help with new home please?

jetcat

right, i viewed my new house yesterday - bare floarboards all the way!! I have a little bit of money for carpets, though not much, so need to do this as cheaply (but nicely!) as possible. Is cheap and nice possible?

It has three bedrooms, but i could manage with me and DDs in one room for now, as i am thinking bedroom and lounge as essential? I am not sure about the stairs, will have stair gates up at top and bottom for little one, so she wont be playing on them, and i can carry her up and down. Eldest can wear her slippers:p . Am only probably talking 3-4 weeks, to give me time to save up for one!

I have read that foam backed carpets dont need underlay, but would this be a false expense putting them straight onto the floorboards, as would they wear quicker??

Sorry for so many questions, this is my first house where i have had control over what goes where (childhood in care, leading straight into very controlling partner, leading into private renting where i wasnt allowed to do anything!) and i would like to get it looking nice for my girls!

Jen151

hiya, i'm not great with carpets just wanted to wish you and your girls luck in your new place. hope u have fun decorating!

brownbake

From experience foam backed carpets are a complete false economy. We have a concrete floor and did the same and they just don't last.

I would always get an underlay now - even if you get a cheap foam backed carpet get a decent underlay and a carpet fitter to fit and it will last a lot longer, be more comfortable and last longer.

How big are the gaps between the floorboards? Have you thought about getting them sanded and sealed downstairs at least?

If you are decorating you really want most of the dirty work out the way before laying any floor covering.

Tradepriced do good prices on underlay. Also if you are laying any carpet over floorboards I would advise laying sheets of seasoned hardboard over so that you have a smooth surface to lay to. Laminate can be bought cheap for downstairs and if a flat, square room pretty easy to lay. HTH