This or that - wooden floors or carpet?

9 years ago

43% of UK homeowners have carpet in their living rooms, according to our Big UK Houzz Report. Wooden floors are a close second (solid wood and engineered), but haven't yet reached the same status as carpet.

Which one do you prefer?

Featured Answer

PRO

Countryside Kitchens

9 years ago

Rustic wooden oak any day with a rug in front of the fire. Plus if its rustic and an oiled floor you don't need to worry about scratching!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (30)

Luisa Rollenhagen
9 years ago
Wood for sure! So elegant, and much easier to clean!
alant1000
9 years ago
In this order:

Parquet flooring
Carpet
Natural wood flooring
Laminate flooring.
Related Discussions
Does the second floor have to be carpet
Q
Comments (3)
Hello Bashir. Your upstairs do not have to be carpet, but you are spot on about the noise they omit downstairs. Obviously carpets will have the best absorbance of sound, but floating floor timbers are not too bad either. They are laid on a foam underlay which help with their leveling and make them soft underfoot, but this also absorbs sound. The thick planks are better for insulating against both noise and temperature, and I would recommend the extra cost. As you upstairs substrate flooring is bound to be a particle board, and not a cement sheeting, laying tiles would be costly, and messy. Cement board would first need to go down, them tile adhesive, tile and lastly grout. I'm tired just thinking about that process. Also, tiles are more permanent, and outdate quicker, it is easy to remove floating floor and re-lay carpet upstairs if you so wished, however removing tile and going back would be a nightmare. For this reason, avoid tile! Go with a timber floating floor instead. Or even better, consider leaving bedrooms crept, and just re floor the main living areas and walkways. Tile any wet areas like toilets or bathrooms. Good luck.
...See More
Overwhelmed - first home build
Q
Comments (8)
The ideas above are good ones: see as many houses as you can (and look up as many things on Houzz as you can, too) and get a feel for what you like and what works for you. Look at mags and take clippings; look at Houzz and build ideabooks. When we were going through the same thing earlier this year, we had a place to start in that we already knew we wanted neutral colours on the walls, and light wood floors in the living areas. That gave us the start from which we then moved on to select carpets, paint, cabinetry and tiles which went with the wood floors. We took samples of the wood floor to the carpet and tile shops, and got good advice from both on complementary materials.. Benchtop selection was a bit harder but by the time we had to make that decision, the cabinetry, walls and floor tiles were in, so it was just a question of bringing samples to the house, trying them out and choosing something we thought would work well (and it did!) I confess that we did take into account existing furniture, rugs and artwork, because we knew we'd be keeping them long term (we're at a stage in life where replacing furniture or art is just not on the cards) - and that's why we wanted the neutral background. But that was the extent of pre-planning: light and neutral. The rest we worried about after we moved in, and so far that has meant buying some new quilt covers and a few towels.
...See More
Best flooring for very sunny location of new build
Q
Comments (8)
good for you then my choice would be the concrete floors with external roller blinds made out of Black Sarlon which do an excellent job of keeping out the heat without obscuring the view (just like looking through flyscreens) we've also used the black Sarlon to screen in a covered Alfresco area to make an excellent "cool on hot days" and surprisingly "warm on cold days" bug free enclosed area safe for small kids and animals...best of luck with your new home
...See More
carpet versus hard flooring for a hallway
Q
Comments (2)
Hard wood! Carpet shows ware and stains (no matter how careful you are) - if you must have carpet, keep it in the bedrooms. Hallways and other high traffic areas should have a more durable option used
...See More
markcanning
9 years ago
But can you get cosy, in your lounge, with a wooden flooring? Wooden flooring may seem easier to clean but what about the high maintenance factor of wooden floors? You scratch your expensive oak flooring, then what?

The Flooring Gurus at www.flooringmegastore.co.uk suggest resilient flooring (engineered/solid wood, laminates, luxury vinyl tiles, linoleum etc) in the really heavy traffic areas, like hallways, kitchens, utility rooms & bathrooms but with our climate, a cosy, silky soft carpet with squooshy underlay is surely the better option for your family lounge room.
Tom Flanagan
9 years ago
Wood every day. I like planks of it and white washed.
User
9 years ago
Hands down, wood.
Tony McIntyre
9 years ago
It think it depends on where the room is located. My front living room has carpets because I think carpets make the living room more 'snug'. In my rear living room i have wooden floors as the room has doors to the garden, so when the dog comes in from when it's been raining it is a lot easier to clean!
PRO
RD Interior ReDesign & Home Staging
9 years ago
I love both wood and carpet. In the living areas of the house wood is warm underfoot, easy to clean, has great variety of pattern, light and shade and is hard to beat when dressed with either multiple rugs (large rooms) or one suitably sized rug. Oh and it is a boon for allergy suffers.
PRO
Anthony Edwards Kitchens
9 years ago
I like wood , parquet, solid planks and engineered, but it is not always cosy in a snug or , sitting room room, the answer is big good quality rug !
lislondon
9 years ago
Would never ever have anything but wooden floors. They look great, they are easy to keep clean! They are cool in the summer warm in the winter! Only if you live in an apartment above others, a carpet might be a good thing. Good luck and Happy Christmas... ;)
soozmacrae
9 years ago
Carpet in living room and bedrooms. So warm and cosy. Also cuts down on noise from peoples feet. No Shoes on in the house though. (its the law!).
Sam Hill
9 years ago
I like a mixture of both floorboards and a nice rug.
Juds B
9 years ago
I'm bored of carpet. It only looks good for a few years, dirt gets trapped underneath and all sorts of creepy crawlies are attracted to it.
Wooden floor, especially parquet. Although it gets scratched over time, I found this patina quite charming...
G H
9 years ago
Just changed the dining room and lounge carpets to walnut wood laminate floor (could not afford the hardwood) Looks amazing and as warm as the carpet was as the new underlay is higher spec. Still gave a massive rug on the lounge floor.
Tryphic
9 years ago
Depends on where it is! Our front room faces north, so we have carpet. In the back room, which is an open plan kitchen, dining area and family room, which has south facing windows, we have bamboo. Much more practical, given the use of the majority of the space. It's also carbonised, so is darker so looks warmer and cosier.
PRO
Flooring Megastore
9 years ago
Judit B ... no ... no .... no!

Sounds to us Flooring Gurus as though you've been receiving some very bad carpet advice over the years. No decent carpet will only look good for just a couple of years. Did you buy your carpet from a very well known multi-chain operation, by any chance?

We, along with any decent retailer, will be able to show you how to make your carpet look good and last for ages (in fact, until you get bored and want to re-decorate the room). A balance between carpet and resilient flooring (laminates, luxury vinyl times, wooden floors, linoleum), in the end, is probably the best look as well as the best way for your flooring to perform but of course, we're all different and have our own views.

Either way, we'll save you £100s off the High Street price, whether wood flooring, carpet, underlay, laminates, Amtico and Karndean etc, etc. We can get it all.

We're the Flooring Gurus! https://flooringmegastore.co.uk/
Juds B
9 years ago
Flooring Megastore,

I've tried both, cheap and expensive carpets. They looked dreadful after about 5 years. Of course, each to their own but I don't find carpets practical. I also find it incredibly annoying that the corners get a shade darker unless you call professional cleaners on a regular basis, which is expensive on the long run. The worst is the carpeted stairs and in the bathroom... (Gives me the shivers.)
I find carpets dirty. It's time consuming and expensive to maintain them.

I'll have a house project this coming year, so I give you a buzz to see if you have any suggestions. :)
markcanning
9 years ago
We'd love to offer some ideas, Judit. Have a fabulous Christmas and maybe talk when you're ready .... we're the Flooring Gurus!
lidia
9 years ago
Definitely solid wooden floors and only oiled, not waxed and not lacquered.
Oiled wood feels warmer compare to lacquered, it's very easy to restore, maintain and it last forever. You don't need to sanded down just clean and apply new coat.

As you are in London I recommend this shop. Good quality long boards even 6m ones in good prices. They can send samples.
www.frenchforestfloors.com
Judit
9 years ago
Definitely wooden floor for the living room. Carpet can get very dirty even if you clean it regularly.
felixnanna
9 years ago
When we bought our house, over 40 years ago, our huge L-shaped living/dining room had parquet flooring throughout. We retained the parquet in the dining room end, sanded it back to its original colour and oiled it. We then built a wall of old London stock bricks to add some interest and to delineate the two areas, leaving a wide arch in between. The living room end has always been carpeted - using the best quality wool carpeting that we could afford. We have only needed it to be re-carpeted twice in all the years we have lived here, despite having an open fire, spaniels, cats, children and countless parties and it has never looked dirty or scruffy. I love the cosiness of a soft wool carpet and an open fire in the living room (especially in winter) and the practicality of the wooden flooring in the dining area. Apparently brick walls and parquet flooring are very popular at the moment, so by default we are also quite trendy! On this basis, I anticipate being trendy again in about 20 years time, as we have no intention of changing our current arrangement!
antoineguillaume
9 years ago
Personally I love the look and warmth of a wood floor, paired with a colourful rug to make the living room a little more cosy.
Catherine Hounslow
8 years ago
Wooden floors downstairs but carpets upstairs . Unfortunately though, we have engineered wooden floor that looks like laminate .
milfordmaid
8 years ago
Noise - all depends on the footfall thru the area. SIL has 2 Labradors who clip-clip + skid all day long. Like living with a troupe of tap-dancers! Now my cats are far quieter. Kids in soccer boots, high heels .... Bashing toys cars + tractors up + down a wooden floor ... can always thru a rug or mat over wooden floor - can be removed or changed
PRO
Alternative Flooring
7 years ago
Tough one for us! Of course a carpet, especially a chunky one made from 100% wool, has that 'sink-your-toes-in' luxurious feel; but then again if you have a wooden floor, then the options for rugs, especially a custom made one, are endless and can really bring character to a room. We can take any one of our carpets, cut them to a specified size and put a border around the edge using our Make Me a Rug service. You can have fun and play with flooring and border combinations on our online rug designer, http://www.alternativeflooring.com/rugsrunners/make_me_a_rug

Alternative Flooring - Wool Pebble Birdling Carpet · More Info

Alternative Flooring - Made to Measure Rug · More Info
PRO
Italian Design Ltd
5 years ago
Of course is a matter of taste and carpet can be a bit more cosy. However, carpet, any carpet no matter the cost will inevitably trap dirt and cannot be thoroughly cleaned every week. Corners are always dirtier and the air is always going to be a bit dustier with carpet around.

Modern wood floors are perfectly suitable for kitchens and diners and even bathrooms and offer a vast range of design possibilities, from simple planks to herringbone parquet, Versailles panels and geometric patterns that are very popular right now.

Ultimately is often the combination of wood flooring and quality rugs the gets the best of both worlds.
Laura Thomas
5 years ago
I love my luxury wool carpet in my living room, and hope it will last for many years. It has been down for 3 years and looks fab, despite 2 young children, a dog and several kids parties - and it is cream!
My parents living room carpet is still going strong 40+ years later. The colour hasn’t quite come back in to fashion.
PRO
Cormar Carpets
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Carpet for sure! As champions of carpet, here’s our top five reasons why you should have it in the home:

1. It’s warm – When the mornings are cold, nothing beats the feel of a soft and snuggly carpet on icy toes. Coming in to a warm and welcoming house is the pinnacle of luxury. More people are now turning their back on the cool, sleek look of laminate flooring, for the natural warmth of carpet. Home owners are realising that in rooms such as the lounge, bedrooms and hallway, carpet really is the only option.

2. It’s easy to clean – While you do need to whip the vacuum cleaner over your carpet, there is little other maintenance compared to the upkeep of hard wood floors or laminates. And if you buy one of our easy clean ranges (Sensation, Apollo and Primo collections), cleaning becomes less of a chore - plus you have the added reassurance of a 10 year stain and wear warranty. The key to good carpet maintenance is to vacuum once or twice a week, use a large doormat and avoid laying light coloured carpets next to external entrances.

3. It’s quieter – Forget footsteps clacking against wooden floors, a large surround sound system vibrating or noisy children playing upstairs, one of the major benefits of having carpet in the home is that it absorbs sound. Not only does carpet absorb up to 10 times more sound than hard flooring but it generates less too.

4. It’s good for allergies – Over the decades studies have shown that carpet reduces the number of allergens in the air as compared to hard flooring. Carpet prevents allergens from becoming airborne by trapping them in the fibres of the carpet, helping to keep them out of the air and out of your lungs. Vacuuming the carpet then removes the trapped allergens completely.

5. There’s more choice – Carpet is super versatile. Fancy a more rustic look, opt for a textured loop pile. Want a deep snuggly pile, seek the super soft lustrous carpets out. And when it comes to colour, you can choose to play it safe with neutrals and cool greys or be bold with dark statement inky blues or even stripes! Any style you want to achieve can be done with carpet.

Visit our site for more carpet advice and inspiration: www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

Latest Ranges · More Info

Apollo Comfort · More Info

Latest Ranges · More Info

Avebury · More Info
Anthony (Beano)
5 years ago
I like both tbh but now I’ve included large tiles too! I’ve the tiles in the kitchen/dining room, the sunroom and utility in one run, a wooden floor in the livingroom and hall and carpet in all the bedrooms! The thing about carpets for me is that’s it’s very hard to get a really contemporary feel from one unless it quite plain, also layering with a rug can also be difficult if you want to include on at a later date! I’m now pondering converting my roof space, tiles and wood floor will prob the what’s going down as it just going to be one massive bedroom and bathroom.
E D
5 years ago
Ancient post turned into spam, I’m afraid...