Replace carpet with hard surface?

February 11, 2019

I'd like to replace our worn out living room and dining room carpets. Our house is all cedar and on a concrete slab. Two options are Marmoleum and hardwood veneer/vinyl unless it would be too cold on our feet. (We live in Vancouver, BC). I'm afraid the hardwood look will be too much given that all our walls are cedar. The other option is to put in carpet again - perhaps Smartstrand because we have pets. The kitchen, dining room, and living room are all open to each other and the kitchen has a tile floor. Thanks for any advice.

Comments (7)

partim
Check out the manufacturer's maintenance requirements of Marmoleum - it's not really low maintenance if you want it to stay nice.
February 11, 2019
maemso thanked partim
Sammy
If you’re worried about cold feet, you can install radiant floor heating underneath most hard flooring surfaces such as tile and engineered hardwood. Another flooring option you might consider is cork:

Both images from Globus Cork

P.S. Cute cat!
February 11, 2019last modified: February 11, 2019
maemso thanked Sammy
SJ McCarthy
Slate looks amazing with cedar. I would recommend moving away from wood tones (even cork is going to be too much). Natural stone or high-end porcelain tile that looks like natural stone is a great way to get wood walls/ceilings to show off their colours. Anything that is deep blue or deep green (like slate) will look outstanding in this space.

Of course the drawback is it will be cold. That's the trade off you have to live with when working with wood on walls and ceilings....you have a hard time putting it on the floors. It will feel like a Finnish Sauna if you have wood on the floor as well.

The other option would be to paint the ceiling. That will rid you of ONE of the surfaces of wood. But you have to HATE the exposed cedar ceiling to want to throw a coat of paint on it. It is a stunning look when done right. Again, you have to WANT to cover up the cedar on the ceiling to be happy with that look.
February 11, 2019
maemso thanked SJ McCarthy
PRO
London Staging and Design, LLC
I too would tile. You can have heated floors but also can add area rugs for warmth and take out to clean seasonally. Best wishes!
February 12, 2019
maemso
The dining room is drywall since it was an extension after the main cedar house was built. Would it look too busy to use two different surfaces for the living and dining areas? We could use cork in the dining room and stick to carpet in the living room. Our house is badly insulated, so I'm afraid that a tile floor will make the house even colder.
February 12, 2019
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
I have laminate that looks like slate which IMO would look great with all the cedar. This seems to be a bit smaller house so I would do the same floor even in the kitchen. I am not sure but radiant heat added to wahole house is not a cheap undertaking it requires a lot of work and you moving out for awahile to have it done.The other choice would be a vinyl plank or vinyl that looks like stone Mannington has some nice ones in the Adura line.
February 12, 2019last modified: February 12, 2019
PRO
London Staging and Design, LLC
Yes for your area carpet would probably be best choice for warmth and cost. No more than 2 flooring materials in a visual space. So from what I can see keep the tile as is and just use carpet that can be changed over the years of use. Enjoy the beauty of Vancouver! Best wishes!
February 12, 2019