"No carpet here - in rentals or my home. It's dirty; it hides allergens for those who are sensitive. Have you ever seen the huge amount of dirt under a carpet when it is removed? Even when it was regularly vacuumed and cleaned. It's just impossible to keep it truly clean.
And residents do too much damage - stains, tears, general filth, animals peeing and scratching. Then they complain to the landlord that the Landlord should come clean it (my socks are dirty).
Hard flooring is popular--you see it in all the decoration magazines & HGTV, with area rugs. It looks good, its easy to clean, non-allergenic, and durable.
I'm becoming more of a fan of sheet vinyl everywhere since I put it in my daughter's renovation. She tends to spill stuff and has contributed to the damage on my own laminate, so I decided to do sheet vinyl for lack of seams. Plus it is cheaper than good carpet or LTV - and it looks GOOD. I had pros lay down high-quality sheet vinyl that really looks like wood. It is beautiful, comfortable underfoot, waterproof, and I expect it to be durable.
My electrician had been there a while when he dropped a tool, and exclaimed 'What kind of floor is this?' Because it didn't sound like wood. He thought it was real wood - it looks that good. Sheet vinyl has come a long way!" -- by DJ, (VA landlord).
