Although a tile floor has a beautiful appeal, there are many reasons why you might consider making the transition to carpet. Carpet provides insulation under your feet, helps to save on energy, and making it more comfortable and warmer to walk on. It also feels great on the feet and is one of the easier types of flooring to replace. If you are ready to make the transition to carpet, can you put carpet over tile?
There is no need to tear out the old tile floor if you want to install carpet. Carpet can easily be installed directly over tile, although you will damage the tile to a certain extent near the edges of the room.
Although it would be nice to simply put down the carpet and eventually take it up to live on tile again, there is some damage that will take place because of the installation of the tack strip.
Tack Strip Installation
You actually have two options when it comes to the tack strip insulation. In either case, however, it is going to cause permanent damage to the tile floor. Here are your options:
Remove Tile at the Edge of the Room
One option, although not the easiest, is to remove 2 inches of tile from the edge of the floor. Doing so would allow you to attach the tack strip directly to the subfloor underneath. This is the option that will provide the most professional and seamless carpet installation.
Drill through the Tile and Attach the Tack Strip
Another option is to drill holes through the tile at the edge of the room to screw down the tack strip. This tends to be an easier option in comparison to removing the tile around the edge but you may need to adjust the baseboard to match the carpet height at the edge.
Some people are concerned about the added weight on the floor joists. This may be a problem if you are adding multiple subfloors or heavy flooring, such as tile or hardwood. In the case of adding carpet over tile, however, you are adding the minimum amount of weight and most floor joists will be able to easily handle it.
What Type Of Tiles Can You Put Carpet On?
Carpeting can successfully and beautifully be installed over any type of tile. There may be some preparation necessary, depending upon the type of tile you are using but there is rarely ever a need to remove the tile before installing carpeting.
There really is no difference between marble, granite, ceramic tile, or porcelain when it comes to the installation of carpet. All of them will provide a suitable subfloor for the carpeting that is being installed. One problem you may run into, however, is imperfections in the tile floor.
If the tile floor has wide, uneven grout lines, such as Mexican tile, then this could cause problems when you install carpeting. It may not be aesthetically noticeable, but you might feel the grout lines under your feet as you are walking across the carpet.
If you have any serious imperfections in the tile, such as large cracks, gaps, or a wide grout line, you may need to float the floor prior to installing the carpeting. This is an easy project, and it may make for a much better carpet installation.
Ardex produces a number of products, including a self-leveling underlayment. As the name would suggest, it can be applied to the floor and it seeks its own level. It’s a good option for covering over tile, including heavy grout lines, cracked tile, and imperfections. In the end, you will have a level, smooth subfloor that will make for a nice finished product after the carpeting is installed.
How Do You Put Carpet Over A Tile Floor?
The first and most important step in putting carpet over a tile floor is to prepare for the job. This would include removing furniture from the room, inspecting the floor for imperfections, gathering your tools, and cleaning the floor.
Step 1: Cleaning
You really can’t underestimate the importance of cleaning the tile floor before the carpet is installed. Anything that is not cleaned from the floor, including mold that may be in the grout lines will never be removed from under the carpet until the carpet is removed.
Step 2: Putting down the tack strip
The next step in the process is to put down the tack strip. A tack strip is a thin wood board with metal prongs that are extremely sharp. When the carpet is put over the tack strip, it will grip the carpet in place. Caution needs to be taken because those sharp points can also grip your fingers very easily. Wear heavy gloves and handle with care.
The tack strip can be installed in one of two different locations.
Attach the Tack Strip to the Subfloor
The preferred method is to chisel about 2 inches of tile from around the entire edge of the room. This will allow you to access the subfloor directly and put down the tack strip.
The reason why this is preferred is that it will make for a very seamless installation of the carpet. The carpeting will essentially disappear over the edge of the tile and under the baseboard. As long as you don’t cut too much tile from the edge, it will make for a very clean, seamless finish.
Attach the Tack Strip to the Tile
Although this is not the preferred method, it is much easier than chipping away at the tile around the entire edge of the room.
Drill down through the tile around the perimeter of the room and attach the tack strip with screws. This will allow you to screw the tack strip directly into the subfloor. You can also use nails that are provided with the strip if desired. It’s easier, and if the carpet is carefully put in place, it will make for a very neat job.
Step 3: Installing the underpadding
The next step is installing the underpadding, and there are many options available. The benefits of having quality padding cannot be underestimated. Here are some of the benefits for your consideration:
Comfort
A quality carpet padding makes the carpet feel soft under your feet. Choosing low-quality padding will likely cause problems as it will wear down in the high traffic areas.
Sound Insulation
Padding will also help to insulate sound. This is not only true of rooms that may be under the room with the carpet, it will also dampen the sound so it doesn’t carry through the rest of the home.
Air Quality
This is an often overlooked benefit of carpet padding. It helps to protect the home and the subfloor from microbes, reducing the possibility that they will grow and affect the health of your family.
Layout the carpeting and cut the edges with an additional 6 inches on all sides. Be cautious when using the utility knife to cut the carpeting and always cut away from your body. Be careful about the utility knife coming through the carpet backing and cutting your fingers.
Start on one side of the room by hooking the end of the carpet over the tack strip. You can set the carpet in place by using a kicker, which can be rented from almost any hardware store. At that point, stretch the carpet using a carpet stretcher toward the opposing wall and attach the carpet to the tack strip.
Carefully trim the excess carpeting and if necessary, use the carpet kicker to tighten up the carpet. The carpet should be attached to the tack strip on all sides of the room and a utility knife can be used to trim the excess. The baseboard should cover any imperfections.
What Should I Put Between Carpet And Tile
Although it is possible to put the carpet directly on the tile, it will make a much nicer job if you choose the proper backing.
Carpet padding, which is also known as carpet underlay provides a number of benefits when installing carpeting over tile. The main benefit is comfort but it also provides sound protection and improves the air quality of the room over time.
You can choose from a variety of types of carpet padding, as well as choosing from different quality. Although it is not always necessary to buy the highest quality carpet padding, you should opt for the best quality you can afford.
Low-quality carpet padding does not provide much comfort or sound insulation. It also tends to wear down quickly in high traffic areas, so any comfort that does exist when you first install the carpet over tile will quickly disappear. Carpet padding also makes up for any imperfections in the tile, such as grout lines that may otherwise be felt under your feet.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on March 19, 2021.
One other option for carpet padding is choosing a rubber pad. This is the best choice if you have allergies and it is also very durable. In addition, if there is a possibility of moisture, then a rubber pad may be the best choice for your home.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on March 19, 2021.