Have you installed new carpet recently? Pet proof carpeting

[popmom]

The carpeting on our stairs and upstairs bedrooms is 27 years old and needs replacing. We’ve already ripped up the carpet in the bedrooms. We had planned to have vinyl plank installed, but apparently our subfloors are not level enough. Dh and I have been discussing options. We can put down hardwood (nailed down) or carpeting. 
 

We plan to sell this house within a year, so We don’t want to put any more $$ into it than we have to. 
 

If you have installed carpet recently and you are happy with it, please advise. I’m particularly interested in the types that claim to be pet proof since we have so many granddogs, rescues and fosters that come through. 
 

Also—the stairs are a thing. I need something dense enough to handle high traffic. 

[prairiewindmomma]

Just wanted to FYI that leveling your subfloor before installing vinyl is likely going to be way cheaper than putting in hardwood unless you are getting a killer deal on the hardwood.
 

I mention it because as a potential buyer, lots of pets coming through a house with carpet is a turnoff for us. If you go the carpet route I would do it just before putting it on the market. We saw a lot of houses with “1 year old carpet” where the owners weren’t properly using enzymatic cleaners, iykwim. Urine and oils had just soaked into the pad and smelled to my non-pet family nose. 
 

(I love animals, had them growing up, but am now in an allergy + asthma situation. I literally had asthma attacks in several homes while touring through.) 

[Murphy101]

I second looking for recs. We put VLP downstairs and love it. But put upstairs overlooks our downstairs creating an amphitheater affect. So we want carpet upstairs and in the hall/stairwell for noise dampening reasons.

Although we take really good care of our floors and pets and I’ve never had anyone say they noticed pet fur/odors/allergen issues - I want to keep it that way. Also let’s be real - kids are way harder on carpet than pets ime. 

[popmom]

4 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Just wanted to FYI that leveling your subfloor before installing vinyl is likely going to be way cheaper than putting in hardwood unless you are getting a killer deal on the hardwood.
 

 

I’ll have to look into it more. The installer told us the leveling was very expensive. It’s been 10 years since we extended the hardwood on the main level. I know it’s much more expensive now. 
 

I hear you on the “one year old carpet”. I am the same way—even though we love pets. I think a lot of people don’t even try the enzyme cleaners—or use them improperly. We will have to very careful if we go with carpet.  Fortunately, the disgruntled cat that we had trouble with now lives with my daughter and is perfectly behaved. She just hated our other cats. And my dd’s tiny, elderly chi mix won’t be allowed up there anymore unless she’s in a crate. That dd is in grad school and hardly ever comes home anyway. 
 

Currently, another dd is here with her big dog (who is perfectly house trained) and a foster (who is not lol). They are staying in the basement. And we do plan to leave that carpet until the last minute. We are in a crunch with the upstairs because we already ripped up the carpet. 😕

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by popmom

[KungFuPanda]

On 12/28/2021 at 3:15 PM, popmom said:

The carpeting on our stairs and upstairs bedrooms is 27 years old and needs replacing. We’ve already ripped up the carpet in the bedrooms. We had planned to have vinyl plank installed, but apparently our subfloors are not level enough. Dh and I have been discussing options. We can put down hardwood (nailed down) or carpeting. 
 

We plan to sell this house within a year, so We don’t want to put any more $$ into it than we have to. 
 

If you have installed carpet recently and you are happy with it, please advise. I’m particularly interested in the types that claim to be pet proof since we have so many granddogs, rescues and fosters that come through. 
 

Also—the stairs are a thing. I need something dense enough to handle high traffic. 

Uneven how?  Is it just a little too uneven for a click-locking floating floor? Could you do the adhesive/glue down version instead?  Is it so bumpy it would telegraph through to the design? Could you sand it or add a thin layer of smoother wood on top?  Could this be solved with a bit of leveling compound over the subfloor?  There are tons of videos on youtube.  

I'm considering doing the glue-down vinyl for a large room that currently has carpeting.  I want to make it a bedroom/mancave for ds.  The subfloor has concrete, which I'd love to refinish, but it has a layer of 70s vinyl glued to it and that would likely be a whole asbostos nightmare.  We're better off putting vinyl over it.  The most miraculous thing would be if this vinyl is in good shape and we could just get a way with removing the carpet, but I don't see that happening.

If I were selling I wouldn't install new carpeting until my family and pets were out the door.  I'd live with  large rug and an unfinished floor; maybe a big piece of sheet vinyl.  A year is no time and I wouldn't want to pay for new flooring twice.

[Amy in NH]

Your subfloor does NOT need to be leveled to put down a finished floor, but it would need to be flattened which is much easier.  Just shim up the low spots and put a new layer of subfloor in between existing and finish.  Maybe get a second opinion?