New flooring for the home...
 

We want to rip out the linoleum and carpets to replace the flooring in the kitchen/dining, living room and hallway. Possibly the two bathrooms, too. Keeping the carpet in the 2 bedrooms and office. We are on a slab foundation.

I cannot stand the feel of dry wood on my bare feet! It is like fingernails/chalkboard to me. I'm shuddering just thinking about it. Because of this, I want to use TILE. I'm sure hubby will want wood floors.
I know wood is supposed to be "warmer" and tile is "colder", but we do have a problem cooling the house in the summer. Keeping it warm in winter is no problem. I can also use area rugs.
Anyone have any suggestions for how we can resolve this difference of opinions and both be happy?

How about tile, with radiant heat. . . a bit pricey, but VERY cozy. Wonder if there's a cooling system along the same lines. . . Warning on tile in the bathroom - bathroom "dust" accumulates quickly. We used to have white tile & grout in bathroom. D-I-S-G-U-S-T-I-N-G!!! We just put a floating floor in kitchen/dining room, some kind of wood (doesn't that sound girly??), and tile in the hallway. I have rugs EVERYWHERE!!!

Good luck - divorces have been the cause of lesser arguments!

Pergo. It looks like wood - feels like tile (sorta - but not too far off). We just put some on the landing where our cats hang out - because they were ruining our carpet.

It wasn't that expensive to do - my FH and his Dad installed it over Christmas weekend, and it looks great.

Last week I ran my hands over some of the wood flooring samples at Home Depot (hubby's favorite toy store) and think I may have found a few that won't give me that horrible feeling in my feet when walking barefoot over them. I'd have to go back and see what brands they were.

How well would wood floor, or pergo, hold up to cat accidents? Hairballs, vomit, the occasional accident and a water bowl? I know I can put a tray under the water bowl ... I have a kitty who 'dips' her paw and licks the water off her foot. She's weird, I know it. The problem is she sometimes shakes her foot or will slide it along the edge of the bowl and it drips down the sides onto the floor.

I do not think we could budget for, and adjust all the interior doors for, a radiant heat system.

We have wood floors, which I love, everywhere but the kitchen, which is cermamic tile that I hate becuase it's so cold and hard (and doesn't match the rest of the house but that's beside the point).
I like Pergo in theory, but in practice not in areas any larger than the average bathroom. Its has a very institutional glare and looks like total shit when it starts to wear.
I like the look of bamboo but have heard it doesn't hold up nearly as well as is touted.
How about leather tiles? They really look fantastic, and I've seen them used in bathrooms and kitchens. Recyled ones are cheaper.

We replaced Lino int he Kitchen and Carpet in the Hallway with Pergo about 18 months ago. Very pleased with it, more practical and pleasing to the eye than the previous coverings.

The main problem is it is susceptible to water soaking into the gaps and causng swelling. We were told to only dry clean it ( no mop and bucket, yay) and wipe up any liquid immediately.

It cleans up easily enough, but you have to know that the spill has occurred. I see this as being a problem for you, the children are OK at alerting us to spills, cats not so much.

I have my laundry room off the kitchen - sliding the clothes baskets has given a few scratches - nothing major. "Major" came in when I dropped the iron. . . OOPS!

Cleaning is very easy - I usually use windex or the like & paper towels.

This was why we went with Pergo rather than wood. Pergo is supposed to stand up to pretty much anything - including water and pet paws. No scratches, no discoloring - is what we were told - we've not seen any problems yet - but granted, it's only been a few weeks.

Oh.... you mean laminate! (just googled it)

Just about everyone I know has laminate flooring - although not Pergo brand name as far as I'm aware.

The only floor I've seen that's worn badly was in a flat where any flooring would have been damaged. The guy used to strip his motorbike down inside for example.

I don't think you have to worry about the occasional accident at all. It's not going to stand up to your washing machine emptying all over the floor while you're at work, but a little kitty spilled water isn't going to ruin your floor.

Hmmmmm - on second thoughts, if the water is spilled in the same place every time it will have an effect eventually. Like you say - get a tray to go under the water bowl.

We've had laminate flooring in the kitchen/dining areas for over 2 years now, with no problems. I even mop it, you just have to make sure it's a sponge mop and is just damp, never dripping.

My mother has bamboo flooring and it has big scratches all over it--and she swears some are just from the cats' claws.

I installed laminate in my hallway (15'x4') 5 yrs ago, did the kitchen (8'x5') 2 years ago and just did the dining area (22'x 10') over the holidays. I installed all of them myself, with friends help, and I am very happy with our results. Water IS an issue - no question, but if it is installed and cared for properly - no worries. I have 2 & 3/4 cats, (one only has 3 legs ;) not a problem we put a small decorative rubber bottomed mat under their bowls ( like a bath mat) - issue solved! Go for it, but there are a couple things to do when installing that they dont tell you - pm me if you want more info. Good luck & post before & after pics !!

Laminate flooring looks like it is coated with a varnish or polyurethane finish. Actually that factory applied clear coat is loaded with finely ground silica. You can't see it but it stands up to traffic like concrete. That's the advantage of prefinished wood flooring.:D

Speaking of silica content, have you checked out the bamboo laminate flooring at Home Depot? Looks rather woodlike until you get close and see it's a bamboo grain. Feels almost slick smooth and seems near hard as a rock.

Hi Hoof!

For laminate, standing water is the worst enemy, i.e. a large amount that is not cleaned up, such as a leak. spilled water (or pawed water hehe) is a risk, but if you wipe it up quick it should not leave any damage. You should never use a regular mop. Even I get lazy and do it at home, but I know I shouldn't. It lays down too much water. Mops primarily serve to lay down HOT soapy water, because that helped cut the grease on traditional wax floors, but laminate floors have such a hard coating all you really are doing is loosening and lifting a layer- hence the no-rinse cleaners.

Hoof, if you have a slab you have to make sure that you follow any installation instructions TO THE LETTER. I suspect most manufacturers insist on vapor barrier over the slab, then high-quality foam underlay, THEN the floor (Dew collects under the laminate if not and dew=standing water= verrry bad). Most reputable dealers will honor any claim very responsibly if it is their fault, but one deviation from these instructions usually means you are SOL. BUT most self-employed installers will try to tell you they know all about "this" brand of laminate, so make sure they read the instructions in front of you, then ask questions. Also be careful to install the correct foam- you can buy a traditional foam for about $15-$20 per roll, but if you buy a brand name floor, i.e. Hercules, Torlys, Pergo, etc. it is usually not going to qualify you for the warranty. It can't take the long-term abuse.

Cheers!

Hey, you could cover the slab with sand and rake it like an oriental garden. Handy for the cats, too.:lol: