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Original poster

Wooden floors

19 replies

Uhu · 01/09/2004 16:51

Love them or hate them? I personally prefer carpets because they are more cosy, particularly in winter.

When I attended ante-natal classes, this topic came up and people had strong views on it. Basically, people were fed up of the noise from their neighbours with wooden floors. It was particularly worse for those whose neighbours had children because they were subjected to constant thuds.

With wooden floors becoming more popular, I can imagine that the noise issue will become more prevalent for people living in adjoining accommodation.

There are also stories in the news of people breaking bones because they have slipped on highly polished wooden floors. Are they really that hazardous? How easy are they to keep clean?

Personally, I'll stick with my carpets .

OP posts:

CountessDracula · 01/09/2004 16:54

Nope, I have a dog and wooden floors are the only option for me I'm afraid. We moved in and within a month had to take carpet up downstairs and paint the floorboards as interim measure.

They don't have to be cold, you can always have nice rugs on them! Also, I live in a house with v thick walls and never hear a thing from next door (who also have wood).

We do have carpet in the first floor bedrooms and on the stairs. Our bedroom on the top is wood too.

Personally I think carpet is fine if you are the sort of person who can keep it clean, ie no pets.
Apart from in the bathroom, which should never be carpet (though it does feel lovely when you get out of the bath!)

Hulababy · 01/09/2004 16:57

We have some good quaility laminate flooring in living area and hall which I love. I'd really like proper wooden floors when we move but we shall have to see. I like the look of it - clean, modern, etc.

We live in an apartment and there is no noise from other apartments escaping - maybe in older properties there maybe, but can''t be much worse than the generally thudding of children playing I shouldn't have thought.

I have never slipped on a wooden floor and don't know anyone who has - so can't be that much of a danger I think.

Laminate is very easy to clean I find BUT it has got me thinking. With my flooring I can see all the bits and all the dirt easily and quickly, hence I wask and sweep often. The same bits and dirt MUST be there in carpets but more hidden. I know I wash my laminate floors way more than carpets (never washed them in year we've been here; only once - after a burglarly - in last house and we lived there 3 years.). So I guess I know find that I think laminate and wood must be cleaner overall.

CountessDracula · 01/09/2004 16:58

Real wood is of course naturally anti bacterial (why do you think it's used for chopping boards?) On that basis I don't clean it as madly as I could.

Matonic · 01/09/2004 16:59

Things I would not like to clean out of carpets: poo, wee, avocado pear as smeared everywhere by ds yesterday, old raisins (new raisins too, come to think of it).
Our wooden floors are not highly polished - barely polished at all, ahem - and still easy to wipe clean. We generally take our shoes off indoors and I think that makes it quietish to walk around.
And we've no broken bones yet.

Hulababy · 01/09/2004 17:00

Matonic - since having no carpets (other than bedrroms for now) and noticing the dust/dirt more, we also have a no shoes policy on the whole - with some exceptions.

Beetroot · 01/09/2004 17:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

whizzz · 02/09/2004 18:54

We recently pulled up our downstairs carpets & replaced with wood - no regrets. Crumbs etc do show up more but you can just get the dustbuster out every day to keep on top. Suprised how easily they dent though - already we have a few knocks but its all part of the 'wear' process I suppose. DS has just about got the hang of not running around wth socks on because of added slip risk - but its honestly not too bad. Much better for wiping up spilled food etc.

CountessDracula · 03/09/2004 18:12

Beety now is good time as I know he has just had an order cancel after supplying the wood and he may do you cheapo job

Will email you no

lapsedrunner · 03/09/2004 18:48

We live in a new apartment with wooden floors throughout plus full underfloor heating. No noise problems at all, no accidents, easy to clean although in a way takes longer than carpet as I vacum (almost daily) and then mop (not as often as I should). I too now realise how much fluff and dirt was hiding in my previous carpeted house! On down side the floor dents and scratches very easily withna toddler & dog however I've given up worrying, all the marks will eventually blend into to one!

fio2 · 03/09/2004 18:52

I have floorboards too, due to dogs, miles easier just worry it may irritate the neighbours when kids are thumping around on it

Tommy · 03/09/2004 19:25

We have parquet (sp?) floor - we're really lucky as it is the original floor (there's no way we could afford it). I don't find it cold. DSs have to take socks off to stop sliding or wear those socks with little pads on you can get everywhere now. We have good central heating so coldness is not a problem. Everyone comments on the floors when they visit for the first time!

lou33 · 03/09/2004 19:39

We have original parquet as well.

codswallop · 03/09/2004 19:42

oh ditto Hula re the cleaning
they may be more hygenic but you have to wash therm allthe effing time!

mazzymcg · 03/09/2004 19:46

I love wooden floors but when dd was very small she fell off the sofa and banged her head and we went rushing to casualty with her as she got a largish bump. She turned out to have suffered no ill effects however the Doc said that he saw this sort of thing v. frequently now that wooden floors were so popular! So much as I love them, we've got carpets everywhere now except kitchen and bathroom

codswallop · 03/09/2004 19:49

I will kepp carpet I htink sister ahs just ahd new berber laid throughout her house
looks fab

efmach · 06/09/2004 17:13

Sorry to drag up this subject again but has anyone laid a pinewood floor onto an existing wood floor? We had laminated floors in our last house but I would rather a wood one this time. How much depth in milimetres do you have to allow for the new flooring? Any drawbacks using softwood flooring. Thanks.

fio2 · 06/09/2004 17:16

coddy berber stains terrible, beleive me I had it! It shows up all the water stains aswell shame because it looked lovely when it was laid. Mind you, you could always have a shoes off policy

CountessDracula · 06/09/2004 17:20

Don't know about drawbacks, I should think it would be fine to lay. You will need 10mm thickness I should think if you have a wooden sub-floor, depending on how true the floor is - get it checked cos if you have a big bump in the existing floor for eg, you may lose a lot of that 10mm in sanding it out!

efmach · 06/09/2004 17:31

Thanks CD.
On the subject of carpets, have to say, in theory,I like them but we laid a Berber carpet throughout our last house, up the stairs and upper floors and within six months it looked dirty and tired. Chose a mottled/speckled biscuit beige colour which we thought we cover a multitude of sins but despite the 'shoes off' policy, it looked terrible. Very reluctant to do that again.

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