Are there flooring types that can be installed over the top of carpeting? Maybe you live in a rental unit and aren't allowed to change things out. Or maybe you want a temporary fix or an easy way to refloor and covering carpet is of interest. We've researched to find out if there are flooring types that can be laid over carpet.
You're in luck, there are some types of flooring you can put over the carpet. Here is a brief list:
- Vinyl Planks
- Laminate Flooring
- Modular Square Carpet Tiles
- Interlocking Carpet Tiles
- Bump Top Plastic Flooring
We're going to look at each of these types of flooring and talk about what they are and why they will work over carpeting. We'll also answer questions about how to lay a floor over carpet, if you can lay flooring over the carpet underlay, and if wood flooring can be laid over carpet. Please keep reading to find out the details.
What Kind Of Flooring Can You Put Over Carpet?
There are a number of reasons why you might want to float a floor over carpeting. The biggest one is that you don't own the home or the apartment. In this case, you can change up the look without upsetting your landlord.
Or maybe you've pulled out some old soiled carpeting to find underpaid tacked to the subflooring. It seems like too much work to take all of that up if you can simply lay another surface over it. Whatever your reason, we have found some solutions.
Vinyl Plank Flooring Over Carpet
Because vinyl flooring locks into place with a simple tongue and groove construction, it can float above another flooring without the need for staples or adhesives. This makes it ideal to install above the carpet. It's relatively cost-effective too with the average price per square foot running around three dollars. This means for a 12 x 12 bedroom, you could have a new floor for as low as three hundred to five hundred dollars.
This gorgeous flooring works out to roughly three dollars per square foot. It's super luxurious looking. Click here for this on Amazon.
Laminate Flooring Over Carpet
Laminate flooring is similar to vinyl planks. It was created to simulate the look of real wood yet doesn't have the same warping, splitting, or drying out issues of real wood. It's also way more cost-effective with some laminates being as low as one dollar per square foot. If you found one of these low-end solutions, you could redo an average bedroom for about one hundred fifty dollars. And though laminate typically requires an underlay (if not part of the product), you won't need it when laying over the carpet.
A laminate installation kit will make your life a little easier when installing this type of flooring. Click here for this on Amazon.
Modular Square Carpet Tiles
There are different types of carpet square tiles that can be used to either carpet a tiled or hardwood space for added softness. However, they could also be used to cover a carpet that you're not allowed to remove but maybe don't like the color of. Many carpet tiles come with an adhesive backing.
Because of this, you'll need a layer between the existing carpet and the tiles. Otherwise, the adhesive could ruin the existing carpet. Plywood would work well in this situation, but so might a roll-out carpet underlay.
Click here for these carpet tiles on Amazon.
Interlocking Carpet Tiles
This is another type of carpet tile that slots together with interlocking edges. No adhesive is needed to lay these over another surface which makes them really ideal for covering up an existing ugly or soiled carpet.
Click here for these plush tiles on Amazon.
These types of interlocking styles are also available in foam that looks like wood and even fake grass. Something like that could be perfect in an old sunroom that has an outdated outdoor type carpet.
Click here for this on Amazon.
Bump Top Foam Tiles
If you're looking to change a carpeted space into a yoga or workout room, then you're probably aware of the foam flooring they use in gyms and at children's playrooms. Transform your extra bedroom from carpeted eyesore to practical gym with these easy-to-install foam flooring pieces.
Click here for these on Amazon.
If black isn't your style, there are brands like this in fun colors that would suit a children's play area. Just look for foam interlocking flooring.
Click here for these on Amazon.
How Do You Lay A Floor Over Carpet?
If you want to put different flooring over your carpeting, there are some considerations. Do you have a very high pile carpet or a low pile carpet? High pile carpets are going to create some instability and shift when you lay a new floating floor over them. In that case, you may want to put down some plywood as a layer between the carpet and the new flooring.
Thinner pile carpets can serve as a good underlay, but keep in mind any temporary flooring solution is never going to feel one-hundred-percent as stable as starting from the subfloor and building up.
We've got a great video for you here to give you an idea of how to proceed:
Can You Lay Vinyl Flooring Over Carpet Underlay?
If you're installing permanent vinyl flooring (versus the temporary solutions we've spoken about here), carper underlay is not ideal. It's triple to quadruple the thickness of vinyl flooring underlay and could create movement in your flooring. Over time, your planks could shift creating unevenness. Chances are you'll be left feeling dissatisfied if this happens.
However, if you're installing temporary flooring over a thin pile carpet with carpet underlay below it, it's a different story. Though the chance for shifting is just as great, your reaction might not be so dissatisfied since the overall look is so much better than what you needed to cover up.
Laminate flooring underlay is much thinner than carpet underlay and is your best bet when installing vinyl on top of subfloor (versus carpet). Click here for this on Amazon.
Can Wood Flooring Be Laid Over Carpet?
Wood flooring needs a very straight and level surface for installation. This helps it from dipping or squeaking or coming apart at the seams. Because carpet has pile and is very rarely totally level, installing expensive hardwoods over carpet is not a great idea. In absolutely ideal conditions it could be done, but why?
Not only would you risk the gorgeous hardwoods shifting, but the carpet could be a magnet for odors, mold, and mildew when trapped between layers of permanent flooring. For this reason, the experts say that while it could be done, it's not the best practice for your home interior.
Out With The Old, In With The New And Improved
There's no need to live with flooring you despise, even if you're in a rental. Hopefully, this post gave you some great ideas about how you can retrofit that ugly carpet. Carpet squares, vinyl flooring, or interlocking cushy foam squares are all truly solid options for a good temporary change.
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