds of stain resistance are UNBELIEVABLE.
The puppy has peed on the carpet a few times and it actually SITS on top of the carpet---does not soak in at all--even if left undetected for (in my experience, about an hour). I think we paid about $26-ish a sq. yd and the carpet installer actually talked us out of the new pad---the pad underneath the existing carpet was in awesome shape and he suggested we keep it, so we did.

So, yes if it has superior stain resistance, I would seriously consider it. I think like everything, you get what you pay for.

Kristi

[blazedog]

I think hardwood floors are the way to go -- they are almost indestructible (within reason) and far more beautiful and versatile --add an area rug for color and warmth.

At the end of the useful life of any carpet the wood floor will still be going strong -- 10 years later and you can refinish it.

There is also NOTHING like a hardwood floor in terms of resale value.

As others have pointed out, the cost of a wood floor is not significantly more expensive than good carpet and is a better investment.

[mbrogier]

About 15 years ago when olefin just came out, my parents got berber carpet for their new house at the beach. They picked out this really light seafoam green with speckles of mauves and cream. (remember this is the beach where all the houses are decorated in ice cream colors) My brother and I were 12, and we had a cat that loved to throw up on carpet, and two large dogs. The berber carpet was single loop construction, no pulling a loose thread and pulling up a yarn the length of the room. You could spot clean with a light bleach solution, and the speckles even hid dirt. We had a lot of company over the years. Beach houses become motels during the summer. That carpet was indestructable. The only bad incident was when we tried to start a fire in the fireplace one really windy night and the smoke blew back down the chimney. My dad tried to get the burning logs out of the house and dropped one on the carpet. It melted about a coaster sized spot in the middle of the living room floor. My mom got a leftover piece, cut the loops out to fit and glued them down into the burned out place. You couldn't tell where the burn was, and we tried.

15 years later, when my parents sold the house, the carpet was still in fabulous shape. Two kids, a son in law who hung around for 7 years, and 5 dogs couldn't destroy it even though we ate in the living room and tromped in and out with wet, sandy feet.

Now, the cheap carpet in my last apartment lasted two years...and looked awful the last year. You get what you pay for.

I would get hardwood, but I know a lot of people in cold climates prefer carpet.