Decoration or new carpets first?

[Chocbuttonsandredwine]

Think I know the answer but I’m wanting more knowledgable folk to convince me otherwise.

Bedroom and living room both need doing. Have separate people coming to decorate both: both need new carpets. Both tradesman are kinda vague about when they can come…. Which is pushing me towards getting the new carpets fitted and hoping that they are tidy/careful.

without the carpet I can’t order new bed, or move old bed into sons room so it’s like a giant logistical nightmare… plus time to get old carpets up/

talk sense to me oh wise ones

Decorate first... Unless you want to risk your new carpets. I wouldn't and I was a decorator once upon a lifetime ago.

Ideally you want decorating first, but people do get rooms decorated without wrecking the carpets.
I would just get them both booked in asap and hope for the best.

Decorating. If the skirting needs work, it’s very hard to get neat if you carpet first. Makes the whole decorating process easier as protecting new carpets will slow the work down a fair bit.

Obviously decorating first makes sense. However, I got fed up of waiting (on DH) to make big decisions re decorating, extension etc and I went ahead with the new carpets. The work we had afterwards had no effect whatsoever. They used carpet protectors (like a massive thick clingfilm) and it was ok. I should have done it sooner.

This is what I want to hear 😂

We've just decorated before new carpets went down.

However the carpet protector mentioned above is called carpet wrap. You can get it from Screwfix.

It sort of depends on the current condition of the room. If it's just a quick repaint that's one thing. If it needs replastering or wood chip removing (very steamy) or decades of paint layers stripped off then I wouldn't risk your new carpets.

I would hold backed on getting the new carpets until after the decorating is finished. It's so much easier to sand and repaint skirting boards if there's no carpet - and decorating the rest of the room is quicker and easier.

Having said that, I've had no experience of professional decorators and how they might manage the job, as DH and I have always done all our own painting and decorating work. I daresay a professional decorator wouldn't be fazed by the presence of a new carpet as much as I would be!