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They are easy to see and clean up with a quick vacuum or pass of a swiffer. I've heard that a carpet that has been in place for 15 years can weigh nearly twice it's original weight because of accumulated dirt that doesn't come up with vacuuming. Our 100-year-old house has original pine flooring. Pine is soft, and we've refinished it once in the 25 years we've been here. It's a more rustic look, and I've raised 3 boys in the house, not minding any little nicks and scratches along the way. Now that they are grown, we'll refinish again. Plus, I like the option of changing the look of the room with a throw or area rug, if I like. Our addition has a subfloor which we covered with carpet. It's our family room, and the carpet is always dirty. The other end of the addition has a wood laminate floor, which has been the best flooring we've had by far. It doesn't scratch, it's easy to clean, and it looks and feels just like wood. Some laminates are cheap looking, as though they were Xerox copies of real wood. We spent more money and got a nicer looking product. When it's time to replace the kitchen flooring, we're thinking of doing a semi-remodel to remove the old vinyl flooring (which is cracking and tearing after 22 years), installing in-floor radiant heat, and then wood laminate flooring. I think that will look great, plus we can find some greener or enviro-friendly recycled products, as well. Newer green construction is doing less and less carpet, because durable flooring can be made of recycled materials, is cleaner, and lasts longer.
Oh, and a friend of mine just had a cork floor installed in her kitchen. It looks amazing! I thought it would like like a bulletin board, but it's actually really nice. Since it's brand new, I can't comment on the durability. But it is eco-friendly, wasn't terribly expensive, and it really looks great. You might want to investigate that. |
I feel the same way about the dust bunnies. - sm
