Stripped boards - cold or not?

Peartree

I'm NOT asking how to fill in the gaps or insulate underneath stripped boards. I've read all the advice on this. But I'd love to hear of experiences of others who've been in a similar situation.

I've got boards in very good nick in a generally warm 1930s house. I'd love insight from people in a similar situation who have given up carpets and gone for stripped boards. I've heard from a friend in a similar situation that it was so draughty that they gave up on it.

I used to live in an ancient cottage with stripped boards on the upper floors (flagged floors on the ground floor) and didn't have an issue. However, I am concerned, given the price of heating a house these days, that stripped boards on the ground floor, might be a problem.

Any thoughts from those who have gone from carpets to boards?

Plasticman

We had boards when we bought our house. Looked great, but was FREEZING in the winter. There were loads of gaps though and our house isn't very warm anyway. If you laid a piece of paper on the floor downstairs you would see it float up when the wind blew :eek:

We've got nice warm carpet now!

Doozergirl

I rented a house with boards in one of the downstairs receptions and the difference in temperature was noticeable; you would get such a distinct draft up between the boards that I had to keep my feet up on the sofa.

You'd be literally burning money on fuel to heat the room up. It was totally impractical.

My SIL had to put carpet upstairs in her house because all the heat from downstairs was disappeaing straight up through the gaps. The difference now is marked.

The cost of heating now is such an issue that the appearance benefits go straight out of the window for me.

MRS_TO_BE_2

Stripped boards....cold and noisy from experience. Ok in the summer. Nightmare and draughty in cold weather

flower_72

Taking the carpet off has made the downstairs rooms much colder and noisier too. I wouldn't have it any other way though. I really don't like carpet. Probably coz I have been brought up where the norm was tilled or parquet floors everywhere including the bedrooms (there would be rugs in the bedrooms that you would beat outside).

ixwood

I've got stripped floorboards throughout and have no cold/draft problem. They're great!

Samphire

Our previous 1930s house had stripped boards throughout and was noticably draughty. Our new house is a little older (1917) and we haven't noticed it being colder after taking up the carpet in the living room. We removed the carpet because it was cream and we have two small children, the boards look much better and we need a washable floor!! Last winter I found you could only feel a draught if you were actually sitting on the floor, and not much then. I'm not sure whether this is due to different construction methods - I feel the cold quite badly as a rule. I have been considering a biggish rug if I can find one cheaply to minimise this slight draught this winter given the expected rise in heating costs but there is no way I want to go back to carpet!

Peartree

Thank you for all your experiences. I'm still torn. I lived very happily with a stone flagged floor and with boards in the past and I'm pretty hardy but, as Doozergirl says, with rising fuel prices it is an issue. I'm busy topping up all my insulation everywhere else to save on energy but would sooo much like the look of the stripped boards. I too hate carpets and mine are going to need replacing soon. What a dilemma!

Plasticman

Doozergirl wrote: »

.......you would get such a distinct draft up between the boards.........

Sounds nasty

Plasticman

Samphire wrote: »

I'm not sure whether this is due to different construction methods - I feel the cold quite badly as a rule.

I'm sure it varies from house to house. We are on a hill with no houses in front of us so the wind just blows through the air bricks under the house (and though the floorboards when we had them).