The Newest Thing in This Old House

One of the things we really wanted to do in the baby room was have carpet put in. The flooring in there was an old linoleum-type floor, probably made with asbestos. Which means it couldn't be pulled up to get to hardwood flooring so carpet seemed to be our best option. We were told by two separate flooring people that the floor wouldn't be any hazard as long as it wasn't tampered with and carpeting over it was probably the most effective means of containment.

Our carpet wish list was pretty short:

1. Should hide dirt
2. Should be soft enough to be comfortable to sit and play on
3. Should not have too deep of a pile (Bert needs to be able to run matchbox cars across it)

We started our search by going to a local flooring place and found some options we really liked, and one was even made with recycled nylon fibers, which was a bonus. Unfortunately, when we got the estimate, they wanted over $900 to carpet the room, which is just larger than 8' x 10' and a simple rectangle. That was just out of the question, especially when he told us it was only about 2 hours of work for 2 people.

So, our next venture was Lowe's. They were actually having a sale (which they probably run every other week or something) that if you bought any Stainmaster carpet and pad, basic installation was free. Sounded pretty good to us. We brought home a swatch board (they let you take them home for a $25 refundable deposit) and mulled over color for a couple days. Keith wanted a little greener color, I was leaning towards tan. Our decision was made when we looked at the names and the tan was called "Sandy Cove". The woman we bought the house from is named Sandy and this used to be her room.

Mocha test drives the carpet for comfort. She gives it a 10.

In the meantime, they sent someone out to measure and give us a price. Grand total was right around $475. Much more in the range we were thinking. So, we placed our order and while the carpet came in within about a week, we had to wait a few more weeks until they had an open day to install it that worked for Keith to stay home.

The installers came right on schedule and Keith reports that it only took them about an hour and a half to do the job. They even said it was the easiest room they've done in a long time. We are very happy with our choice and the animals agree.

We did have to remove the closet doors and the main door and Keith will trim the bottoms because they didn't have enough clearance to swing open and closed without dragging on the carpet.

One step closer to be ready for Bert!