Carpet vs. Tile
When we had a vacation home in Florida, the number of decisions we had to make seemed endless. Everything from the color of the front door to the shape of the handles on the kitchen cupboard doors had to be discussed and agreed upon.
We mentioned our decision to another vacation home owner and she immediately advised us to think again. We had only considered the alternatives in terms of the wear and tear and thought the more cost effective option would be ceramic tiling that would not be damaged by pool water should someone come into the house straight from the pool. What we hadn't thought of was that coming onto a slippery floor with wet feet was an accident waiting to happen and she told us of the law suits we could expect should someone slip over and sustain an injury. Naturally we changed our minds pretty quickly!
We opted for carpet but with a large additional mat just inside the door to the pool area. We couldn't be there all the time to make people wipe their feet but we hoped that most people would. We were proved right on this and after several years, our floors were showing little in the way of water damage.
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I don't think there is a right and a wrong answer when it comes to floor coverings as there is good and bad with all options but you will need to consider the public liability aspect of a vacation home and let this become a factor in your decision making.
If you do opt for carpet, don't forget to budget for the occasional cost of cleaning. No matter how well people look after your property, there will be damage and the odd spillage. Regular attention from a professional floor cleaning service will stop the dirt becoming too ingrained and will keep your property looking fresher for longer. A grubby or stained floor covering will completely spoil the look of your property so it is important to keep your floors looking as fresh as possible, for as long as possible.
