Snooze2978

It's not my choice but what was here when I bought the house. My sewing room is in the basement divided into 2 main rooms. One side has this indoor/outdoor carpet glued to the concrete so its not coming off easy if I do chose to remove it. The other side is concrete but very uneven concrete. I should have had them level it especially where my quilt frame sits but of course hindsight. We also found out the floor in that section slanted downward at one end to almost 3 inch difference. Another thing we didn't realize until I had them add another doorway at that far end. That's when it was noticeable. Had to hike up the quilt frame quite a bit on that end to make it level. If I had my choice, I'd just go with all concrete as it's easier to clean, vacuum and so forth. I have a rubber mat in front of my quilt frame to stand on to make it easier on my feet and back.

KalamaQuilts

I've had laminate in the office for at least 15 years, no wear from chair rollers. I did get an area rug a few years ago just to wrarm up the area and so the chair didn't slide out from under me

If I were to design a quilt room from scratch I'd use laminate. I have low pile carpet there now and I wouldn't do carpet again, all the threads and pins and needles just make a nightmare for the vaccumn. I've been laying out quilts this morning to sell and the threads just keep coming and need to be picked off before photography. PITA.

I probably would put a small area quilt in front of the machine chair, just the eliminate the rollaway problem.

BonnieJP

My husband and I installed a hardwood floor in my sewing room. There's nothing like it for beauty, rich look, ease of maintenance, and longevity. My rolling sewing chair has not damaged the floor in the least, but if the floor were ever damaged it could be refinished to brand new condition because it's real wood.

JustGail

My vote is for a hard surface.
I have a low pile commercial type carpet, and while it looks mostly...OK*, it's not as easy to clean. I don't have a lot of space to maneuver a vacuum, a small dust mop would be easier and get into the nooks and crannies better. I can't hear when I drop small things, pins hide on it, threads stick to it, and it can be difficult to move the chairs while seated. The chair mat developed divots that made it impossible to move my chair that last inch to the most comfortable spot. Though to be fair, that might not be an issue if one of those glass, bamboo, or super-heavy duty plastic mats are used, not the cheaper one I had.

* the carpet is 20 years old, BUT - the first 16 years I was still working so it didn't get nearly as much use as it has in the last 4 yeas since I retired. It is showing wear in the doorway, and at the desk and sewing machine.
And I have to wonder "carpet saleslady"...perhaps she has an interest in steering you toward carpet (commission from that department, etc.). And IMHO, no carpet is easily cleaned if/when it needs more than a vacuuming.

b.zang

You can cover the carpet under your chair with one of those carpet protectors, but my reason for not using carpet is pins getting stuck in it. When we built my sewing room, I wanted dark laminate flooring so I can see pins more easily against the floor. I admit to being lazy and not always chasing down every pin the second I drop it so if I had carpet the odds would quickly stack in favour of me stepping on a pin that has made it's way into the carpet. At least on hard flooring they continue to lie flat until I pick them up. And honestly, I must drop pins without realizing because I usually "track" the dropped pin until I do fetch it but seem to find strays in odd places.

paddingtonbear

I’d definitely go for hard flooring. I currently have carpet and as everyone has said the pins and threads are a nightmare. My vacuum is excellent but it won’t pick up threads that seem to be ground in.

I have a heavy duty chair mat with studs and it still moves. Drives me batty.

KalamaQuilts

on Bonnie Hunter's blog this week she showed what her hardwood floors look like after the quilters have rolled around on them

paddingtonbear

Bonnie Hunter also says she swapped the wheels on her chairs to rubber ones (she gives a link) which was better for the floors.