General Chat

What's your view?? Have you changed from carpet to laminate with no regrets??........... Friend is extending their house and has offered the laminate they will be taking up and replacing ............ carpet is nice and cosy but I have been disappointed with mine in the 5 yrs it's been down. It STILL piles when I sit at PC - something in it makes the cats claw it (no other carpet tho) - no to mention the debris and deposits they leave overnight staining it !!!!!

Laminate is just a phase, like those green baths. A good carpet is timeless

Hi Anne I had laminated flooring put down 2 years ago in the lounge and hallway i know a carpet looks cosy but when you see what comes in on the dogs paws each day more so in the wet weather. All the floor needs is a brush and wipe over think of all the dirt that gets troden in to the carpet i was discusted when our carpet came up glad i have gone over to wood flooring Margaret xx

Laminate :-)))))))))) A relative had laminate put down a few years ago and she's never regretted it.

I like carpets, nice and cosy. The room I am in now has varnish on the floorboards and a big rug in the middle. I dont think it is so warm though. The cat skids around on the wood if she runs, and has the odd scratch at the rug. My sons have laminate flooring one of them is in a flat, I feel sorry for the ones below them :(( Marion

We put laminate down in the lounge/ diner. Essential with a dog and children, so easy to clean up. Is colder than carpets but at the moment is a lot easier. Carpets deaden the sound more and you get the click click of claws on the laminate but does for us.

We've put laminate in the play room and don't regret it for the ease of clearing up. Action man's bits don't get lost as easily! And lego only needs a dustpan to pick up! However I like carpet under my toes in the bedroom and living room - never could get into wearing slippers! Linda

Please be mindful that when you install laminate flooring, your house could well turn into an echo chamber which is fine if you are detached. However this may not be very pleasant for your neighbours if you are in a semi or terraced property. There has been a dramatic increase in noise complaints between neighbours since the advent of laminate flooring.

Ginny - mine would only be downstairs in the lounge - and there's only me and 4 cats .................... you think the tap dancing might be a problem then ??? lol Sorry lol - any tiny noise that I might make would not be heard over the noise of next doors 4 yr old charging around the house all day and night - how can a child that small sound like a herd of elephants ???? lolol

Having once moved into a house with polished parquet floors throughout the downstairs rooms (except the kitchen and utlity area), there is no way I'd consider having wooden floors again. Our son was 5 at the time and used, as I was, to going round the house wearing socks without shoes or slippers. Within days, he'd slipped and hurt himself so many times, we couldn't wait to get those floors carpeted. I also found myself slipping whilst carrying things and falling into furniture. I know wooden or laminate floors look nice, but as I'm getting older and have trouble with my joints at times, I'd be very wary of having them again, in case of accidents. CB >|<

got laminate in hall and sons room prefer carpet in rooms, but in hall its ok

Wooden flooring wins everytime. We have it all through the house apart from the stairs which are carpeted and the bathroom and conservatory which have natural stone flooring. Hubby has just opened a flooring showroom in Tonbridge if anyone is interested!! (plug plug!!!) Sue

That's handy to know Sue :O)) Mmmm - Tonbridge eh ??? lolol

i think it depends room to room- the house we are about to by has a polished wooden floor in the hall and lounge- Large rug on the wish list for the lounge- hall is fine. one of the bedrooms has laminate - we might change for carpet ( eventually) because i think it cold underfoot in a bedroom. I think the click clack can be deadened with soft furnishings otherwise it does sound a bit hollow. jess

Jess - I think I would also have a rug of sorts as well. Downstairs is just the lounge and kitchen - no hall as such just a 4 foot lobby area as you step in the front door - and lounge is only about 14 foot - plus my days of stilletto heels are long gone lolol

We've got a mix........ oak herringbone blocks in the lounge and little 'puter room(reclaimed and as cheap/cheaper than laminate!) pine boards in the hall carpet in the dining room tiles in the kitchen Upstairs..... tiles in bathroom carpet elsewhere cork tiles in kids rooms We have lived with this arrangement for 12 years and wouldn't change anything except to have underfloor heating in the kitchen!! Brrrrr those ceramic tiles are COLD in the winter! I never know where my slippers are! Merry

I'm sure I could negotiate a discount for you Anne!!!

Sue - fitting service as well ??? To be honest if I take the free laminate - the kitchen I will do with carpet tiles from B&Q eventually and the bathroom just needs lino. But the stairs will need redoing in time - I have an open tread staircase and to have them uncarpeted is not an option - apart from the work involved to make them good !!!!

I want laminate in my two rooms downstairs (sorry Sue Tonbridge is a bit far for me lol) but would buy a rug too for the living room.

We have laminate in the big lounge and wish we could afford to carpet it. The dogs paws clicking across spoil any programme on TV., so they end up with me in the small lounge where I have lovely carpet. Carpet, if it is shampooed regularly is far better than wood The big lounge is the only room with laminate, we are replacing one room at a time with new carpet (we have only been in the house 2 months).definitely No more laminate. June xx