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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To rip out all the carpets and replace with hard floors?

56 replies

TweetUsOnFacebook · 09/08/2020 16:00

... although probably not on the stairs as the noise would drive me nuts.

It's just so hot in my house and the carpets are man made something or other and feel hideous under my feet. I'm loving the kitchen floor which has cool tiles. The carpets are still in decent condition but quite old and a bland beige that could do with an update in the not too distant future.

Has anyone gone from carpet to hard floors and regretted it?
Will it be freezing in the winter?
What about bedrooms, do they still feel cosy?

I guess voting would be YES to change to hard floors and NO to keep carpets.

OP posts:
Madre1972 · 09/08/2020 16:03

I only have carpet on my stairs, everywhere else is wood except the kitchen which is quarry tiles and the upstairs bathroom which is vinyl. I love it, we barely see any dust in this house which considering the number of animals we have is surprising. Super easy to keep clean. Not cold at all in winter. Wouldn’t go back to carpet.

TweetUsOnFacebook · 09/08/2020 16:04

The heat is melting my brain.

YANBU - change to hard floors
YABU - stick with carpets

OP posts:
ouch321 · 09/08/2020 16:06

I have only laminate or tile. Carpets cannot be kept clean really.

NailsNeedDoing · 09/08/2020 16:10

It wouldn’t be freezing in the winter but hard floors do mean I always want to wear slippers or socks. They take more cleaning than carpets too, sweeping then mopping the floor constantly is much more effort than just hoovering, although it’s obviously much easier if something is spilled. We still have carpets in the bedrooms.

RedCatBlueCat · 09/08/2020 16:11

Our last house was tiled through out (it was a very hot place). I wouldnt go back to tiled bedrooms, but am working on DH about stripping out all the carpet downstairs and putting hard floor down.

RedRumTheHorse · 09/08/2020 16:13

Hard floor in living areas and carpet in bedrooms. I don't wear shoes around my home but wear socks in colder weather.

Thecazelets · 09/08/2020 16:18

My last house had hard floors throughout, including the stairs, and it was never cold or dusty. We did have underfloor heating though ( highly recommended!)

In this house we inherited carpet in the bedrooms and on the stairs, as it had been newly done up by the previous owners. My first thought was to rip it all out, but DH decided he quite liked it, so we still have it five years on. I wouldn't say it's any warmer, and hoovering acres of pale carpet seems extremely hot and labour-intensive work to me. Plus our wooden floors looked better with age; the same cannot be said of carpet, no matter how well you look after it.

So I'm in the get-rid camp.

Fuzzyspringroll · 09/08/2020 16:19

We haven't got any carpets in the house. It's cork-covered wood flooring throughout the house, with the exception of the downstairs bathroom, which has tiles. We've never had any carpets in any of our houses. It's the first thing that goes after moving in.

Mintjulia · 09/08/2020 16:22

That’s great until February. How will you feel about cold floors when there is snow on the ground and your heating bills are rising?

If your house is new and well insulated, then maybe but mine is 150 years old. I’ve done a reasonable job of insulating lofts and replacing doors & windows, but going carpetless wouldn’t work here.

corythatwas · 09/08/2020 16:23

We've done this in nearly all rooms by now, not regretted it in the slightest. Laminate in living rooms and one bedroom, tiles in bathroom, vinyl in kitchen, stained & varnished floorboards in hall, dining room and one bedroom, eventually will be doing the same with floorboards in master bedroom. If anything, we find it's less cold underfoot in winter because you haven't got the carpet retaining damp.

Easier to keep clean, looks better.

123th · 09/08/2020 16:36

We're doing that (except the stairs) I hate carpet. But I my kids would fall down the stairs if it was wood so that's staying as carpet.

Inthemuckheap · 09/08/2020 16:51

I have no carpets. Disgusting things. Have a couple of rugs on each side of bed which can go in washing machine.

Was absolutely gobsmacked when moved to UK to find carpets in bathrooms and even in some kitchens.

I am by no means a clean freak and have many animals but just don't get carpets - was probably scarred by the shagpiles we had in the US in the 70's!

barbrahunter · 09/08/2020 16:54

Once you have wood/laminate /tile floors, you start realising how dirty carpet is. Also, you can change decor really easily just by adding a different colour rug.

VinylDetective · 09/08/2020 16:54

Our house is 400 years old and very draughty. The thought of not having carpet makes me shiver.

speakout · 09/08/2020 16:56

I live in Scotland. I have had my heating on today. I love carpets.

TweetUsOnFacebook · 09/08/2020 16:57

@Mintjulia

That’s great until February. How will you feel about cold floors when there is snow on the ground and your heating bills are rising?

If your house is new and well insulated, then maybe but mine is 150 years old. I’ve done a reasonable job of insulating lofts and replacing doors & windows, but going carpetless wouldn’t work here.

It's a 50's house. A square box. Reasonably well insulated and had all new windows and external doors a few years ago. Dh has just finished doing a better insulation job in the loft. The last owners put on a large porch which keeps the hallway warm in winter (baking hot now!) so I wouldn't say it feels particularly cold in the winter but we obviously don't want higher bills.

Lots to think about. It's the hot weather that has sparked the idea as it feels so oppressive indoors. The carpets just seem to hold on to the heat.

OP posts:
mamakoukla · 09/08/2020 16:57

Not a fan of carpets at all. Prefer hard surfaces. For coziness in the winter, rugs with a non-slip mat underneath. Love the feeling of clean under my feet

Mistymonday · 09/08/2020 16:57

Wooden floors and rugs, tiles In bathroom/kitchen

EmbarrassingAdmissions · 09/08/2020 16:58

Along with the PPs with hard floors, I can't bear the reality of how dirty carpets are.

Hard floors everywhere - the only place I'm thinking of converting is the stairs but I like the ease of cleaning everything so easily.

Good quality laminate and boarding is cosy underfoot during Autumn/Winter.

EL8888 · 09/08/2020 16:58

@Inthemuckheap carpets in bathrooms is vile, so unhygienic. I’m English and don’t get it. The last house my parents bought, had carpet in the bathroom and it was disposed of pretty quickly

I vote ditch the carpets. We have laminate in all rooms, apart from the kitchen and bathroom which are tiled. It’s not especially loud or cold -my fiancé feels the cold and it isn’t a problem to him

Tarrarra · 09/08/2020 16:58

We changed to wood floors years ago when our eldest was a baby and had reflux! So much easier to clean baby sick off wood floors!! Every house we move to we rip out the carpet and put down wood. I find it easy to clean and keep clean. Quick run over with the Hoover each week and damp mop them when needed. I’ve never found them particularly cold.

AnotherEmma · 09/08/2020 16:59

Carpet in bedrooms, landing and stairs. (Good quality carpet, ours is wool.)

Hard floors everywhere downstairs plus tiles in upstairs bathroom(s) obviously.

SweetLathyrus · 09/08/2020 16:59

The whole of our downstairs is wood flooring, and I love it. Best thing we ever did was to get a robo-vac that goes round once a day and keeps the dust-bunnies away!

SimonJT · 09/08/2020 17:00

We have hard and wood flooring throughout, I wouldn’t have carpet, I don’t want the faf of shampooing carpets every week to keep them clean.

Musmerian · 09/08/2020 17:00

I’ve never understood the cold thing. I’ve owned three houses - all Victorian Terraces and have only had carpet in the stairs. Otherwise I’ve had floorboards throughout. Look much nicer, easier to clean and feel nice underfoot. Carpets are grim - all the dirt is hidden.

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