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[rockygems123]

@J Town Girl  Is real wood planks a consideration too?

We had our wall to wall carpet replaced with real wood wide planks about 5 years ago. Beautiful and easy to maintain, any spills need to be cleaned up immediately but you do that with carpet too.

Bruce Hardwoods was the brand.  They still look new. 

[J Town Girl]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

By  "LVF" do mean plank vinyl? With that you can repair damages by replacing a plank. With vinyl rolls it cannot be repaired. Removing an entire floor of vinyl (not plank) is difficult and expensive b/c of the glue underneath.

Carpet, when damaged/stained, cannot usually be repaired so the entire thing needs replaced.

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Yes plank flooring is what we are thinking about.  The previous owners had put vinyl roll flooring in the bathroom.  It is still in good shape but when we replace it we will just put another type of flooring over it.  For the bathroom only we are thinking about cutting and laying a quartz tile.

[Twins Mom]

@fthunt 

You make a good point about throw rugs.  That's one reason I can't get myself to commit to luxury vinyl.  My concern covers the nice area rugs that seem to be prevalent.  Walkers, etc can get stuck.

[GenXmuse]

I have LVP all over except for the bedroooms. It easy to clean and know it's clean. Carpet will never be completely clean once you walk on it and for me that is important since I have several pets. 

[on the bay]

@J Town Girl,

We had luxury vinyl in the last place I was in and though it was nice looking, it was really hard to walk on. I told the contractor I wanted the softest thing and he said this was it. No, it wasn't.  It also stained from some kind of water leak and it was awful looking.

In the apt now, there are only wall to wall carpet in the bedrooms and everywhere else is hardwood which is softer than that hard vinyl, but to me still too hard to walk on. So I got large rugs to cover it all-thick plush wonderful rugs that also make it look very homey and cozy and pretty.

I think you will decide what is most important to you. Not having to deal with rugs and vacuuming (I have a carpet sweeper) or cleaning but floors need cleaning too and have a lot of dust. And how important is it to you to walk on something comfortable? I have slippers and rugs which makes a world of difference when it comes to feet or back hurting.

[NanaFrost]

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@Twins Mom wrote:

@fthunt 

You make a good point about throw rugs.  That's one reason I can't get myself to commit to luxury vinyl.  My concern covers the nice area rugs that seem to be prevalent.  Walkers, etc can get stuck.

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I replaced all the carpet in my home with 30 year guaranteed roll vinyl that looks like wood. I had it "loose laid" installed where only the edges are glued, which makes it possible to actually, if necessary, have a badly damaged section cut out and replaced. I saw the process demonstrated and even up close I couldn't find the patch!

I do have area rugs and a couple scatter rugs and I alien taped all traffic edges down so they can't curl even if hit with a walker or cane tip.

Absolutely love my flooring.

[Sunshine Kate]

I would rather have wood-look tile, or engineered plank wood flooring.  We have engineered wood flooring and it's beautiful and easy to keep.  

I would not get luxury vinyl.  It will add no value to your home when selling, per realtors in my area.

Good luck with your choice.

[Skyegirl21]

If you will sell at some time in the future, most people are not fans of carpet, so LVPis a better investment. With carpet, You never really get it clean over time ( no offense meant), but if there are kids or pets stains, allergens (pollen) and cooking smells, it all get into the fibers and the padding below. I love LVP. That's my vote. 

[timeless]

Delicate question...

How old are you?

I ask because we also have carpet in our single story house and it badly needs replacing.

Since we are nearing our 60's, I'm thinking the replacement flooring will be wheelchair-friendly.  (One never knows!)  Besides, today's area rugs are so easily cleaned, it just makes sense to use those just where we want.

Also, my mom, 81, has laminate and carpet.  Her experience is vacuuming is so much more difficult now and even the swiffer can be hard on her, but less so.  I really wish she had refloored 20 years back, but it is what it is.

So if you're of a "certain age" and are going to age-at-home, consider now the time to get ready with floors that won't slow you down.

[FiddleDeeDee]

@J Town Girl  A couple of things to consider:

1) There is luxury vinyl SHEET flooring that looks like hardwood floors and is amazing. The pros is that you won't have the warping due to liquid seeping through the cracks that can occur with plank vinyl flooring. The really good stuff isn't cheap. The cheaper stuff LOOKS cheap.

2) Plank vinyl flooring comes in 3 grades with the middle grade being the most popular. It isn't outrageous expensive but it isn't cheap either. It looks like real hardwood flooring. The problem is if you spill something or catch it at the right angle, you can make the plank or planks buckle up/warp. The pro is that you can replace JUST the planks that need replacing.....IF THE FLOORING is still available. We just went through this and had to have the entire floor in one room replaced because flooring chosen 3 years ago is no longer being made. 

3) Carpet adds warmth as well as being easier on the knees and lower back. If you're placing LVF over slab flooring, you may discover joint pain you never had; carpet solves this issue. Go with a tight weave such as Berber; nothing else compares. 

Remember also that stairs can become an issue if you don't have carpet or a carpet runner on them. Safety first. Enjoy whichever flooring you choose!