Anyone have or want wooden floors?

[callie]

We are seriously thinking of ripping up all our carpets on the ground floor and having solid wood . Iam totally confused by the different types. Will it scratch? Should we go for laminate instead?
I would love to hear what you think or if any of you have wood do you love it or long for carpets.

Thanks for the info Simon, will make sure I wear some big warm slippers then, although we have a real fire so that should help!

I wonder if there is a problem with the IKEA floors, as last time I was there there was a mesage up saying theya re being discontinued???

Aloha - not offended
They are very cheap... so you can't expect wood but we have had no problem and like I've said our whole house is laminated.... It was very cheap and as I have very young kids (and allergies myself) it is a better IMO solution than carpet.

Lou, we have sanded floors in our kitchen & have found them to be very soft (you can track the different times our cooker & fridge have been moved around). I guess the boards are just pine, so not a particularly hard wood. I think the secret is the varnish, and plenty of it. If you're in rented accomodation at the moment, could you go in the week before and give it an extra couple of coats before you move in? Hope the move goes well anyway.

Thanks for that info Rosy. Not sure if we will be able to get in to the new house before we move though. We are so desperate to leave here we will be moving the day after completion I think! But will definitely check the state of the varnish though. Bit dreading the move really, 4 children 1 husband and me, schools , doctors, dentists etc, I think i'm going to be pretty busy between now and july!

we finally did it after 12 years - the horiible carpet has gone and we've got the original paraquet. Needs a bit of a sand and fill round the edges but doesn't too bad already. I was looking forward to having a nice rug in the middle but dh is insisting we don't as he likes the wood so much (and he is the original carpet man!)

You have weedkiller on your floor? (Haven't bothered to learn how to do smileys but imagine one here)

I think Brian has been using my nickname!!!

What about plain wooden stairs? We are just about to have a room in the roof, and will be taking up teh current hideous stair carpet up to thr first floor. Should we carpet throughout? Are wooden stairs very noisy? Can you paint them, or wood they be slippery? Advice needed please

I loved having wooden stairs in my previous house - so easy to clean. Would have thought you could paint them if you used an appropriate kind of floor paint. Don't furniture polish them though - very slippy!! This house was new when we moved in two years ago and had a fitted stairs carpet which we might as well see how its lifespan but then we're going to be back to no carpet.

They are a bit noisier but it didn't bother us in our town house and now we are detached so have no-one else to worry about.

Copper, we have wooden stairs and I was terrified when p/g that I would slip and fall. My dad bought a roll of special rough tape from a v. good carpet and flooring shop. They use it in schools and other public buildings to make the stairs safe, and you put a length of it along the edge of each tread. It can be taken up when no longer needed and it really made a difference. It's dark in colour too so doesn't notice.

Our house has wooden floors everywhere except the downstairs hall and kitchen which are tiled. I love it, much more hygenic, easy to clean etc..The noise isn't a problem and nobody's fallen downstairs yet.

My dh layed our wooden floors a few months ago,he did a fantastic job and the rooms looks much more spacious & streamlined. It's incredibly easy to clean with long handled broom, dustpan & brush. My boys love wizzing their cars across the room whilst I go flying across the room tripping up on the damn things.

Copper - is the stair wide enough to take a carpet runner (strip up the centre)? I find that has the "feel" of a wooden stair, but quieter under dp's somewhat heavy footfalls.

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