If you rent/were renting

[gummybear]

What kind of floor would you want? Would it make a difference in the house you chose?

Things to consider:
We live in the Northeast, so not an area that is too humid/damp for carpet, but it can be cold (cold floor = cold feet!)
This is a middle-of the-road type unit, def. not high end rental or neighborhood. 
It's on a concrete slab


We'll probably do carpeting on the second floor, but I am stuck on what to pick for the first floor. Then last tenant TRASHED the rugs, so carpeting is not an option. Kitchen is already tiled. I was leaning towards a Pergo. Would this be a no-go for a potential tenant (too cheap)? I am also thinking wood-look tile, since that will be the most durable. Would this turn you off to a house (too hard/too cold)? Hardwood is not really an option because of cost and availability of our installer. 

[wambam]

I would want carpet, always and forever amen.

[gozf]

Rental carpet is scary. No carpet.

[Deleted]

No carpet.


I would prefer the tile that looks like wood. My IL's have it and it is beautiful.

[wambam]

May 4, 2015 12:55:35 GMT -5 gozf said:

Rental carpet is scary. No carpet.

Really? I just rented a carpet cleaner and felt no reservations about it.

#breezy

[stephm0188]

This is probably going to be regional. I'd want carpet.

[Patsy Stone]

Another vote for no carpet.

[dottyblue]

In the Northeast, I'd go Pergo, not wood-look tile. Tile is going to get WAY too cold in winter, especially on a concrete slab.

Definitely not carpet on the main floor.

[gozf]

May 4, 2015 12:57:37 GMT -5 wambam said:

May 4, 2015 12:55:35 GMT -5 gozf said:

Rental carpet is scary. No carpet.

Really? I just rented a carpet cleaner and felt no reservations about it.

#breezy

I mean, I have cats who vomit a lot and shed a lot, so carpet is more of a pain in the ass for me.  But in general, I don't think I've ever heard anyone express a strong desire for carpet. 

Is this regional?  I dunno.  I'm in PA, and no one I know under the age of 62 prefers carpet.

[janegold]

I always prefer wood floords.

[TrudyCampbell]

No carpet

[thinkofthesoldiers]

A decent wood laminate like Pergo is the right choice. Rental carpet is disgusting.

ETA: The issue I have with the wood looking tile is the cold and hardness on feet. Plus dropping anything on it is going to cause either the dropped item to break or you run the risk of chipped or cracked tile.

[gummybear]

May 4, 2015 12:58:05 GMT -5 stephm0188 said:

This is probably going to be regional. I'd want carpet.

This is what I am worried about. From a cost perspective, the tile is the way to go. It's pretty much indestructible and looks great. BUT, around here, tile in the main living area is just not common. Carpet or hardwood. If you could see these rugs, which were BRAND new when this lady moved in 3 years ago (and she had no pets) you would see why we just cannot do it again. It's like flushing money down the toilet. 

Then I think Pergo, which looks OK to better than OK and is pretty durable BUT, being on a slab, our water heater and w/d are all there so a leak could be a disaster. 

We could do a cheaper hw, but then I have to hire a random to do it and again, the water issue. 

I just don't want to make a bad choice. Tile seems obvious but again, regional, and it's so permanent. 

[wambam]

May 4, 2015 13:00:31 GMT -5 gozf said:

May 4, 2015 12:57:37 GMT -5 wambam said:

Really? I just rented a carpet cleaner and felt no reservations about it.

#breezy

I mean, I have cats who vomit a lot and shed a lot, so carpet is more of a pain in the ass for me.  But in general, I don't think I've ever heard anyone express a strong desire for carpet. 

Is this regional?  I dunno.  I'm in PA, and no one I know under the age of 62 prefers carpet.

Am I an old? LOL. IDK, I want carpet.

[hausmaus]

We have carpet in our rental and I hate it. The renters before us had cats and we are all suffering from awful allergies since we've moved in. I vacuum daily and it's disgusting how much gets pulled up from the carpets. We live in a tight rental market and my DH picked the place without me, but our next place will not have carpet!

I would be open to anything but carpet. Sorry your renters trashed your flooring :-(

[gozf]

If it's cold, they can put on socks! Who runs around barefoot in the winter?

Slippers 4 lyfe.

[CurlyQ284]

As a renter I will say go with the pergo. As a landlord, also pergo. I had a tenant cut a hole out of the middle of the living room rug. I'm renting now and there are mystery stains and I've had Stanley steamer here and they can't get them out. It's easier to clean, I have a few area rugs.

I replaced the carpet with tile in my house that I'm now trying to short sell but it's in Mississippi, not a cold area.

[lpcats]

May 4, 2015 13:02:08 GMT -5 gummybear said:

May 4, 2015 12:58:05 GMT -5 stephm0188 said:

This is probably going to be regional. I'd want carpet.

This is what I am worried about. From a cost perspective, the tile is the way to go. It's pretty much indestructible and looks great. BUT, around here, tile in the main living area is just not common. Carpet or hardwood. If you could see these rugs, which were BRAND new when this lady moved in 3 years ago (and she had no pets) you would see why we just cannot do it again. It's like flushing money down the toilet. 

Then I think Pergo, which looks OK to better than OK and is pretty durable BUT, being on a slab, our water heater and w/d are all there so a leak could be a disaster. 

We could do a cheaper hw, but then I have to hire a random to do it and again, the water issue. 

I just don't want to make a bad choice. Tile seems obvious but again, regional, and it's so permanent. 

Would it be possible to put tile only in the area where the washer/dryer and water heater are?

[AmeliaBedelia]

I'm in a cold climate and I would absolutely prefer laminate to carpet. Anything but carpet, lol.

Laminate, tile, etc., I should say.

[BeagleMama]

No carpet. Install laminate wood or tile. We just tiled our Florida rental house wall to wall - I'm never replacing carpet again!

If they are cold, they can wear slippers or socks.

[gummybear]

I appreciate all the feedback. I already have the Pergo picked out and a quote for installation. I was just second guessing myself. I rented for a a long time too. I always had real hw but the houses were like, 200 years old, so it was standard. I had rugs in my apartment and it was vile. But in the BR/second floor it seems a bit more manageable and attractive.

Now I am thinking I should Pergo the second floor too, LOL.

[gozf]

May 4, 2015 13:06:38 GMT -5 mofongo said:

May 4, 2015 13:05:04 GMT -5 gozf said:

If it's cold, they can put on socks! Who runs around barefoot in the winter?

Slippers 4 lyfe.

I'm in a hot climate, but the first thing we did when we moved in was to remove all of the carpet. We do have animals, so that was definitely a factor. My rental carpet was nasty.

The carpet in the house we rent is THE WORST.

It's maroon.

MAROON.

Fortunately, it's just the stairs and the upstairs hallway.  But it's hideous.  It's the ugliest carpet I've ever seen.  Fortunately, the floors in the rest of the house are a-ok.  Still.  This carpet makes us crazy.  It was almost a dealbreaker!

[gummybear]

May 4, 2015 13:08:16 GMT -5 lpcats said:

May 4, 2015 13:02:08 GMT -5 gummybear said:

This is what I am worried about. From a cost perspective, the tile is the way to go. It's pretty much indestructible and looks great. BUT, around here, tile in the main living area is just not common. Carpet or hardwood. If you could see these rugs, which were BRAND new when this lady moved in 3 years ago (and she had no pets) you would see why we just cannot do it again. It's like flushing money down the toilet. 

Then I think Pergo, which looks OK to better than OK and is pretty durable BUT, being on a slab, our water heater and w/d are all there so a leak could be a disaster. 

We could do a cheaper hw, but then I have to hire a random to do it and again, the water issue. 

I just don't want to make a bad choice. Tile seems obvious but again, regional, and it's so permanent. 

Would it be possible to put tile only in the area where the washer/dryer and water heater are?

That area is tiled, as is the powder room. The problem is (which happened once when we first bought the house) is that it leaks into the coat closet (which is currently carpeted) which backs up into it. I am going to have my contractor tile the closet area (also because snowboots and stuff go in there) and also the entryway so you aren't coming in from the outside right on Pergo. I figure that minimizes the risk as much as I can. I'm just paranoid. We keep on top of servicing so the risk is probably low, but you never know

[nikki25]

Definitely pergo. IMO Pergo does not look cheap if you get at least a mid-level price. Laminate is much more durable than wood. Wood is soft so it easily scratches and chips. Laminate is more durable and if scratched you can just replace that section.

Also, if the unit is on a concrete slab I would get a thicker pad under the floor to keep it warm.

Lastly, is your laundry in a closest? We had a similar issue when replacing our floors but our laundry is boxed off with folding doors so we tiled that area including under the washer/dryer.

[gummybear]

May 4, 2015 13:23:28 GMT -5 nikki25 said:

Definitely pergo. IMO Pergo does not look cheap if you get at least a mid-level price. Laminate is much more durable than wood. Wood is soft so it easily scratches and chips. Laminate is more durable and if scratched you can just replace that section.

Also, if the unit is on a concrete slab I would get a thicker pad under the floor to keep it warm.

Lastly, is your laundry in a closest? We had a similar issue when replacing our floors but our laundry is boxed off with folding doors so we tiled that area including under the washer/dryer.

Yes, it is in a closet off the kitchen, and the hw heater is in there too. It's kind of like a close off mudroom. It has a separate door, and the four walls touch the outside, the kitchen, the neighbor, and the coat closet I mentioned. The kitchen  and that space are already tiled so we're leaving that. Outside is fine, neighbor's no idea, so the remaining wall is a the coat closet, which is what flooded when we bought the place. I am putting tile in there to prevent it from happening again.

[lostrn]

I like both, basically which ever one I don't have at the moment (carpet vs pergo that is). I love the softness of carpet under my feet, I hate the vacuuming all the time to keep up with the cat aand the kid. Which I don't end up doing so it ends up looking like crap. The pergo is easier to clean, but not as comfortable to me.

[delawarejen]

I'd prefer Pergo myself. I just put in an offer on a place with new carpets, so of course I'm not going to rip out brand new carpet, but when it's ready to be replaced I'll be going with something that's much easier to keep clean (either Pergo or real wood).

[amberlyrose]

May 4, 2015 13:04:41 GMT -5 hausmaus said:

We have carpet in our rental and I hate it. The renters before us had cats and we are all suffering from awful allergies since we've moved in. I vacuum daily and it's disgusting how much gets pulled up from the carpets. We live in a tight rental market and my DH picked the place without me, but our next place will not have carpet!

I would be open to anything but carpet. Sorry your renters trashed your flooring

Get a squeegee that you would use on windows/glass, and run it over the carpet. It takes a lot of work, but it pulls up the hair the vacuum can't get to. I do it every few months on our carpet where the husky lays and I'm amazed at how much hair gets matted in. 

[cabbagecabbage]

Anything but carpet is fine by me. When I rented my standards of decor were much different than when we bought. If I could clean it and deal and the price was right, it was fine.

[youhadmycuriosity]

I'd go with the Pergo- it's a little nicer looking and warmer than tile, in my opinion. But if I had the choice between tile and carpet, tile any day. Carpets grosses me out and I'm always suspicious that there is cat dander in it that won't come out and set off my allergies.