What are the floors currently? What flooring do you have on the 1st floor and stairs?

Hi! I have LVP in my living room and a very nice linoleum ( I know, I know , Lol) in my kitchen. Master bedroom has hardwood floors that are in really bad shape, mismatched pieces and wide gaps, the other bedroom has carpet that needs to be ripped out, landing has the same hardwood floors, and stairs have carpet, that needs to be replaced. Whew!

I'd do a solid floor with an area rug over top. Easy to dust and keep clean.

There are so many affordable area rugs available, you can add a lot of interest to the room and change it up when you need a change. ... add a runner to the stairs for an updated look.

paint the risers and even the treads underneath, if they are rough.

You'd be happy with area rugs over even the worst solid surface flooring.

Get rid of all the carpet, it has no doubt lived it's life.

Thank you, Lyn, that’s what I was thinking. Although I love the coziness of carpet, I don’t like the pet hair and dirt it collects. I think I’d have to keep carpet on the stairs as one of my dogs, a Collie, doesn’t like wood flooring or stares as she slips. Also, I’m 69 and don’t want to slip and fall down my stairs. 😩😆. Also, if we decide to sell in five years, maybe LVP would be a better selling point. 🤷‍♀️

Avoiding tripping often means avoiding area rugs and transitions from one flooring to another. I suggest using the same wall to wall carpet on stairs, hallway, and bedrooms.

A robovac just for the upstairs that you run every day automatically can make a dramatic difference in pet hair and dust accumulation.

An upstairs upright vacuum designed for pet hair on wall to wall carpet is convenient (no switching from floor brush to motorized beater brush head) and can be much more effective on wall to wall carpet than a canister vacuum.

In northern MN, the warmth of carpet underfoot in winter is unbeatable.

I loathe a carpeted bedroom. It is terrible for dust allergies and was the first thing my husband's doctor told us to avoid in a bedroom. With pet hair added into the mix, I'd never do it. Any version of hardwood or LVP is easier to dust and keep clean.

However, @apple_pie_order raises a very good issue around the tripping hazards of area rugs and it is something to keep in mind.

Also, I have lived all over the country and found that in some cities carpeted bedrooms is absolutely the norm.

I know nothing about life and housing in Minnesota. What do your friends and neighbors have?

I'm not laughing at your linoleum. I installed linoleum (well, I had it installed) in my kitchen when I renovated three-four years ago. I live in a NYC apartment, and I think it's fair to say that I made an unusual choice for this market. But I love it. 10/10, would recommend!

Carpet is the only flooring for MN bedrooms! If a rug on vinyl or wood is 'easy' to clean so is wall to wall. Not only is it cozy underfoot it helps so much with acoustics when talking upstairs!! I do not know what people think they gain by buying twice-hardwood AND then a rug. The animal issue is another thing. I have trouble with the concept of what's cleanest, what's allergy free yadda yadda, but you live with three animals. Pick a lane.

It's Minnesota.....it's cold in winter. Just put the LVP in the bedrooms, .......and use very generous area rugs, or bedside runner rugs that can be cleaned. As to stair, it depends the stair you have. A runner, carpet treads etc. but we can't answer minus pictures of that stair.

Your "neighbors and friends" are irrelevant. as they don't live with you.: )

good advice on the thread - Ill just add that the quality of the lvp installer really matters - the floor will fail (lots do) if the subfloor is not prepped right etc - carpet is an easier and less expensive install (quality of the installer still matter of course) if i were you, i’d go carpet - easier to unify the different spaces and way less chance you’ll have install issues (plus no area rugs is +1 for safety)

I live in Canada it is cold in the winter I still would never have wall to wall carpet and with pets no way. We have a nice fluffy washable mat at each side of the bed in our bedrooms they get washed often and feel nice on barefeet and aslo not really a tripping hazard. So LVP on all the floors in the upstairs to match then carpet on the stairs for the dog . I have never had an issue with LVP install get a good installer the flooring company uses.

JAN, why so scornful? I thought it might be useful to see what friends and neighbors had done about flooring, because they live with the same climate conditions, and presumably with some of the same needs and challenges.

Before I planned my condo apartment renovation, I visited nearly all of my neighbors who lived in the same line as I did. I wanted to see how they had solved what I perceived as problems with my kitchen and baths (all the units in that line had originally had the same floor plan).

I didn't duplicate any of their design choices, but seeing how they had arrived at storage, flow, and other functional solutions for their units helped me to arrive at my own solutions. I found the exercise enormously helpful. Maybe it won't work for Lisa, but I think it's at least worth considering.

My vote is carpet. It is warm, it insulates for both heat and sound.

It's not scornful...it is fact that some folks adore a fully carpeted upstairs, and others "loathe " the idea of a hard surface floor, and that is anywhere, any climate, USA.

The reason for loathe is that people mistake area rugs as small, leading a lot of exposed hard surface....and no that is not necessary. You never "walk" the 12" or 15" of exposed perimeters in a bedroom, long enough for ANY lack of soft or warmth beneath the feet.

I'd never have it in a bedroom unless demanded by a condo situation, ...........and would argue the same as above .

It is nearly impossible to NOT have soil from dogs, bare feet, dust ( your own skin cells shedding ) in a bedroom .. Bedroom carpet will soil faster than any other room in your home, unless you vacuum or robot clean nearly daily.

Dogs? I Definitely LVP and area rugs......which can also be reversed for wear! A who;e lot easier all around than the eventual rip out as well. Your friends and neighbors could feel differently and Minnesota is not much different than any northeast/great lakes climate. : ) whether Ohio, New York, Illinois, Michigan etc Similar in climate and just as many dogs.

You’ve missed my point, but let it pass.

I'm not sure about LVP in the bedrooms if there's hardwood in the landing that won't also be covered. The usual consensus is that you don't put "fake" wood next to real wood. Are you able to purchase LVP that matches what you have downstairs?

I don't see the need to match downstairs, especially LVP.

The ideal in an older home is to refinish existing wood, but it sounds like yours isn't a good candidate for that.

We live in North Dakota, and put hardwood in the living areas of our house 2 years ago. Eventually the carpet in the bedrooms will need to go, and we'll replace with hardwood to match the rest of the space. I don't find the hardwood to be cold at all - especially compared to the tile in the bathrooms. We have a platform bed in our room, so if we decide we need rugs, they will go around the bed, not under it. I don't expect that rugs will be needed.

As for area rugs being a trip hazard - we have lived with hardwood and area rugs for over 20 years, and even my MIL (who used a walker) did not have issues with tripping on the rugs. They are heavy wool rugs that stay in place, so I guess we have just adapted to where they are, and don't even think about it when we walk across the room, going from rug to wood to rug to wood.

katinparadise, the hard word on the landing would also be covered. Yes, I most definitely can get the LVP that matches. It’s Sundance Canyon by Lifeproof, 22ml.

AnnKH, I would only match the upstairs with the downstairs as I like it so much! I do have rugs up there and so far I haven’t tripped and it’s been a few years. 😊. I would love to refinish the wood but it’s maple and mismatched and gappy. Plus I think of the time it would take to refinish and dry before the dog and cat float around! LOL

I appreciate so much all of your comments and suggestions! You all have very valid points! I love the easy clean of LVP and I love the coziness of carpet. I have had carpet before and had to rip it out because a pup piddling, and while this hardwood floor has been nice in cleaning those situations up, carpet is sound proofing and cozy. But, I don’t want to rip it out again. So maybe LVP with rugs is what I should do. 🤷‍♀️

The hard wood in bedroom and landing.

The LVP I have in my living room.

If you love the lvp in the living room and you can match it, that's great! It looks like it would be a lot of work to repair and refinish the maple upstairs so the lvp makes sense. A nice loop carpet for the stairs will give an updated look.

Yes, that’s what I was thinking for the steps also. Thank you for your input!

I don't like a runner or any kind of carpeting for the stairs because you have to vacuum it. I just felt that was too dangerous with a gangly stick vacuum. Oh, how I miss the hand vacuums with the roller brushes. For traction on the stairs, would you consider smooth rubber stair treads for you and your collie?

https://www.americanstairtreads.com/smoothtread-rubber-stair-treads-heavy-duty/

Or

https://www.allstairtreads.com/one-piece-stair-tread-amp-riser-assembly1.html

kl23, if you would still like a hand vacuum with a roller brush, would this work for you?

Ryobi 18V ONE+ POWERED BRUSH HAND VACUUM KIT

I can't vouch for its quality or effectiveness. I know nothing about it except that it exists. I just did a web search, because I wondered if there was something out there that would work for you or others with an interest. The link will take you to the company website. You can find it at other online sellers, too.

@amystoller yes! I did a search too but found nothing. Thank you! With this available carpeting, stair runners or carpet treads would not be amiss for our OP.

You're welcome, kl23!

About 4 years ago, my wonderful daughter bought me a Dyson. It has a motorized attachment for the stairs and it is wonderful! But it’s still the pits vacuuming stairs! Lol

Not MN, but it feels like it here on Cape Cod. I have wall to wall in the bedrooms because the floors get so cold. I went with wool, (is soft underfoot, and keeps a room insulated from heat and sound, but there are a number of other practical, health, environmental, and ethical benefits), but with dogs and cats (and accidents) a man made fiber might be the better choice. It is the padding that makes the difference. Mine is smart step or smart sense...I'll look it up. When installed there is a water resistant topper, and if seams are needed, have them duct taped. Stains and odors come from the padding.

Good link:

https://www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/a40085178/wall-to-wall-carpeting-guide/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mgu_ga_hbl_md_pmx_prog_org_us_20998911998&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21002080969&gbraid=0AAAAACq-xMhqCGpDj4TJCsKycTtGvLHLS&gclid=CjwKCAjw14zPBhAuEiwAP3-Eb0EYCxJU1NntKVa8Pse0sf-0WQZJiMeB9q7c75VyjzgZjc3GowgJ4RoCYVwQAvD_BwE

Mohawk Smart Cushion

We live in Pennsylvania and have two homes, in different parts of the state….both get very cold. All carpet has been removed years ago and replaced with LVT. We have large area rugs and love them. When I get out of bed I immediatly step into my slippers, so I never notice cold floors. These floors are so much easier to maintain. No more carpet for me,

Yes, I have an area rug along side my bed and also step right away into slippers, it’s just getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night when my feet get cold. I should put on my slippers but I’m in too much of a hurry! Lol!!

I googled my idea to see if it is a possibility for you to rip up the damaged flooring and add radiant heat before laying LVT.

To add radiant heat before laying Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), install electric heating mats or cables on the subfloor, embed them in self-leveling cement to create a smooth surface, and ensure a floor sensor limits temperatures to avoid damaging the LVT. Floating LVT is generally recommended over this setup to allow for expansion.

You could do that...or a pro could do that and there may be other options for installing radiant heat.

In our last house, new build, we had radiant heat under hardwood. Of course, that negated the warantee. We didn't care and nothing happened. You set the thermostat at a certain temp and leave it, until it gets warmer in NM (does it?) and you want to shut it off. It is so fabulous. It heats the floor, yes, but it also keep the furniture warm (and your feet, for the midnight ride).