Advice on flooring

[Pugwash]

I am considering replacing my old lounge carpet - which is now wearing a bit thin having been laid in 1975. (It was an Axminster)

My lounge is 16 x 20 feet - I was quoted ?2500 for wooden flooring. underlay and fitting. For a decent carpet and underlay and fitting the cost would be roughly the same.

A work colleague told me about engineered or veneered wood flooring which is between laminate and wooden - anyone ever had this?

We have cats, young children/teenagers and heavy furniture in the lounge so want something that can take the rough and tumble and not scratch. A click system so that we could take up easily for any under floor repairs. Do not want to go for sanding as cellar is underneath lounge and a bit drafty.

I noticed some engineered flooring in B & Q which ranged from ?34 - ?54 per sq metre - they also offeredfloor layers.

[Curmudgeon]

You think a decent carpet and underlay would be ?2500 - I suggest you try warehouse carpets in Brockley and do not go for all wool because it will not withstand your needs and is not easily cleaned

Click and lock is a decent enough option as an option but isn't easy to take up again

[MrBen]

Depends what look and feel you want. I'm not a fan of carpet for main rooms (bedrooms perhaps). Good engineered wood flooring is great - if you get something thick enough it feels and looks just the same as solid wood flooring but without the fitting hassles of a solid wood floor. It's also more stable and less prone to warping.

[ratty]

Good god, we have just been through this after a flood. We had solid oak which warped horrendously and had to be glued to the sub floor. We looked at engineered as a replacement but were also warned of the dangers of warping if it gets wet.

In the end we went for Amtico. Worth checking out!

[Jeremy]

Pugwash Wrote:

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> For a decent carpet and underlay and fitting the cost

> would be roughly the same.

That doesn't sound right, you can do a two bed flat (nice quality wool carpet) for that amount.

[Lynne]

Yes, that sounds a bit steep for carpet. I suggest you shop around. The shop in Forest Hill is good for advice too. Carpets are quieter and warmer, both considerations for children/draughty Victorian houses

[Nigello]

What about seagrass and its ilk? It's durable, easy to lay and affordable (but some say don't lay it on stairs lest it gets slippery with use).

[Pugwash]

The price for carpet was based on an Axminster type replacement so easily the most expensive - the one we are replacing was laid in January 1975 when we moved into the house and is now only just wearing thin. The quote was from EJ carpets in Forest Hill. We had stair and hallway carpeting from them and it came just over ?1200 with fitting and underlay. If we were going for carpet I imagine it would be around ?1200 - ?1800.

What is Amtico?

I was shown an alternate which is laid on plywood and was like a superior vinyl. Only thing was if you had any rewiring would have to take the whole lot up.

has anyone used B & Q engineered wood and their floor layers?

[MrBen]

I've just replaced a solid oak wood B&Q floor (which was excellent and lasted 8 years until a flood from flat above) with 21mm thick engineered wide oak planks from V4 - see: http://www.v4woodflooring.co.uk/wood-flooring-collection/eiger-collection/. And it looks great.

Most solid wood flooring is fine if you just let it acclimatise to your house for 5-7 days before its cut and fitted. If you go engineered its can be just as good - just go thick and get quality.

I've laid another floor ( this time a suspended ground floor in a house) with 18mm ply and reclaimed herringbone parquet which looks amazing and will add value.

I've used stain treated seagrass recently on stairs and a whole floor of a house and despite what they say about stairs it's fine and gives you more grip than polished wood or carpet if you get the right weave (go for a small "boucle" grid weave). I've also found seagrass looks great and helps with acoustics.

But I sense you might be happier with a replacement carpet in which case your range of 1 to 1.8k sounds about right.

[Sue]

Nigello Wrote:

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> What about seagrass and its ilk? It's durable,

> easy to lay and affordable (but some say don't lay

> it on stairs lest it gets slippery with use).

xxxxxx

Hell to clean, and goes into holes at the edges of stairs .....

ETA: Ooops sorry just seen Mr Ben's post ....

[Lin Henden]

Probably would be the same price to go for proper flooring from the guy in Earls Court rd. Wood floors Wow!

[Lin Henden]

If you want wooden flooring then it would be worth your while to go for the best. Get the guys in Earls Court Road to give you a quote before you do anything becaust they are tops with advice.

[DaveR]

Bamboo. Hard as nails, cheap as chips (comparatively) and eco-friendly.

[Seabag]

Bamboo, Oak or Iroko

All lovely, but something a little loveless about bamboo

[Salsaboy]

Why not glue squares of carpet to your feet. Cheapest option and carpet wherever you go in the house!

[red devil]

:) Viztastic tip SB...

[Salsaboy]

Probably where I saw it years ago, before they sold out.

[uncleglen]

I've got sisal in some areas (not stairs though because they are next to the neighbour) and it is fairly hard to vacuum but lovely to walk on barefoot. When I first was looking into this I did seriously consider this

http://www.karndean.com/en/floors

[mima08]

We put bamboo down in our lounge and a number of bedrooms and love it. Very, very hard wearing, 5 yrs on, it looks like new despite heavy traffic. Not all bamboo is the same quality, the strip-glued type seems less strong, we have something called strand woven. Laid on top of the original floorboards, with underlay, it does a great job of insulating.

We used this company - and I know our builder has recommended them (after coming across them via us) to quite a few of other clients: http://www.bambooflooringcompany.com/all-flooring/strand-woven-flooring/

good luck!

[Pugwash]

95% sure am going for wooden flooring - will be trying the Flooring Place in the Industrial Unit off Stanstead Road for a quote re engineered wood. We have original floorboards in dining room and breakfast room which are easy to keep clean with 3 cats around. Also I want to downsize when I retire in a couple of years (hubby wants to stay here) so thinking wooden flooring is more likely to appeal to buyers than carpet. The first thing you usually want to do is get rid of the carpet when you first move into somewhere new especially where animals are concerned.

Need to decide soon as being redecorated from 19th Sept by son in law and his friend who are taking a week off work each to do the work.

[azurh]

My gosh... i have just had the 4 bedrooms 2 passages and a staircase carpeted in thick carpet and thick underlay.. from carpet giant for ?2k! and my laminate cost ?900... you need to shop around.

[Pugwash]

Both of my daughters have laminated floors in their lounges and dining rooms. Youngest daughter's has several deep scratches where heavy furniture has rested and coming apart in certain areas. Both complain that surface is easily marked and scuffed. They have friends who have gone for wooden floors and they do not seem to have the same problems.

[chica9]

Pugwash - which place off Stanstead road do you mean?

[Pugwash]

Settled on engineered wood flooring from Mafkildea Unit 11 Malham Road Industrial Estate. SE23. Recommended by a work colleague who used them for her kitchen/dining room and has ordered more stuff to do other rooms.

Very helpful staff member who also put me in touch with floor layer who did measuring up. Everything was delivered within 2 days of ordering and being fitted this week.

[chica9]

Thanks Pugwash, will check them out!