I am needing to re-place carpet in my whole house. Want advice on carpet vs polished floor boards from anyone who has had both. Which is preferable? Your thoughts, thanks
Carpet or floor boards?
aocal on 15/01/2014 - 16:32
Last edited 22/01/2014 - 08:38
Last edited 22/01/2014 - 08:38
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But you have to clean carpets every so often and be wary of spills.
and you have to clean floorboards every so often and be wary of spills :)
Carpets get stains. Floorboards don't.
floorboards are pre-stained :)
Red wine, tomato sauce, paint, nail polish, mud, coffee, soy sauce, grape juice, ink, chocolate, blood …
Do you have indoor pets?
Carpets are not good as far as constant cleaning
Floorboards can be too slippery for dogs.
Just don't do the fake cheap floorboards, they absorb moisture easily and will ruin.
Floorboards every time… carpet is dusty dirty crap.
I recently replaced carpets that came with the house when I bought it. Now we have bamboo floors.
Both have pros and cons:
- Carpet in winter is nicer to put feet on when you backup as compared or other flooring.
- Mrs. likes it because now she could see the dust on the floors and clean it regularly.
- Cleaning is easier in comparison to carpet.
- Toddler kids really enjoy the floor boards because they can still can play with some of the toys they cannot play with on a carpet floor.
- Carpets helps when you have small kids learning to walk, for crawling babies its not recommended unless you take care of hygiene.
- In comparison to carpets, other floors lasts for longer provided you take care of it.
Be ready to throw your carpets away after 2-3 years of having kids.
If you have kids and carpet is neglected, that is calling for infections due to bacteria.
- Stains some times do not go away on carpets.
- Carpets need proper steam cleaning at regular intervals.
- In case you find timber flooring expensive and you settle for Bamboo, watch for the moisture levels it handles.
- Do not use steam mop on bamboo floors, just simple damp cloth does the job.
If you will be settling for carpet remember to chip in little extra to get commercial grade and also a good underlay.
Mrs. likes it because now she could see the dust on the floors and clean it regularly.
pro or con? :)
If you will be settling for carpet remember to chip in little extra to get commercial grade and also a good underlay.
+1
Mrs. likes it because now she could see the dust on the floors and clean it regularly.
You are a lucky man!
Floor boards with rugs. Best of both worlds. Good floor boards also increase the value of the property.
perhaps but good rugs are more expensive $/m2 than good carpet and do you clean under your rugs?
carpet can protect floorboards and be removed to sell your property :)
good rugs are more expensive $/m2 than good carpet
Yes, perhaps. But you won't use rugs to cover the entire house wall to wall.
do you clean under your rugs?
Yes, not often, maybe once a month. And yes, it's surprisingly quite dusty under the rug.
Do you clean under your carpet?carpet can protect floorboards
So do rugs.
be removed to sell your property
You still need to lay the floorboards, and after you remove the carpet, you need to sand the floorboards and it's almost impossible to get rid all the nail marks off the floorboards and skirting boards.
You still need to lay the floorboards,
no
almost impossible to get rid all the nail marks off the floorboards and skirting boards.
not that many marks and few almost impossible to remove
:)
What type of floor do you have after you remove the carpet?
timber floorboards :)
So to remove the carpet, you need to have floorboards underneath.
people can remove carpet without having floorboards underneath :)
Replace can with will
Floor boards / carpets have nothing to do with the actual value of your property. They don't add or subtract either way. That comes down solely to stuff like size of the land, material house is made of, age of building, number/size of bedrooms, area house is in, value of other similar properties in area, etc…
Saw the title, thought hello, read the comments disappointed it's actually about carpets and floorboards.
Home & Garden, not Health & Beauty!
Carpet in the bedrooms, boards everywhere else is a good compromise.
Not sure what is prompting the hygiene fears in an earlier comment, but I wouldn't get too concerned about that. Kids are filthy mongrels on any surface.After replacing carpet for a while (helping friends business out over the heavy months) it amazed me how much mold and just pure damage was under the carpets in peoples houses. The carpet looked ok on the top but underneath it was terrible.
Every second house was like this, can't imagine how bad it is for kids and people to suck that shit in. Some were that bad it was stuck to the chipboard and concrete..
If I was building my house I would lay carpet in bedrooms only, no where else at all. The stuff is terrible.
can't imagine how bad it is for kids and people to suck that shit in.
They build healthy immune systems.
The bedrooms are the worst place to have it, your kids are breathing that in all night. I have seen some mouldy bedrooms and they almost all had carpet.
There is a reason why hard wood floors raise the price of a house, it's because it's better in just about every way except for some they find carpet more comfortable. People should just suck it up and reap the myriad of benefits of hard floors.
Agree, I think just carpet the bedroom is a waste of money.
A. The bed covers most of the carpet anyway, why not put a rug on the side of the bed?
b. How much walking do you do in the bedroom that the floorboards would hurt the feet?A. The bed covers most of the carpet anyway
depends on the size of the bed and room :)
also perhaps carpet for living/lounge/dining areas, especially if multiple :)
Remember that carpet also makes your home a shitload quieter!
I also pulled up some really really old carpet in an area that is not humid. The floor boards underneath were 'pristine'. But carpet is warmer in a cold climate. Anyway wanted and got carpets in b/r. The polished floor boards always look lovely and are easy to clean. And yes, the 'mongrel' kids need to be exposed to germs and pets. In fact, it is suggested that people who live above their animals, cows or whatever, don not have allergies.
note that contrary to popular belief, floorboards aren't necessarily better for those with allergies :)
I would like to see this sited
Take your second link for example;
"Carpets should have short pile since long pile carpets hold more dust."
So what they are saying is that long pile holds more dust than short pile, but not 'no pile' hard floors
"If dust mite allergy is a problem, then removing carpets from the home may be the best option."
They then go on to contradict your point (and more interestingly their first line on the page?!)
"Wet and steam cleaning removes mites from carpets more readily than vacuuming but research suggest that it only improves it by two thirds and the residual water left from the cleaning may promote fungal growth."
So vacuuming doesn't remove mites, and neither does steam cleaning or 'shampooing', which then introduce more potential issues. Not to mention the fact that I will mop a hardwood floor over steam cleaning any day of the week. I can do it myself in no time, and with an asthmatic brother this was a very regular occurence in my house (each month, 12 more times than the once a year that only gets rid of 2/3 of the issue). You can even use a steam mop on some hard floors (eg. tiles)
Regarding the last link on Strata, I happen to know a bit about that having done 2 complete renos in units and been on a committee for 6 years. Someone in a unit should of course get permission to do any such works including changing the floors, however should they be knocked back by a belligerent or stubborn committee, they will then have to prove if taken to court how putting hard floors in the unit is causing an issue for other tenants/owners. I can tell you outright that the committee would end up losing if the owner is happy to address the issue that comes up most which is that a noise absorbent underlay is used so as not to annoy the people downstairs. The committee would also end up paying costs if I'm not mistaken (it has never got to this for me). I'm amazed that a so called 'expert' on domain has not mentioned this, although maybe he was distracted by the technicalities of the owner not following proper procedures. The reason is that you own everything from the floor covering up, and the slab (in the case of a unit) is common property. If the committee want to stop you from living your life freely by choosing a floor covering of your choice, they will need to prove that this lifestyle choice adversely affects them.
Happy to have a healthy (pun intended) discussion about this, but believe me when a loved one has a sever asthma attack and needs to go to hospital, the carpets will be up before you can sneeze :-) Apologies if this is too long, but it's a pretty serious issue for all those asthmatics out there.
"Carpets should have short pile since long pile carpets hold more dust."
So what they are saying is that long pile holds more dust than short pile, but not 'no pile' hard floors
they don't say anything about 'no pile' hard floors
"Wet and steam cleaning removes mites from carpets more readily than vacuuming
So vacuuming doesn't remove mites
no, they're just more difficult to remove via vacuuming
it's a pretty serious issue for all those asthmatics out there.
yes and i know some with carpet :)
I've heard of people had to replace the carpet with floorborads, because the carpet cause allergies (could be the dust mites, could be the wool in the carpet), but I've never heard of covering up floorboards because floorboards cause allergies.
Dust mites thrive/survive in the same number/quantity, on both floor boards and carpet. Neither vacuuming nor treating either surface can eradicate dust mites, either. There is no actual evidence showing one is better or more hygienic than the other. All people with carpet I know of maintain it properly - vacuuming their carpet regularly and applying steam treatments once a year or so. On the other hand, not a single person I know of other than myself properly and regularly damp-dusts & clean their floor boards properly.
@infinite
+1 good post :)
cleaning is indeed the main issue/factor here
yes, floorboards can be easier to clean than carpets
however, what happens when they're not cleaned?
carpets can hold/trap dust/mites/droppings difficult to remove without cleaning
floorboards do not which means that they can be more easily dispersed airborne
=> dusty carpets are better than dusty floorboards :)
Spot on, I'd rather have allergens trapped in carpet until forcibly removed by vacuum, than free to float on any gust of wind ready to be aspirated!
Yes but the types of bugs on animals aren't the types in mouldy carpet.
after i had floorboards installed i never wanted carpets again.
After I had floorboards I never wanted floorboards again.
Vote +1 for carpets in bedrooms and +1 floor boards everywhere else..
I like carpet under foot in bedrooms especially in cold weather floorboards can be a little cold in winter depending on whats under neath them. Floorboards I find easier to maintain sweep mostly vacuum occasionally and don't stain.
We used a product called Bonna Traffic on our floors and it's lasted really well…It's a clear coat 2 part commercial grade top coat super easy to roll on. With low VoC.
Dog claws and hard shoes will kill any floor top coat so something to think about.. Then you likely to have pet stains then anyhoo..
(My Opinion only) :)carpet for rooms + get a good quality one that is stain free and for the rest of the house put floorboards.
i would take a polished hardwood floor over carpet any day. you can always stick a rug on top
Thank you for all your helpful opinions.
In floor boards, do you guys prefer bamboo floor or other tiles?
My preference is
- Tiles in Kitchen and anywhere else water may spill.
- Floor board in 'common' areas
- Carpet in roomsDo you have kids or pets??
I have floorboard throughout and every time (ie every day) I have to clean up mess (like vomit yesterday) I am thankful I don't have carpet.
If you have ever pulled up an old (or not so old) carpet you will be shocked at how much dirt and stuff gets trapped in it)No different to the way all that stuff get's in and under your floor boards. There's also no difference in either surface with being able to keep them clean and the fact that no matter what you do, you cant eradicate the major allergen (dust mite) from either with any type of cleaning.
I've always loved floorboards, just for the aesthetics. Now that we have floorboards in our new place, I've discovered these additional pros:
Roomba works well on floorboards, as opposed to carpets where its suction power isn't that great. Yay for lazy people worldwide.
Cleaning time is less overall for me.
Spills are easily wiped up (and as someone above mentioned, so is vomit)
Once a month/quarter/whatever, you can mop with a damp rag for extra cleanliness, although I prefer the "spritz and wipe dry" method for our boards.
Sooo much less work with floorboards!I've seen the allergy/dust/mold issues mentioned above, so I didn't want to bring it up again. However, I've got dust allergies, and in my previous carpeted place, there was a lot of effort that had to go into removing dust/mold (regular vacuuming with a good vacuum that had terrific suction, regular steam-cleaning, etc). Anecdotal evidence (ie sample of one) makes me think that floorboards are better for allergy-suffers, or at least the ones that are lazy.
There are some cons with floorboards, that I'm sure other people will point out. Things I don't like are:
You have to be careful about not scratching them. We have floor-protector pads under our chairs and furniture, and I try not to walk through the house in stilettos.
There's a fair bit of water spillage near the kitchen sink area, which means I'm constantly wasting 5 seconds of my life to wipe up that place.
You will still have rugs, so you can't eliminate vacuuming entirely. Or maybe you can, with the combo of dark rugs + Roomba.
Let us know what decision you take :)
Easy, Floorboards all the way. I have / had carpet in most of my house when we built it. But after sometime we changed. After some time carpets get old and dingy and hard plus the amount of dust that collects underneath them regardless of how good your vacuum cleaner is. Plus just using the vacuum cleaners…..
Floorboards are far easier to keep clean as sweeping or even a automatic vacuum can do it quite quickly plus no dust is left behind so no allergys etc. Much cooler in summer and doesnt get too cold in winter. But carpets are better for winter time in that sense…
I have both (built the house) and I don't like floorboards as when you mop them, they look great but soon after a bit of use, they show up dirt very quickly and oil from your feet (especially if they are polished).
Floorboards can be somewhat fragile - don't leave a small pool of water on it (what you might get if you wash the dishes and a little bit overflows on the floor) and soon it will make the floorboards swell up (they do dry out though). They also get damaged and marked very easily.Tiles and carpet next time.
+1 definitely tiles for wet areas - kitchen/laundry/bathroom :)
i have never seen anyone floorboard or carpet their bathroom or laundry
**
i stand corrected…there are people out there with floorboard bathrooms….
they require special attention ;)i've visited carpeted bathrooms as well - feels very strange…
two words
Splash damage
i've visited carpeted bathrooms as well - feels very strange…
Do you get the same feeling when you're in a boat?
Carpets for upstairs & bedrooms.
Floorboards for the rest.Pfft, easy.
You can slide along floorboards in your socks. Not much more to say, really.
Seriously though, I prefer floorboards in living areas. Easier to clean, blah blah blah, like everyone has said. Carpet to me just seems gross - you can see the dust and everything floating around when you stomp and there's direct sunlight shining in, and that grosses me out for some reason. Having said that, I would probably prefer carpeted bedrooms. I think floorboards with rugs in bedrooms would be ideal. You can even change up the style easily every 5-10 years if necessary.
Floorboards are timeless carpet isn't, that's how i see it anyway.
Why not consider synthetic floor boards?
Have a look at vinyl. We are currently building a house and having Gerflor put through the whole house bar the rooms.
+1 for synthetic. All the benefits of floor boards but much cheaper. even though it might look quite fake… but really who looks at the floor….
looks cheap, feels cheap, is cheap.
I'd even take it a step further and say it'd reduce a houses value.
look quite fake… but really who looks at the floor….
everyone :)
looks cheap, feels cheap, is cheap.
I'd even take it a step further and say it'd reduce a houses value.
+1 :)
You'll be surprised with the new floorboards. Have a look and maybe you'll be convinced :)
Not the cheap ones at bunnings tho. Look for the premium ones
My $0.02:
I hate the current trend towards "thinner" floor boards, which are nothing more than a timber veneer for your concrete slab. They creak/squeak when you walk on them, they can easily separate from the slab underneath, and they look like crap all over.
If you're getting floor boards, make sure they are thick chunks of quality hardwood. Get them polished by a quality professional. They will be beautiful (and more expensive, I'm sure).
If you're getting floor boards, make sure they are thick chunks of quality hardwood. Get them polished by a quality professional. They will be beautiful (and more expensive, I'm sure).
+1 :)
Honestly, I've had the lot in my lifetime; boards, carpet (even kitchen carpet for those old enough to remember), floating floors, lino, seagrass, slate, terrazo, tile etc. There's a lot of plausible sounding rationales for hard floors that sound great on paper but don't quite work out as promised in practice (allergies, asthma, cleaning etc).
IMHO you can't beat carpet in your bedrooms & living room, it makes the place feel home-y. Kids won't have hard falls & hurt themselves. Rugs on hard cold floors do not even come close to making the grade for comfort. Once you see the film of dust on boards almost daily you'll realise that you actually need to clean them more often than with carpet, so the 'ease of cleaning' thing is pretty much balanced out. Carpet isn't that hard to keep clean, talk to a good carpet layer about choosing correct pile, fibre & underlay, they will help set you up with a floor that is easy to maintain, looks & feels good, and is long lasting.
Honestly, the take home message is that there's no single answer, it's all your own regional climate & personal preference…my family prefers the quiet & comfort of carpet under our feet, especially in winter.
good post :)
lino
totally forgot about lino for the kitchen :)
Once you see the film of dust on boards almost daily you'll realise that you actually need to clean them more often than with carpet
due to https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/130521#comment-1803239 :)
Once you see the film of dust on boards almost daily you'll realise that you actually need to clean them more often than with carpet,
No, the 'film of dust' is still there regardless. You're simply not seeing it as easily on carpet. If you're not cleaning it simply because you can't see it, then it's still there. So you're back once again to the same previous arguments again that can go round and round all day.
Something that hasn't been discussed is cork - quieter and more comfortable than floor boards.
No, the 'film of dust' is still there regardless.
Agreed; however, as I said once you see it you won't be able to leave it that way, human nature…unless you're a total grot.
So you're back once again to the same previous arguments again that can go round and round all day.
Not if you get this bit:
there's no single answer, it's all your own regional climate & personal preference
It's only a circular argument if you keep raising moot points…
Something that hasn't been discussed is cork…
Yeah, that's because it's about as durable as…well, cork! Looks like shite about 5mins before you lay it! ;)
NONE OF THE ABOVE !!!!
Polished Concrete (includes resin overlay).
- Much cheaper. Per M2 at least twice as cheap as cheaper alternatives.
- Easy to clean. Vacuum, Mop or Garden Hose.
- Much Safer in the Long Run. Your kid falls over, they will hurt themselves more than on carpet or wood floors, hence they will naturally learn not to fall over, greatly improving dexterity and co-ordination.
- Does not stain (including blood stains). Don't like someone, murder them! clean the floor, no evidence.
That assumes a concrete substrate, however.
Love polish concrete. If I could build my perfect beach house. I would definitely have polished concrete.
However, having said that, I don't think polished concrete would look right in an older style house (eg Victorian) with detailed skirting board/architraves/cornices/ceiling roses…it's just a little out of place.
Much Safer in the Long Run. Your kid falls over, they will hurt themselves more than on carpet or wood floors, hence they will naturally learn not to fall over, greatly improving dexterity and co-ordination.
Dafuq??? You're clearly not a parent…or a really terrible one…your choice.
Well, he is a … naughty boy
That was his last DoCS case conference… :p
actually DOCS probably promoted him.
Create a poll so we can vote…
Consider tiling. I tiled my entire house (even the bedrooms) and am delighted with the result. Porcelain tiles with wear rating 4 are very tough. You can grind dirt and rocks against them without leaving a scratch (try that with laminate flooring). Very easy to clean and wonderful to walk on in summer. During winter I just use slippers. The only thing that threatens tiles is dropping sharp and heavy objects on them. Even then however it's not too difficult to replace a tile (unlike interlocking floorboards).
Everyone has different opinions and needs. I removed carpets 10 years ago and would never put them back… consider bamboo flooring for around $30-35 sqmlus installation…. much healthier as they don't collect dust and look fantastic…
Perhaps you should consider the insulating quality as well? I imagine carpet offers better insulation, but floorboards look better. If you are willing to keep the carpets clean then they are probably not going to cause any issues with allergies anymore than floorboards would. I don't know if there have been any studies about that though.
Aesthetics might be the only consideration here, if that is the case, it is really only a choice you can make.
Bit random
Anyone can recommend a good deal on laminated timber floor?
We are looking to install it to replace our carpet in the bedroom.
Thx
You might get more responses if you make a separate post in 'find me a bargain.'
Thank you for the advice.
i used laminate floor 7mm from bunning, it cost $21.08/2.13 SQM, very good imo
wow. much bargain.
Wow
That is a really bargain.
How much the bunning installatin cost per Sqm?
We got a laminated floor and bad thing is if get scratches then it gets ugly , yes you can see the dust but you always see the dust .. i would follow the suggestion of the post way above me … either a combination of rug and floor boards or a high quality carpet .. during winter floor boards are really cold so you really need a sock or slippers always … carpets are warm and comfy … if you worry about stain on carpets get a dark colored carpet
I have floorboards and a robot vacuum cleaner from Aldi last year. It's true that the dust floats on the floor but just set off the vacuum once every few days and voila! No problems.
I like carpet because it's warmer during winter, but the idea of all the dirt sitting in there is super off-putting.
Floorboards + robot vacuum = win :)
Ok, floorboards in main areas and carpet in bedrooms! Now for what is the best carpet. Who loves their carpet which doesn't show marks and cleans easily. I'm thinking I would be after a bone/beige colour. Have a wool berber that has done well for the last 20 years and still looks new in places, but worn in high traffic areas…needs to be replaced.
I ripped up my old carpet and had both floor boards and tiles laid down in different area of the house.
You should also consider tiles as a option, it very messy and alot of hard work to lay down compared to carpet/floor boards but it much harder wearing and less trouble free in the long run.
I'm considering to lay the tiles in the kitchen area for practicality.
lino is a good alternative to tiles for kitchens :)
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/130521#comment-1805128
Any one installed heating element under their tiles? This removes the "cold in winter" issue.
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carpet is more comfortable to lie and walk on in bare feet :)