We currently have red oak flooring throughout our single story home except for kitchen and bathrooms, which are tile. The wood floors need to be refinished, but we're also considering carpet throughout the whole house because we're about to have kids...or at least carpet in the 3 bedrooms.

The question is, if we only carpet the bedrooms, should we only refinish the living/dining/hallway and not the bedrooms because the carpet in the bedrooms would damage the newly refinished wood?

We'd be looking to sell in about 5 years and would most likely remove the carpet to make it all wood again, as it's more sought after in metro Atlanta. So would we have to refinish the entire house again or could just the bedrooms be done. 2 bedroom threshold's is with the grain but one of them is against the grain.

Thanks for your input.

If you have carpet installed over the refinished floor, ofcoarse you will have holes from the tackstrip. Also most likely when you pull up the carpet, there will be a shade difference compared to the non-covered areas,( due to light photosynthesis). Even if you decide on large area rugs...you may run into the same shade problem, outlining the area rug.

You definitely don’t want carpets seeing that you’ve just acquired a new puppy.
Here are some reasons why hardwood:

Longevity: Thanks to durable finishes that are easy to clean and repair, solid-wood floors will probably outlive you. There are few flooring materials that have been around as long as wood and over the centuries it has shown itself to be a far more durable choice. Other, newer materials have yet to prove themselves.A natural color and a satin finish would be more resistant than a darker stain with a gloss finish( 3 coats of polyurethane )

Hypo-allergenics: Got allergies? Unlike carpets, which are breeding grounds for mould, mildew and dust mites, all of which can be tough on anyone with allergies, wooden floors don’t let pollen or animal hair cling or provide mould with a sneaky place to hide and thrive.

Even when you steam carpets, it’s impossible to get them entirely clean. Getting them wet makes things worse. Hardwood flooring is an excellent choice for anyone with any kind of allergies. And it makes good sense for everyone else too, for who wants to lie on a carpet that’s breeding mould?

Cleaning is a breeze: A little sweeping and a light mopping and your hardwood floors will stay looking great for years to come. Even families with dogs and kids realise that it’s easier to mop a hardwood floor clean than trying to sponge, spray, scrub, steam and wash red wine out of a carpet. And if the wood picks up a scratch or two, you can always have it screen and recoat it if you prefer perfection.

Cosiness and warmth: Not only is hardwood more pleasant to walk on than any laminate, which always feel cold and a little plastic underfoot, it is also naturally warm as wood is an excellent insulator.

thanks

Ceaser Pajares

i would refinish all the floors and buy some big easily disposable rugs. As I was remodeling my own house I originally left off the master because we wanted it to be soft and quiet. Well that carpet came out in about two years because of the sippy cups and bottles and what ever else the crumb snatchers could find to rub in the carpet.