Laminate / wood or carpet

LJD1_2

Hiya
Not sure if this is the right place for this thread but which would you go for if you needed to replace existing carpet? We have a dog, a cat, two indoor guinea pigs and two children (oh, and worst of all my husband!!!) and i'm worried laminate will drive me mad. Saying that, do I really want all the dust and yuck hidden in the carpet.
Thanks in advance xx

heavenleigh

Hi there,
I suppose it is all down to personal taste, the first thing we did when we bought this house was to replace all the downstairs carpets with laminate and ceramic tiles.
I have three children and two cats and find that it is easier to keep clean this way (plus nowhere for fleas to hide in the summer if the cats get them(i also have leather sofas))

LJD1_2

Thanks heavenleigh - i've just seen your pics on the fly lady and it looks lovely! Does furnicture not mark the laminate as we have quite a heavy table and sofas? xx

poppie,s_dream

hi LJD1 it depends on where it is
living room - carpet for cosiness and warmth
dining room -wood if you eat in there
kitchen - wood or lino for spills and stuff easy clean
i had this problem last year i wanted wood in the living room and in the kitchen as it all "flowed" instead i opted for carpet in living room with a no shoes rule and touch wood have no stains. the kitchen is laminate easy to mop. xx

livinginhope

Hi there,we replaced our downstairs with laminate when we moved in 7 years ago,still looked like brand new 5 years later,easy to clean and always tidy! another added bonus was,when our house burned down a couple of years ago,the firemen said that the laminate had slowed the spread of the fire due to the time it takes to burn,although we still lost everything,we probably would not have managed to escape the house had carpet have been fitted downstairs.
When the house was rebuilt,we insisted on laminate in EVERY room! except the stairs because of the noise if it's properly laid and finished,it will always look good and be more prcical than carpet or wood.
LIH

LizD_2

I think laminate for 'messy' areas, like kitchen and hall. It does get dusty, but run the hoover round and it's done in 2 minutes. No fluff hidden in carpets.

Pigs don't fair too well on laminate though, they're better with more grip. My pair slide all over the place when they come indoors!

LJD1_2

LizD - Your piggies are adorable. I'll have to show your aviator to my children later.

MilliesMum - really good point about the dogs claws as our dog is a rescue dog and because she was neglected her nails / claws can't be cut back very far so she'd drive us mad.

I think looking at all the comments so far i'm going to try laminate in the dining room as the carpet in their is totally wrecked (due to diabetic cat deciding it was better than the cat tray in their!). DH will be pleased because he's wanted to go laminate for ages.

We have a massive, heavy pine table. Will I have to put pads on the base of the legs to stop it marking the floor? Is it better to go more expensive for better quality?

Thanks so much for all your advice xx

heavenleigh

LJD1 wrote: »

We have a massive, heavy pine table. Will I have to put pads on the base of the legs to stop it marking the floor? Is it better to go more expensive for better quality?

Thanks so much for all your advice xx

I have had both cheap and expensive laminate flooring and to tell the truth as long as it is laid well there really isn't much difference.
The floor should also be fine with heavy furniture on i have a solid wood kingside bed on mine and it hasn't marked.
The only other bit of advice is choose your colour wisely, i have light wood in the sitting room and it shows up so many more streaks and marks than the darker kitchen floor which is brilliant at hiding things.
Plus when buying make sure you get the correct underlay depending on what you are laying it on top of, concrete, floorboards etc.

Leigh xx

lab-lover

We have laminate for about 2 years now and with 1 labrador and child in and out all time Iam pleased with it, but the trouble is the dog but only for his nails clicking around, it does your head in at times.

When I make a big effort (nt often) to give it a real good clean it does spruce up well. I dread to think what my carpets would look like by now, so laminate is easy to look after.

It does hide dog hair and dust well though, it gathers under chairs and sofas.

LizD_2

LJD1 wrote: »

LizD - Your piggies are adorable. I'll have to show your aviator to my children later.

MilliesMum - really good point about the dogs claws as our dog is a rescue dog and because she was neglected her nails / claws can't be cut back very far so she'd drive us mad.

I think looking at all the comments so far i'm going to try laminate in the dining room as the carpet in their is totally wrecked (due to diabetic cat deciding it was better than the cat tray in their!). DH will be pleased because he's wanted to go laminate for ages.

We have a massive, heavy pine table. Will I have to put pads on the base of the legs to stop it marking the floor? Is it better to go more expensive for better quality?

Thanks so much for all your advice xx

That was a 'butter wouldn't melt' moment!

You should be fine with the table, just remember to lift rather than drag when moving it, or it could mark the floor.

meanmarie

Thanks everybody...I have been thinking of laminates for ages and now you have reassured me that it would be a good move...now if I can persuade myself to spend the money I'll be grand!

Marie