Downstairs Flooring - Wood or carpet with young kids?

Jennix

We've used wooden floors for years now, we use it everywhere except the hall/stairs/landing - the only thing is if you have very young kids when they fall over etc it hurts more!

devotee

pinkteapot wrote: »

I like the idea of just having the hall done. I'm just not quite sure it works with the downstairs layout of our house:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55127243@N04/5953601362/in/photostream

Our hall is literally about 4 foot square. There is room for one adult to take muddy shoes off. If it's raining when we get home we tend to go straight round the back as the utility room has a tiled floor and we can come in that way. Saves one person waiting outside the front door!

With such a tiny hall, would it look odd to have wood there and carpet in the rest of the house do you think?

It is a good point re too much wood. We're very outdoorsy, love nature, and both love wood (hehe) which is why I love wooden floors so much. But our furniture is oak with some big pieces (dining table, dresser in the lounge) so it could end up all a bit too woody...

Why not go for tiles in your hall? And as it's small maybe you could splash out and have a real limestone fitted? Or just ceramic tiles that match your carpet so you don't have that many changes of colour?
And much easier to look after than wood, especially with muddy shoes!
I love wood floor, would not have carpet again ever! You can always put rugs on it. And you don't have to have a natural oak colour, real wood gives you the option to stain it and have any colour you like.

I have natural oiled oak at the moment, but I've decided for my next place I'll still get the oak but darker. Most of my furniture is white so think it'll be a nice contrast.

poppy_f1

wood/laminate much easier for cleaning imo

rugbymum

I would go for wood every time!
We had laminate in our old house and it was wonderful.
When I think back to the number of spilt drinks, snacks dropped, potty training misses and teenagers in "I'm going out again in a minute" muddy shoes, I am eternally grateful that I didn't bother with carpet.
I was incredibly easy to keep clean just a quick going over with a damp mop at the end of the day.
I put down a rug in the living room which added colour and a contrast, although that too was shoved in the washing machine every month!
In our new house I have opted for a better quality engineered wood. It is easy to lay, I used the insulating underlay and if the surface gets damaged I can sand & varnish or stain it.
Now that the children are a bit older I find that they are just as messy as before but now it's shoes (no matter how many times they are told to take them off - trainers seem to be glued to feet!), and miscellaneous teenage carelessness!