Carpet floors can be an inconvenience to work with, especially if you are renting, but they do not have to be! If you lay temporary flooring over the carpet, you can have beautiful, easily installed new floors while saving the carpet beneath. How do you do this? Do you have to live with the old carpet in your rental property if it cannot be replaced? Certainly not! Your property deserves beautiful floors! You can do it! A tongue and groove installation process locks the planks together and allows laminate and vinyl planks to float over subfloors. The planks do not require any adhesives, nails, or staples to secure them to the ground.
In this guide, you’ll learn what to bear in mind when selecting a temporary floor, the pile height of carpet you’re working with, and how to complete the job and install your flooring correctly.
The effect of carpet pile height on temporary flooring.
Is there much to be learned about your carpet? If you don’t like it, then cover it! In truth, there’s more to the matter than just covering the rug; it’s all down to its plushness or pile height.
Carpet with a low pile
There is not much padding beneath your step in the case of a carpet tile or a thin carpet with a low pile, so you do not need to worry about the floor’s stability. This is not the case with the high bank, thickly padded carpet. Because of this, working with plush carpets requires specific steps to be taken.
Using high pile carpet
Carpet padding adds a nice squish to your steps, but it may also unlock your interlocking planks. If you don’t want the floorboards to move while you walk, we recommend using a 14″ sheet of plywood between the carpet and the planks. This will prevent the planks from moving and unlocking.
How can you choose temporary flooring?
The right temporary flooring can give your space a new lease of life without breaking the bank or taking hours to tear out the carpet. Vinyl and laminate are the most popular types of flooring floating over the rug, as they are affordable and feature an interlocking system for installation.
Vinyl Planks
Planks of vinyl are designed to mimic hardwood floors and come in various wood-look textures, including wire-brushed, hand-scraped, and distressed. Thanks to its layers of solid material, vinyl planks are renowned for their durability. Vinyl flooring is easy to maintain, whether temporary or permanent, since most water-resistant options. And many of them are fully waterproof, yes, 100% waterproof! You don’t have to worry about cleaning your floors since vinyl is easy to maintain. All you need to do is vacuum your foot every so often and mop it with a damp cloth.
Vinyl flooring cutting:
- If your flooring product has specific cutting instructions, make sure you follow them.
- A sharp utility knife should be used to score the mark where the plank should be cut.
- Cut your plank using a tile cutter or snapping it at the scored line.
Laminate Flooring
As the first manufactured alternative to natural wood, laminate flooring is synthetic materials. With reclaimed, weathered, and distressed wood styles, this flooring quickly gained popularity as manufacturers created increasingly realistic-looking wood floors. Although laminate has not gained as much market share as vinyl, it is becoming more popular. Moreover, laminate floors are scratch-resistant, making them excellent for high-traffic areas or homes with kids or pets. Water doesn’t seep through the planks if installed correctly. It’s not 100% waterproof.
And best of all, the laminate is easily maintained. Spill-prone areas can be cleaned up simply by sweeping or mopping up spills. Flooring does not need to be waxed.
How to cut laminate flooring?
- Make sure you follow the cutting instructions for your particular flooring product before cutting the planks.
- Use chalk or a pencil to mark where the plank will be cut.
- The finished side of the plank should be facing up when cutting it with a table saw, a miter saw, a circular saw, or a handsaw.
Read More: What Is Skater Boy Style? Everything You Need To Know About Skater Boy Style
Can carpet be laid over a peel-and-stick floor?
It is possible to install lamination or vinyl planks first before having to take off the carpet. It will, however, depend on the kind of carpet. You might be possible to place your flooring straight across one of these carpets with a low pile and a thinner pile if you possess one.
Installing floating floors over carpeting
Ensure you have the right tools for installing the floor before you begin.
- Tape measuring device.
- Pen.
- Utility knife (for cutting vinyl planks).
- Ruler.
- Rubber mallet.
- As well as a tapping block.
- Spacers.
- Cut vinyl or laminate planks with a tile cutter or a table saw.
- Plywood (optional, for high-pile carpeting).
Installing plywood over a high-pile carpet is highly recommended. Plywood should be laid over the plush carpet to face the opposite direction from where the floor will go. Tape the plywood sheets together at the seam if you plan to use more than one sheet.
Let’s put the flooring down!
- Vacuum the carpet to provide a clean starting surface and remove all furniture and items from the room. Removing the baseboards will give a more finished appearance.
- Put spacers between the planks and the wall. Ensure an expansion gap of 14″ from the border with your spacers.
- Work from left to right, starting with the first plank in the corner. Align the seams of the first row after connecting the tongues and grooves.
- Suppose you run out of space; mark and cut the next plank according to the distance between the wall and the last plank. Please see the sections above for instructions on cutting laminate and vinyl since each requires a different approach.
- Start your next row with the leftover ends at least six inches long to stagger the planks and create a more natural wood floor appearance.
- Use the rubber mallet to tap the planks into a locked position, continue moving along the room, and ensure that all the seams are tightly fitted. Add spacers every few feet around the flooring edges and remove them when finished.
In a matter of minutes, you have a brand new floor over your old carpet.
What type of flooring can go over the carpet?
Several flooring options can cover the carpet, including laminate, engineered hardwood, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), and floating floor systems. Laminate flooring is made from composite materials and can mimic the look of natural wood or stone. Engineered hardwood is a real wood flooring option that is more stable and less likely to expand or contract in varying weather conditions than solid hardwood.
LVT is a type of vinyl flooring that is durable and easy to maintain, and it also comes in various patterns and colors to suit your style. Floating floor systems are made from engineered hardwood, laminate, or LVT and are not attached to the subfloor. Instead, they are “floated” over the carpet, creating a stable surface that is easy to install.
Regardless of the type of flooring you choose, it is important to ensure that the carpet is clean and smooth before installation. Any bumps or dips in the carpet should be removed or leveled out, and any loose or frayed carpet should be secured. Additionally, the carpet should be vacuumed thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris that could interfere with the adhesion of the new flooring. By carefully considering the type of flooring you want, as well as the condition of the carpet, you can choose the right solution for your home renovation project.
Final thoughts
It must be a great feeling to remodel your floor without destroying your carpet. You can get the job done and lay your new flooring today using the right flooring, tools, and surfaces.