To ask whether you'd rather be a fire risk or ravaged by moths? (carpet)

[pollybee123]

Manmade fibres = burst into flames in the event of fire (if one starts)

Wool/wool mix = loved by moths. And I'm the type to leave clothes sitting around.

What carpet would you get?

Have had 80% wool for 7 years and still no moths here. How long do they take to turn up?

We've had/got moths (can you ever say they're gone?) and while they're a pita I'd rather them than a shiny plastic carpet.

I just avoid carpet. Hate the stuff.

None!!

Seriously we have some rugs and a stair carpet. We've never beaten the moths but they'd be worse with a carpet.

I've never ever regretted it. We have a puppy now and I'd have lost the will to live with carpets....

I insisted on polyprop carpet in our current house.
Our last house had 80% wool carpet throughout and we got a nasty infestation of carpet moth we struggled to eradicate. Ended up with a massive bald spot in the living room.
When we moved out we discovered more of the buggers behind the wardrobe.

Thanks for your thoughts everyone.

I'm not the biggest fan of carpet either, but our staircase was put together by a bodge-it type, so needs must. It's only for the stairs and the landing.

I'd narrowed it down to these before the moth issue was brought to my attention:

www.alternativeflooring.com/collection/wool/fine_wool/zigzag/mushroom.html

www.alternativeflooring.com/collection/wool/eco_collection/wool-crafty/wool-crafty-diamond/lasque.html

Now considering this:

www.kingsmeadcarpets.co.uk/product.php?id=1102

But have yet to receive samples.

It would be ok on stairs, the little buggers live under furniture where it's dark.

Could you use something like coir or seagrass? We had this in an old house on the stairs and landing - it was pretty hardwearing.

IME, artificial fibre carpets end up looking pretty manky pretty soon.

I received a sample of sisal, but we found it quite rough? Have a sample of seagrass and coir on the way.

Ooh - stairs - I think you do need wool or you can get issues with it being slippery. But you won't have dark corners with furniture on top so I wouldn't worry

Thank you for the feedback on stair carpet, I'm very tempted. The wool ones are so lovely!

Wow, another person who had the same dilemma as me! I agonised for ages!
We went for wool in the end, a 100% wool in a very flat weave, life a waffle.
its on our stairs and a very empty spare room with minimal furniture.
i chose because i figured the furniture in the spare room is so easy to regularly vacuum with no nooks for bugs to hide in and the stairs are in constant use and frequently cleaned.

also, i thinkid check the specs for alternative flooring and crucial trading carpets - some premuim/ more expensive brands come with anti moth treatment already on the carpet

Thanks Mesh. The point about the stairs being cleaned and in use regularly is a valid point too. They aren't mothproofed apparently, but can be done as an aftertreatment. Your carpet sounds nice too.