Wooden flooring

We have laminate flooring downstairs as it’s easier to clean than carpet when people and pets bring in mud, grass and suchlike. We do have doormats, boot scrapers, etc. But it didn’t seem to help!

We have one sitting room with good quality laminate, the other wood. We have rugs to muffle noise, look good and it looks warmer. But, it’s so much cleaner and easier than carpet, especially with children and dogs

We got new floors downstairs last year. The only downside I've found is that the dog's nails click very noisily on the wooden surface, which drives me mad - but that's just me.

On the other hand, it is very easy to keep clean and doesn't seem to show fluff etc as much the carpets did. And it's no colder than carpets.

We'd always had carpet, then four years ago we had to temporarily move into a rental property that had laminate flooring. I didn't expect to like it.
However I found it is really easy to keep clean: either sweep, vacuum or mop, quick to wipe up spills, less dust everywhere.
When we moved back home after seven months, we'd had laminate flooring fitted throughout. I did intend to have a rug in the lounge as well, but haven't done.
I wouldn't have carpet again.

Do you have original floorboards you can reveal and re-finish? I think that is the nicest.

You could do a combination by having laminate or wood laid, and then an area rug for the living room to soften the sound and make it cosier.
We have laminate and I find it great for cleaning, but noisy because of the dog. On my list when I get new furniture in the living room is a nice rug for underfoot.

I've got laminate downstairs and getting the bedrooms done later in the year.
I won't ever go back to carpet. It's so easy to keep clean.
Ours still looks like new and it must be at least 12 years since it was laid.
Make sure you get a good fitter.

We have laminate in our sitting room, it was here when we came, must have been cheap as it has worn quite badly at the doorway, the laminated top has gone, no way to repair it. We are talking about replacing it with wood.

There is a difference between laminate and real wood. Not so much in look, you can get some really good laminate now, but in the feel. I don’t wear shoes in the house when it’s warm and I like the feel of wood better. It can’t possibly be softer but it feels like it!
We have a very large rug in the sitting room to make it cosier.
We even have wood in our kitchen diner and utility room and it doesn’t look as good as new because wood does mark. Pulling chairs and tables around, things get dropped, however it just adds to its appeal in my opinion. It’s been down 16years now and I still love it.

I have laminate downstairs and I love it, it’s so easily cleaned and mines been down 16+ yrs. I have a large rug in the living room and the only carpet is in my bedroom.

When I moved into my bungalow two years ago, there was wall to wall carpet which was really worn. I decided to replace it all with laminate and I'm very happy with it. I have large rugs in my living room and the bedrooms. Laminate is easily cleaned and rugs are easier to change if worn or damaged. I don't find it cold at all

We have an old house, it came with wood floors everywhere. some floors were in poor condition and we covered them with engineered wood laminate. it looks absolutely right.

However I hate that plain wood floor with nothing on it look and every room, has at least one rug.

We have engineered wood floors with underfloor heating , so easy to wipe clean . No rugs as it is a trip hazard, but I would like one in the living area to break it up a bit
It’s amazing how much dust must be lurking in carpets and rugs when I see how much I can sweep up from this floor !

Interesting thread as DH and I are having the same conversation. May I ask those of you with dogs whether their nails etc scratch the surface?

We have engineered oak flooring. It feels natural and warm underfoot, compared to laminate, which I felt was much noisier, and looked and felt more 'man made' if you know what I mean.

It was oiled when it was fitted, and really could be done again now after nine years. BUT, it still looks good, and cleans up a treat with the squirt and mop Method.

Dogs claws can scratch, if they are allowed to chase and rough house indoors, so can moving furniture, however, spills, puppy accidents, hold no fears for me, and can be cleaned away with no problems.

Another thing to think of, and this was of importance to me, was the WIDTH of the floorboards. I chose the widest board width, which I feel gives a different look.

A really nice rug, lovely if you have dogs, will give a cosy feel.

I would never now go back to carpets, unless for whatever reason I never had animals.

NotSpaghetti

Do you have original floorboards you can reveal and re-finish? I think that is the nicest.

That’s what we did, NotSpaghetti. I hired a sander and did the work myself on our ground floor over a couple of weeks. Both DDs paid someone else to do the same, and it wasn’t expensive. We’re all more than happy with the results. Any marks just add character. A bonus was that the hot water pipes running under the floors gave us free underfloor heating.

It’s so much cleaner, even though we’ll keep a very large rug in the front room while we still have toddler DGS. We’ve kept the carpets upstairs though - I know from being down in the cellar when DH is clomping walking around in the kitchen just how much noise can be generated downwards.

We have laminate down stairs and carpets on the stairs/landing and bedrooms.
Give me laminate all day long.
I think they are more hygenic too.

We moved to a new house 12 years ago and had a wooden floor fitted in lounge and dining room. We have a lot of insulation in the floor (new building regs) and the wood isn’t cold or noisy to walk on.

Some tips. Get an experienced wood floor layer to do this. We did in our previous house, but here the company that did it here didn’t have much idea ?. Don’t have a varnished finish but have oiled wood, that you can re-oil every few years. Varnish wears off and is a faff to sand and redo. For preference now I would choose engineered wood, won’t warp or shrink in central heating.

We have largish Turkish heavy rugs in centre of room, not slip hazard and doesn’t look bare. All very easy to clean.

At my house I had Amtico laminate flooring in the Through Lounge. This made life so much easier when my g.children were smaller, as the rear of that was the dining area. and the doors to the garden. I was able to relax, not worry about anything being spilt or brought in from the garden, as laminate was so very easy to keep clean

When I moved at end of 2019 into my flat, it had fitted carpet throughout (I mean, throughout) had to remove that from both bathrooms!!). I said I would give myself a year there to decide if I wanted to re-carpet the large Living/Dining room or go with laminate again, By half way through that year I had decided to go with Laminate again. I found carpet was difficult to keep really clean, and when I spilt a milkshake on it, it took me over a week with daily cleanings to get the smell of stale milk out. It never felt really clean to me.

Had a beautiful Karndean Laminate flooring laid in there and in the spacious hallway,. So very much happier with that. I do have one rug on it, in the Lounge part of the room. This has a lifetime (its - not mine) guarantee with a certificate which can pass on to whoever lives in the flat after me).

Carpets for me are something only required in the bedrooms, no where else.

We have engineered wood. It was expensive and is wonderful. It is lovely underfoot (but we also have underfloor heating) and looks great (our build is 10 years old and we laid it ourselves as part of that)
www.kahrs.com/en-gb/

I think if you don't want to spend on engineered wood (I am not as obsessed about wood as DH!) then look carefully at laminate. Although it has come on a lot, I would have said that it is much less forgiving of scratches than real wood (though see Franbearn)
I also think that you can do a cost-benefit around how long you expect it to last, compared to carpet.
Franbearn - I am interested in your experience of Karndean Laminate. Although we are unlikely to replace our wood, people often ask us how it compares to laminate.

We have wooden flooring in lounge and hall, really like it. Our only carpets are in the bedrooms, DH wanted carpets, I didn’t. Would much prefer laminate, easier to clean, looks smarter, and more modern.

Nannarose, just to say that when i moved out of my house, the Amtico Laminate flooring in the through lounge was sixteen years old. Looked just as wonderful as when first laid. Was a real selling point for my house.

I have heard people say about worrying about scratches on Laminate and can only say, that I have never had any problems in this regard.

At least with laminate I can easily move furniture such as my TV table and my electric sofa and armchair. On the carpet I was totally unable to move these at all, which meant I could never clean under them.

When we moved to a 3yr old new build there was engineered wood throughout downstairs. The owners dog had already caused scratches and surface was going bare in places. Ten yrs on I hate the floor. With our dogs making more scratches, and general wear it's a nightmare to maintain.
I'm thinking of putting down tiles in hall and kitchen/diner. Wood never again!

Well, wooden floors seem to everyone's preference, bar 1.
Notspaghetti, unfortunately I have concrete floors.
Thanks everyone for your input, I will have a look at some of the manufacturers named.