Tile vs Carpet on rentals.

[Joel Owens]

Have some vacants I am reconditioning to rent out.

Looked at carpet.Found a happy medium at .80 sq ft.and 8 pound plush scotch guard pad at .85 sq ft.

This is at Home Depot with a very low installation fee of around 35 bucks.

Conversely found 12 by 12 ceramic tile for .56 sq ft.

My thought process is too install the tile all the way through on the main floor and use carpet just on the stairs and the 2 bedrooms upstairs.

Has vinyl down stairs now but actually cost more than tile and get ripped and messed up.Tile would seem to take more abuse and last longer.

I can get cheap berber type carpet for .48 sq ft and cheap 6 pound pad for about.49 sq ft. but I am trying to make it look nicer and not cheap.This is why I wanted to spend a little more on a nicer pound foam pad versus rubber composite.

I asked about the Home Depot bid room and the sale person said he could submit but the bids are getting rejected as the carpet is already priced so low.Says HD is getting away from the contractor bidding wars to try and get the price down etc.

I checked with prices versus Dalton Ga (carpet capital of the world and the prices were just as good or better.HD is measuring the units for free for me tomorrow.

On the tile how much is the grout and the bonding agent for the tiles to the floor??Trying to get an all in cost per sq ft.

[James Martin]

I would stay away from laminate and peel n stick floors. Laminate is great for abuse and looks, but its' enemy is water. It will buckle with just a small amount of sitting water. The peel and stick never sticks or hold up to traffic and creates a trip hazard. The VCT is a commercial grade product about an 1/8 inch thick and glues down with a commercial glue. It looks cleans and I buy very cheap rugs from differ places in town found in their over stock products. I will put a rug in the living room of each unit just to warm it up a bit. I pay about $20 a rug for a 10x12. I tile every room with VCT. This saves me alot of money when I have turn around, I just mop and go!