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Hard floors versus carpets

(109 Posts)
yogagran Thu 19-Jun-14 14:54:01

Our living room and dining room carpets are looking decidedly tired and worn (just like me I expect!) and we are wondering whether to have some sort of hard flooring put down instead of carpets. I've always had carpets in these two rooms thinking that it was cosier and more comfortable. However - having spent a few days with friends where all their downstairs rooms are hard, this now seems a reasonable alternative.

What do other GNetters have?
Are you pleased with your choice and would you do the same again were you to have to renew?
How do dogs manage on hard surfaces, is it too slippery for them or is it easier to clean?

Help and advice please smile

Nelliemoser Tue 28-Oct-14 13:30:59

There is someone last Thursday with a cleaning company based in OZ.

MindyGunton Thu 21-Aug-14 13:48:38

It might just not be economical to come and clean my carpets from there. wink

Tegan Tue 28-Oct-14 13:45:30

I'm planning to have tiles down in my hallway because it gets so dirty with the dog walking through it. I've tried all sorts of runners but they all move around. Both my daughter and the S.O. have tiles in their hallway and they look lovely if you choose the right colour. My kitchen has old terrazzo tiles down which look very dated but the right tiles in the hall will blend in with them [I hope].

Sugarpufffairy Sun 02-Nov-14 10:55:48

A point to consider perhaps. I have a semi detached house and have carpets in living room, dining room and bedrooms. Cushionfloor it the kitchen and bathroom. However, my attached neighbour has wood or laminated floors. They are a couple in their late 50s. Their grown up child has left home. The noise is unbelievable. They never seem to stay still and sounds like they are constantly shifting furniture. They start work early so this noise starts pre 6 a.m. I shudder to think what it would be like to have a family with children and animals next door. There are flats in the area too and there has been so much trouble with residents putting down wood or laminate. I think these floorings are causing so much stress, noise, and neighbour disputes. Maybe something to consider is the effect of your choice of flooring on neighbourly relations.
Sugarpufffairy

rubysong Sun 02-Nov-14 11:55:31

HollyDaze thank you for help regarding gaps. That will keep us busy for a bit! Maybe once we've done all the other jobs we'll look at it.
Here we have carpet apart from kitchen (cushionfloor) and bathrooms and utility (cork).

Tegan Sun 02-Nov-14 12:58:14

The person who stays in the flat above the S.O.'s put down wooden flooring and we hear them walking around all the time. Not only that but they complained about the noise they could hear from another downstars flats telly, which probably wouldn't have been as bad had they still had carpets down.

glammanana Sun 02-Nov-14 13:09:55

I do think that you really need to be aware of the possible noise when fitting wood/laminate flooring we have wood throughout our apartment except for bedroom and downstairs neighbour will tell anyone she has never heard us moving about,it's because we don't walk about with shoes on we use slippers or light shoes and if we move furniture we lift it not drag it. Also it depends on the quality of the lining you put down prior to laying the flooring if you buy the flimsy stuff you will get the flimsy result,when you live in flats/apartments it should be part of the communial requests to owners as it is in some communities abroad.

SourceWoodFloors Thu 28-May-15 11:51:17

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Iam64 Thu 28-May-15 12:27:35

I've reported SourceWoodFloors - advertising?

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 28-May-15 13:02:41

Definitely. But HQ will prob give the "benefit of the doubt". hmm

jeanie99 Thu 28-May-15 21:25:04

We have engineered wooden floors in the hall and diner which look fabulous.
Our bathroom shower room and kitchen are laid with porcelain tiles so all these floors are very easy to keep clean.

Lounge dinning room and all bedrooms are carpeted.

We don't wear outdoor shoes in our home so no problem with dirt and we don't have animals.

If you have animals you would need to consider which rooms they would go into and cover your floors accordingly if you want to keep maintenance down.

SourceWoodFloors Tue 09-Jun-15 08:55:55

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SourceWoodFloors Mon 22-Jun-15 12:18:05

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jinglbellsfrocks Mon 22-Jun-15 12:20:06

Reported

overthehill Wed 24-Jun-15 19:07:36

Carpet for us in sitting room and hall and stairs. Just recently done it.

Kardean in kitchen and bathroom. We have never been happy with the kitchen as you can see a ridge under one tile bad workmanship. We are thinking of replacing because of this plus I really wanted a matt finish. Our daughter had someone round and they laid lino that looks like wood strips. It's fantastic, you'd never know.

mrsmopp Fri 10-Jul-15 07:50:04

We have a Victorian house; the hall floor has the original small mosaic tiles which still look lovely. Slate floor in the bathroom and carpets everywhere else. We threw out the old living room carpet and lived with the floorboards for a while as we decided what to do. We found the room felt cold and was very echoey and footsteps clomping round were very noisy so we got carpets put back for the warmth and quiet. But I admit that stripped and varnished floors look great, they are just not for me.

loopylou Fri 10-Jul-15 15:46:08

Just a warning about tiles on floors-PLEASE make sure they are non slip.
My friend's recently smashed her elbow into pieces slipping on a tiled floor when her feet were wet. She's going to have a permanent disability from this sad, I'd hate anyone else to go through this....

Grannynise Fri 10-Jul-15 16:15:04

We've put Amtico Spacia (a slightly less expensive product from Amtico) throughout our house downstairs and it's brilliant. Easy to keep clean with a damp mop and is actually warmer than when we had carpets. Everyone thinks it's real wood. I haven't felt the need to add rugs. Thoroughly recommended.

Envious Fri 10-Jul-15 16:36:44

I just moved out of an apartment that had what I thought was hard laminate flooring. It took some getting used to the hard surface bothered my feet and legs. I had been used to some carpet in the bedrooms and one living space and manufactured wood in the others. The laminate must of been some sort of vinyl because when I moved there were indentations where every piece of furniture sat.Even the dining room chairs and I'm not that heavy! confused

Chillywillychap Thu 26-Nov-15 15:30:53

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Judthepud2 Thu 26-Nov-15 23:56:26

Good quality laminate and wood flooring throughout our downstairs, except for the kitchen and bathroom which are tiled with non slip tiling. Will never again have carpet in heavily used areas! Hard floors make the wee, poo and vomit of grandchildren, cats and incontinent puppy simple to clean up. No residual stains or smells!! grin

We do have carpet in the bedrooms though.

bssmith109 Thu 25-Feb-16 14:15:20

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bssmith109 Thu 25-Feb-16 15:09:23

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bssmith109 Fri 26-Feb-16 09:16:46

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Anya Fri 26-Feb-16 09:34:44

What's this all about?

Someone posted two identical posts on two different days? hmm

Anya Fri 26-Feb-16 09:35:15

Oh! They've disappeared!!!