susanb
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Post by susanb on Oct 5, 2012 19:34:30 GMT -5
My carpet needs to be replaced.
This house was a bachelor pad when I moved in, complete with old college buddies as roommates and spare bedrooms full of junk abandoned by exgirlfriends. The carpet has some wear and tear.
DH thinks that people don't replace carpet in a house they live in. Seriously. He also thinks it would cause too much disruption. I am thinking about replacing it when he goes out of town. The money won't be an issue to him since we have spent less than $500 on furniture/durable household goods in the past 6 years of living together.
I have about 2,000 sq ft to carpet. Middle of the road carpet is all that is needed...middle class neighborhood.
How much is this going to cost?
Any ideas about where to go to save money?
Any ideas to save myself hassle? I am thinking of getting one floor done and then the other. We have a really big kitchen/dining room area that has wood floors, so I can keep a lot of furniture in there.
For what it is worth, I know great movers who charge $50/hr for two people. I have used them to move offices and love them.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2012 19:35:43 GMT -5
I would think about it awhile. Are you sure you want carpeting ? How about laminate hardwood, etc? I would think it through first.
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susanb
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Post by susanb on Oct 5, 2012 19:52:42 GMT -5
Shooby, you have a point there. Currently, the entire house is carpeted in one color - beige. Ugh. I have been thinking about replacing the entire thing with one color as well, but this isn't necessary.
Lone, thanks for the numbers. I am not prepared to spend 12k.
Maybe I should just focus on the first floor for now......The problem is the stair are carpeted, so it wouldn't match entirely, but then I guess everything matches with beige.
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Oct 5, 2012 20:07:55 GMT -5
Paint first so the old carpet is your drop cloth. I would have the downstairs done and the stairs to match and leave the upstairs for last. I tore out the carpet downstairs except the guest room because I hated it. I will get all new when the cat dies, she is very old and thin so I have hope. We used to have more cats but now one last old one on her last case of canned food. He said order more food but maybe we won't need more cat food, I will order some then donate what is left the food bank for the old ladies who didn't save for retirement.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Oct 5, 2012 20:34:33 GMT -5
Carpet depends on where you live and what your house is right. I have always hated carpet. Then we moved to this house. It is a rancher on an unheated crawl space. In the winter the floors are cold! We have carpet in every room except the kitchen/dining and the bathroom. If we put in laminate we would have to put down throw rugs anyway to keep our feet from feeling like we are walking on cold concrete so we just went with the carpet. You can get carpet cheaper than the amount mentioned here. It really all depends on what carpet you want. I think of it like any furniture. I can buy a couch for $500 or $10,000 and everything inbetween. They all serve the same function but people who would buy the $10K couch probably wouldn't want cheap carpeting to go with it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2012 20:35:03 GMT -5
I won't carpet again. But if I was, I would go to some place like the carpet mills in Georgia to buy it direct and then find a local installer. There has to be something like that reasonably close (4 hours or less) to where you live.
I'll either get Pergo or discounted hardwoods from Lumber Liquidators. I am not picky on color. Area rugs are your friend. But they can also be tossed if you don't buy too expensively.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2012 21:04:45 GMT -5
I just went through this with my basement. My quote for 850 sq feet installed (and I was getting a deal on the installation) was $3000. I decided to go with laminate in the family room and leave carpet in the two bedrooms. Then I reused the carpet from the family room in the excercise room. Total cost ended up being $950. Around here the flooring could range from $1.50 to $128 a square foot, underlay was $0.60 sq/ft and installation through any supplier was about $2.50 sq/ft. The guy I got ended up charging me about $0.50 sq/ft. Anyway, I ended up very happy with my solution and carpetting in the bedrooms works.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2012 8:59:44 GMT -5
My carpet needs to be replaced. This house was a bachelor pad when I moved in, complete with old college buddies as roommates and spare bedrooms full of junk abandoned by exgirlfriends. The carpet has some wear and tear. DH thinks that people don't replace carpet in a house they live in. Seriously. He also thinks it would cause too much disruption. I am thinking about replacing it when he goes out of town. The money won't be an issue to him since we have spent less than $500 on furniture/durable household goods in the past 6 years of living together. I have about 2,000 sq ft to carpet. Middle of the road carpet is all that is needed...middle class neighborhood. How much is this going to cost? Any ideas about where to go to save money? Any ideas to save myself hassle? I am thinking of getting one floor done and then the other. We have a really big kitchen/dining room area that has wood floors, so I can keep a lot of furniture in there. For what it is worth, I know great movers who charge $50/hr for two people. I have used them to move offices and love them. seriously just go to a carpet store, look at samples, see what you like, and get an estimate. you will also need to replace the pad. I would just get it all done at one place instead of buying carpet from one place then getting your own installer, etc. Way too much time.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Oct 6, 2012 9:03:04 GMT -5
Carpet has gotten WAY overpriced. Now they are cute and say square foot instead of sqare yard so you think it's an okay price but it's not. I would think with so many people going to wood and laminate and tile that carpet would be less spendy than it is.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2012 10:04:44 GMT -5
If you carpet, stick to something neutral. Selling your home may be the furthest thing from your mind, but you really never know. So, i wouldn't get too experimental on that. As for hardwork or laminate, it is colder, but most people seem to prefer it nowadays as a selling point. However, there is the cost of that and then area rugs are not cheap either usually several hundred $$ for a decent size area rug so you aren't going to save money to do it that way. Personally, i think you are further ahead to buy something cheaper quality that would allow you to upgrade more often. Don't get overly sold on pad and all that stuff. A clean looking carpet is what really matters not make, model or padding.
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ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ
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Post by ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ on Oct 6, 2012 10:43:19 GMT -5
That's not true at all. Good underlay's more important than the carpet itself. The better the quality/density of the underlay, the longer the carpet or harwood laminate will last - as well as provide insulation so the floor isn't cold. I have hardwood laminate throughout - and the floors are never cold - even downstairs - in the dead of winter. A couple of nice large area rugs in the living areas create a nice accent.
And they're far easier to maintain and keep clean than wall-to-wall carpet.
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susanb
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Post by susanb on Oct 6, 2012 13:57:36 GMT -5
Thanks for the input, ladies!
To address some comments.....
Using our current carpet as a drop cloth is a great idea and I will do that. In addition to great movers, I also have a handyman who we have done business with for years. He is cheap and does good work. He could paint and install the carpets.
Neutral colors are a good idea. I am thinking green because we live in the desert and I read that people buy houses with green carpets in the winter because they crave green.
I think a mix of laminate and carpet is a good idea. I checked out lumber liquidators. Great prices.
Shooby, you are right about selling. DH says every year that we are going to buy a new house next year, but he hates change and it never happens.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2012 14:50:22 GMT -5
Home Depot has apartment grade carpet for around $2 sq.ft. when you count all the extra charges (I think the list price is around $1.20) + pad for about $1 sq.ft. Unless you're really hard on carpet it should last you about 8-10 years. I wouldn't go for green if you think you might sell in the near future because it's not really a neutral color. If you're in the desert the lighter tan mixtures work the best due to sand and dirt. We were lucky that our Phoenix area house had only two of the three bedrooms carpeted, the rest is Saltillo tile. We put in a rustic engineered hardwood. Whoever thought white carpeting was a good idea apparently didn't know us!
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milee
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Post by milee on Oct 6, 2012 14:56:49 GMT -5
Home Depot has apartment grade carpet for around $2 sq.ft. when you count all the extra charges (I think the list price is around $1.20) + pad for about $1 sq.ft. Unless you're really hard on carpet it should last you about 8-10 years. I wouldn't go for green if you think you might sell in the near future because it's not really a neutral color. If you're in the desert the lighter tan mixtures work the best due to sand and dirt. We were lucky that our Phoenix area house had only two of the three bedrooms carpeted, the rest is Saltillo tile. We put in a rustic engineered hardwood. Whoever thought white carpeting was a good idea apparently didn't know us! I'm with you on that one, Bonny. We had been married for 9 years, were a professional couple and weren't planning to have children, so had gorgeous white carpet in our upstairs master suite. A year later we had our "oops" and discovered why no intelligent parents ever get white carpet. Saltillo downstairs was fantastic, though. Indestructible stuff.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2012 15:18:22 GMT -5
We don't have kids as an excuse... I try to blame as much as I can on the cats, lol!
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Oct 6, 2012 15:56:54 GMT -5
Mid-range carpet is $25-$30 per square yard, installed with a new pad. So, that would be about$6k for your whole house. You can go cheaper, or more expensive. I replace our carpet often. I pay an extra $50 and the crew moved the furniture out and back in, although I do have to pack up all of the dishes in our buffet (I put them in the kitchen.) It really isn't a big deal. It is almost always a 1-day job and there is no mess.
The best thing to do is ask around and see if anyone has a place they have used and gotten good service with before. I find the local places with no marketing budget are the best. They don't waste money on horrible jingles and late-night spots, and use that money for better service. I've got someone I love - but I don't know if they will come to your area. ;D
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2012 22:47:41 GMT -5
I use a contractor. You can get mid/high contractor grade carpet & pad cheaper than Home Depot prices. With tear out/, new pads, install it was about $19/sq yd. The other plus was that I handed the keys & they just took care of it. No appointment for measuring or having to be there for install.
I went with beige carpet throughout since I'm going to sell the place (right after I get gardening granny to stage it for me!!) If i was living there, I would have converted to laminate flooring (like pergo) for the upstairs as I hate carpet. In my main house I had hardwood floors done and actually found that to be similar cost to the laminate flooring, so now that I think about it, I'd do real hardwood before pergo.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Oct 7, 2012 8:48:31 GMT -5
That's a lot of carpet. Are you sure you want carpet? If so, I'd contact carpet installers and even carpet cleaners. They may know places to get a good deal.
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susanb
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Post by susanb on Oct 7, 2012 9:00:49 GMT -5
No, I am not sure I want that much carpet. DH and I talked about it. He wants carpet in the living room and the master suite. I am thinking of going with laminate/hardwood everywhere else (bathrooms are already tiled).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2012 9:14:43 GMT -5
No, I am not sure I want that much carpet. DH and I talked about it. He wants carpet in the living room and the master suite. I am thinking of going with laminate/hardwood everywhere else (bathrooms are already tiled). As much as I loved the laminate I put in my previous house, I would go with hardwood. I think now they have snap together hardwood so you could do that yourself.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2012 17:59:09 GMT -5
"I think now they have snap together hardwood so you could do that yourself."
Both pre-finished hardwood and laminates require that a floor be pretty level before installation. I can't speak to other parts of the country but my desert AZ house sits on a slab and we have real problems with expansive (clay) soils. Before the engineered hardwood floor could be installed, the installers had to spend a half day grinding down high spots in the slab floor. I'm glad I didn't DIY that.
I'm also glad I didn't DIY the installation of my 50 year old San Diego area (2nd story) condo. Small dips in the subfloor aren't really noticable with carpet but with these pre-finished floors, the constant bouncing on unleveled floors would cause the flooring material to separate after a while. I hope to only have to replace flooring every 15-20 years so I'll pay to have it professionally installed!
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❤ mollymouser ❤
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Post by ❤ mollymouser ❤ on Oct 7, 2012 23:42:12 GMT -5
We just had to replace the carpet in the living room due to some water damage. (We replaced the carpet v. going with a different flooring because we wanted to match the carpet in the family room and dining room ... which (like the living room), was all just a few years old.) We opted for upgraded pad with moisture barrier and the same carpeting we had before. $1100 installed. I moved the small (breakable) items (lamps, knick knacks) and the carpet guys moved the furniture, installed the carpet, then moved the furniture back. Oh, and we repainted the room (after replacing drywall) before getting the new carpet. Definitely the way to go
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Oct 8, 2012 11:49:00 GMT -5
I have tile in my entryway, kitchen, laundry room, bathrooms and a hallway between my 2 kids bedrooms. DH swept and mopped before a party two weeks ago. The following day I swept the entry way again and was shocked at how much dirt was tracked in in just one day. I would seriously think about tile or laminate in any entryway area you have.
Regarding tile and laminate being cold, you can get an electric underlayment to but between the subfloor and the tile. I looked at it at home depot when we were doing our basement bath, but decided not to do it b/c it was only a guest bath and it would have probably doubled the flooring cost. You can just put it in front of the bath or sink etc. We had a fairly large bathroom, and no good way to do just a small area so I decided against it. My neighbors did it in their Master Bath. On a main floor, I would think the cost would be more worth wile.
We ended up deciding to put tile in our basement office b/c of the cost compared to carpeting. My husband can lay tile, but he would not install carpet himself. I am very happy with the result. I went with a tile that was about $2.00 a square foot.
As I said we have a lot of tile. It is a little noisy. I always wear shoes in my house, but My DH, DD, and DS do not have a problem with the floors being cold.
I do have a guest bedroom in the basement that I need to buy carpet for soon. It is about 21 linear feet I personally don't want Home Depot apartment grade in my primary residence, but if Bonny is suggesting it maybe I should take a second look. I am expecting to spend about $600 for my room. Home Depot and lowes often have "whole house" installation for a low flat fee - I don't know if it prices out well if you are doing a large area or not.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Oct 8, 2012 11:51:22 GMT -5
But susanb makes so much money - they have far, far more money than normal people - so much so that you are not allowed to even ask her what she does. So, I don't know why they would want to save a few bucks with a DIY project.
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Oct 8, 2012 11:57:20 GMT -5
Susanb, if you have real wood floors cherish them! Unless you think the floors will get trashed (kids, pets, a muddy yard, toys with rolling wheels in the house), would you consider just refinishing them and using area rugs where you want some warmth under foot (bedroom, living room furniture grouping, etc)?
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susanb
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Post by susanb on Oct 9, 2012 2:23:46 GMT -5
Thanks for the additional feedback, ladies.
Thyme, as a small business owner, my job title isn't easy to define. Today I was a cleaning lady for 40% of my day. Tomorrow I will do other things. If you look at my threads, including this one, you will see that I don't claim to have money to burn. I admitted to having only spent $500 on durable goods in what was a bachelor pad. I have acknowledged that not wanting to talk about what I do was offensive to you and others. I don't know what else I can do about that. Let it go already. Or, keep bringing it up to try and shame me. I like your posts. I think they are funny and informative. Once again, I am sorry that I offended you by saying I don't want to talk about my job in non-work related settings.
Bonney, I won't do a DIY flooring project, especially since I have a great/inexpensive handyman. I DIY things I know how to do like painting, but flooring is out of my skill/knowledge.
Molley, I didn't know that carpet guys moved furniture. Useful. Thanks.
Cocoa - DH and I talked about the cold factor. We have a shoeless house and have agreed that the first floor will remain carpeted and that I can put wood on the second floor.
Kittensaver - If I had wood floors, I would cherish them. When I get wood floors, I will cherish them.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Oct 9, 2012 13:36:52 GMT -5
One of the ways to save money on carpet is by buying an upgraded pad. A better pad will cost only a little bit more, but it will make the carpet feel like a better quality carpet under foot.
Another tip. If you live in a cold climate, don't install carpet during the late fall or winter. When it is cold, the backing of the carpet is hard to stretch completely. So, a couple of years after installation you start to get bubbles because the warm house and a couple of years of traffic have caused the carpet to stretch some more. Wait until it is warm enough that the floors will be at least 70 degrees. And roll out the carpet and let it warm in the sun a bit before it is installed. That'll help ensure that the carpet is completely stretched.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Oct 9, 2012 13:40:45 GMT -5
Carpet has gotten WAY overpriced. Now they are cute and say square foot instead of sqare yard so you think it's an okay price but it's not. I would think with so many people going to wood and laminate and tile that carpet would be less spendy than it is. Most carpet is synthetic. The fiber is made from petroleum. The cost of carpet is closely related to the cost of oil. How much did your last tank of gas cost compared to five years ago?
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susanb
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Post by susanb on Oct 9, 2012 19:54:20 GMT -5
Thanks, tskeeter. Interesting information. I had no idea about installing carpet in low temperatures!
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Oct 10, 2012 12:10:16 GMT -5
Thanks, tskeeter. Interesting information. I had no idea about installing carpet in low temperatures! Yeah, I learned this from the carpet installer who was re-stretching our carpet to remove the bubbles and puckers that appeared about three years after the original installation. The carpet had been installed over a concrete slab in the late spring, while the ground was still cold. And the weather was cool. And the house wasn't heated. So the slab was cold. And the carpet wouldn't stretch very well.
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