Flooring help - cork? jute rug??

**lisbet** · 16-01-2013, 01:52 PM

We have hard floors downstairs except for a large rug in the sitting room for the children to sprawl on. It is looking really old and tired and I'm feeling embarrassed about Mrs O seeing it next week for pre-reg, not to mention prospective parents!

Eventually I would really like to have cork flooring instead, but that will take some lengthy saving. Does anyone have this, and would you recommend it? Also, can it be steam cleaned (hoping to save up for one of those as well!)

In the meantime I can afford a jute rug from Ikea, which I think will look great in the sitting room, but I am not sure about it being kind to baby knees, or whether it will be too 'bobbly' for building towers of bricks etc on?..I could possibly lay a playmat or rug over it whilst I have small mindees here...hmmm....Anyone have one of these? Do you find it's suitable for a small children's play space?

Or anyone have any recommendations for bargain rugs that have that 'natural' fibre look???

**dette** · 16-01-2013, 01:57 PM

a friend of mine had a jute rug.it looked lovely but...her LO did a poo on it and stood in it eeewwww it went into all the gaps and had to be picked out with a tiny toothbrush.i cant look at them now without thinking about that.sorry no advice on alternatives just thought i would share that with you

**Dragonfly** · 16-01-2013, 02:18 PM

I have oak floors, so during childminding hours I put down a road mat, a hopscotch mat and a snakes and ladder mat. Blumming cold sitting on the floor this time of year even with the heating on.(use a wood burner at weekends

) but I wouldn't use a jute rug to bobbly.

**sarah707** · 16-01-2013, 06:37 PM

I think that it is best if the rug you choose is flat for model making and train tracks

**LauraS** · 16-01-2013, 06:47 PM

We had a jute rug a few years agora and they're nice to look at but that's about it. It's like sitting on brillo pad, the bare.floors are kinder to knees.

Ikea.do some.fairly economical soft ones too, as so dunelm mill?

**Beaka** · 16-01-2013, 07:00 PM

I got my playmat/rug from Ikea. It is fairly big, soft and flat and stays put on my laminate floor. Reasonably priced too. xx

**SJ35** · 16-01-2013, 07:09 PM

I've got half my playroom covered in the alphabet tiles. Nice and bright and colourful and very soft on my knees!! Takes a minute or two to put away if I need to and I've found it easy to clean x

**Little Pickles** · 16-01-2013, 07:42 PM

I have large bright coloured foam mats, they are warm , easy to clean ,soft on knees ( mine and LO 's ) and easy to clean ! They also pack away easy at the end of the week.
You can pick them up reasonably priced on eBay .... Also fab for little walkers as they give a soft landing , and flat so good for cars ,trains etc

**lisbet** · 16-01-2013, 11:00 PM

Thanks for the advice everyone - you have talked sense into me about style over substance (especially you, dette

)
and I shall keep my eye out for something practical

It'll probably be a year or two before I'll be in a position to buy it, but it would still be good to hear experiences of cork in the hall, sitting room and kitchen of a childminding house.

Not even had my pre-reg and childminding is taking over my house!

**singingcactus** · 17-01-2013, 06:37 AM

It sounds like it is an ethical rug you are after, so have you thought about a fairtrade shop. They sell beautiful, hand woven, rag rugs. Don't let the word rag put you off. You can find brightly coloured rugs, mine are amazing, and more neutral ones. They are made with recycled textiles, they are lovely and soft on knees, the makers get a fair price, and yet they are still very affordable.
As for model making, just get a board, (plywood, perspex, etc) to kay down on the floor for model making. Will help mark out the model making area too so the other kids don't accidentally knock the models over.

Just wondering about the cork flooring, will it feel like a cork board? Is it that type of cork? Will the kids not be unable to resist the temptation to pick it? I know whenever you see corkboards that kids have access to, you see areas where some kids have sunk their nails in and ended up picking it. Cork is such a lovely sensory material, it would be a huge temptation I would think.

**lisbet** · 17-01-2013, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by singingcactus

It sounds like it is an ethical rug you are after, so have you thought about a fairtrade shop. They sell beautiful, hand woven, rag rugs. Don't let the word rag put you off. You can find brightly coloured rugs, mine are amazing, and more neutral ones. They are made with recycled textiles, they are lovely and soft on knees, the makers get a fair price, and yet they are still very affordable.
As for model making, just get a board, (plywood, perspex, etc) to kay down on the floor for model making. Will help mark out the model making area too so the other kids don't accidentally knock the models over.

Just wondering about the cork flooring, will it feel like a cork board? Is it that type of cork? Will the kids not be unable to resist the temptation to pick it? I know whenever you see corkboards that kids have access to, you see areas where some kids have sunk their nails in and ended up picking it. Cork is such a lovely sensory material, it would be a huge temptation I would think.

Thanks for these suggestions

The cork flooring tiles/ boards would be sealed, so it would be smooth and waterproof. I don't think I'd be able to resist picking plain cork either!

**mama2three** · 17-01-2013, 10:31 AM

just looked up cork flooring and it sounds perfect for a cm setting - As a flooring material, cork is acclaimed for its durability, resiliency, and comfort. Corks natural properties allow it to bounce back from small damage where other materials would scratch and crack. Cork is also a naturally water resistant material. This makes it an intelligent option for bathroom and kitchen renovations. This water resistant feature also makes cork resistant to mildew and mould

**RainbowDrops** · 17-01-2013, 11:11 AM

I have cork flooring in one room and its so disappointing. It was expensive and meant to be water resistant but its not. It doesn't scratch and its easy to clean but spilt water totally ruins it

**lisbet** · 17-01-2013, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by RainbowDrops

I have cork flooring in one room and its so disappointing. It was expensive and meant to be water resistant but its not. It doesn't scratch and its easy to clean but spilt water totally ruins it

Oh, I'm sorry to hear it's not proved good value for you.

Thank you for sharing a real-life experience of it though. *hug*