Beach house flooring:type, and upkeep

[Cil]

(If this is the wrong forum, Kurt, would you please move this?)

What kind of flooring do y'all have?
Tile, wood, carpet, combination?
What is your preferred cleaning method?
Electric broom, vacuum, Swiffer, regular broom?
Dog owners, I am especially eager to hear from you.

 

[beachmouse]

If sand is going to be coming into the house, I'd definitely got with tile as much as possible, and then throw rugs that can go into a big washer as needed.

 

[Smiling JOe]

My next home will have hard wood throughout except for tile in the bathrooms. No carpet, and maybe only a small rug or two in the bedrooms. My allergies will love it! The dog hair doesn't come out of the carpet.

For cleaning the hardwoods and tile, the best thing is vinegar and water solution. You can mix 50:50 for a normal cleaning, but if there is more buildup, add greater mix of vinegar.

 

[Miss Kitty]

NO WHITE CERAMIC TILE....EVER!!!! Thank you for that Mommie Dearest! It cannot be kept clean.

Thanks for the tip SJ....I have been sweeping and Wet Swiffering with their vinegar pads on our pine floors. But, I think I'll try your solution since they never seem to get really clean. Did I tell y'all I got a new broom? They furnished our place with a witches broom and it didn't work so good. I love sweeping. It's a good thing...you can sweep and sweep and still find sand and Molly's shedding!!!

 

[TooFarTampa]

I love hardwood because it is easier on the feet than tile. Sand can wear the finish down though so you need to be careful and not choose anything glossy. I hate carpet but some people prefer it for bedrooms.

I stayed in a beach house once that had lovely 18-by-18 travertine tiles, honed and filled. The tiles were a matte finish and super smooth, hid the typical dirt very well and always looked gorgeous. A glass of red wine dropped on travertine will etch the finish but if the tile is honed you will not notice. If and when we ever do our "dream beach house" I will put that type of flooring with narrow grout lines on the first floor. I'd probably seal the entire thing with a super high quality 15-year sealer 72 hours after installation.

 

[Rudyjohn]

We have the 18" x 18" travertine tiles in our foyer and guest bath. It's excellent for not showing dirt, marks, etc. The more "worn" it gets the better it looks.

But we have Pergo floor in our kitchen, the B & W you see in my 'tar. It is the absolute best floor I have ever had. Virtually indestructable. I feel that it is WAY better than ceramic or wood, because of the dogs. No grout, don't have to worry about standing puddles on wood. The dogs just run in and skid across! I would never have thought Pergo was the way to go, but I'm very happy. (Just be careful of the wood getting scratched because of the sand.)

 

[Mermaid]

We have the 18" x 18" travertine tiles in our foyer and guest bath. It's excellent for not showing dirt, marks, etc. The more "worn" it gets the better it looks.

But we have Pergo floor in our kitchen, the B & W you see in my 'tar. It is the absolute best floor I have ever had. Virtually indestructable. I feel that it is WAY better than ceramic or wood, because of the dogs. No grout, don't have to worry about standing puddles on wood. The dogs just run in and skid across! I would never have thought Pergo was the way to go, but I'm very happy. (Just be careful of the wood getting scratched because of the sand.)

We have Pergo in our condo, too, and really like it. It's easy to sweep up and mop. I like the feel of it under my feet, too. And if for some reason it's ever damaged, it's easy enough to pull up and replace the bad part. That counts for a lot (that and ease of installation).

 

[Rudyjohn]

We have Pergo in our condo, too, and really like it. It's easy to sweep up and mop. I like the feel of it under my feet, too. And if for some reason it's ever damaged, it's easy enough to pull up and replace the bad part. That counts for a lot (that and ease of installation).

You're right - - I love the way it feels when I'm barefoot on it. I love the smooth texture.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Going back to my post, that is what I am installing. My recommendation for another home may be totally different. If you will be anywhere near the beach or will be tracking in sand, lookout for wood flooring. The sand will act like sandpaper and quickly remove the finish. If you are going with a wood finish and expect sand to be coming into the house regularly, you had better get at least 5-6 coatings of clear on top of the wood. Or, you can simply go with no clear coat and keep it very rustic looking, absorbing stains and all. I like that look in some cottage styles, but it doesn't feel as good to walk upon.

BTW, matte finish on most any flooring feels the best to walk upon. Your feet will glide across it without effort. ;-)

 

[Mermaid]

BTW, matte finish on most any flooring feels the best to walk upon. Your feet will glide across it without effort. ;-)

Total agreement on that. Matte finish--no matter what material--tends to have such a warm look and feel. I wish I had a honed matte finish on our granite countertops at home. The shiny finish was nice at first but now it drives me bananas since it shows every spot and I'm a lousy housekeeper!