Can I leave old carpet down as underlay?
His answer has always been, and will always be, ABSOLUTELY NOT! Underlay has properties which make it perfect for laying underneath the carpet, and normal carpet does not have these properties. Firstly, the installation may fail as the gripper rods can't grip through the old carpet as well as the new.
Can you lay carpet over existing carpet?
If you decide to go the tack route, and are laying a new carpet over an existing carpet, you must remove two inches of the existing carpet around each edge to make room for a new tack strip. If there is no room for a new tack strip, concrete nails are a good alternative in addition to carpet glue.
Can you lay floor over carpet?
The most common type of floors floated over carpet are vinyl and laminate, given they are budget-friendly and feature a simple interlocking system of installation.
What can you use instead of underlay for carpet?
The answer ultimately depends on the type of carpet you intend to install. Carpets with felt, rubber felt or foam backings don't strictly require underlay because they have their own built-in protective layer, which doubles as a (very) thin layer of underlay.
Can I use old carpet as underlay for laminate flooring?
Although re-using your underlay may be appealing, using a carpet underlay with laminate flooring will cause problems in the long run. Carpet underlay is usually much thicker than laminate underlay. It's usually around 10mm thick, whereas laminate underlay is usually around 3mm thick.
How many years does carpet underlay last?
Foam and Felt underlay can last up to 8-12 years. However, if foam underlay isn't properly installed or maintained, it lasts only 5 years. Acoustic and rubber underlay have the longest lifespan, lasting 10-20 years. Acoustic underlay is commonly installed for commercial offices to reduce noise obstruction.
Can you join 2 pieces of carpet together?
Sometimes when we are installing your carpet, it isn't wide enough and we need to join two pieces of carpet together so that it all fits perfectly. This is what we call a 'seam join' and this video shows you how our installation experts complete seam joins, so you can understand the process.
Can I reuse my carpet?
As long as the carpet is clean, you can reuse it. After you remove old carpet from one room, you can actually install it in another room in your house if desired. This is a great option if you're removing carpet from a low-traffic room.
Should carpet be glued to the floor?
"If it's spray adhesives it's ok. If the carpet is going down with underlay then they should use grippers." "If you are having a feltback carpet fitted the fitter will use a spray adhesive around the perimeter of the room, this can easily be pulled back to gain access if needed."
Can I put plywood over carpet?
You may choose to put plywood over carpet to provide stabilization under rubber or foam interlocking mats, or, to help in connecting snap-together tiles. Greatmats has flooring tiles that can be installed over an existing carpeted subfloor, like modular tiles, home gym rubber tiles, playroom puzzle mats, and more.
Can you lay carpet straight onto concrete?
There is nothing to prevent you laying a carpet on top of a floor made of concrete, but as you can see, it is a bit more challenging than other types of floor surface. It is advised to hire a professional flooring firm instead of attempting it yourself, as this will make the process a lot easier.
Does carpet need subfloor?
No matter if your carpet has a high or low pile or it is thick and plush, you will still definitely need an underlayment. Commonly known as padding or cushion, it helps protect the rug from wearing against a bare floor and cushions the impact of furniture and foot traffic.
What can I use as underlay?
PU foam is very popular choice as it gives a lovely soft feeling underfoot. Offering impressive heat and sound insulation, polyurethane underlay is made from recycled furniture foam, so it's an environmentally friendly choice which can be recycled again after use.
Can I lay a carpet without grippers?
It is recommended that you use grippers for most carpets that use an underlay. You can lay carpet without grippers, but it won't retain its shape and lay as well as a properly stretched carpet. You can use a strong double-sided tape for underlay and carpet but this isn't an ideal solution.
Is underlay more important than carpet?
You may think the carpet itself is more important, but carpet underlay is just as important as the carpet itself. It's easy to forget about because it's not visible after installation, but it actually plays an essential role throughout your carpet's life.
Can you use carpet underlay for wood flooring?
It's worth noting that the underlay used for carpets and wood flooring are not the same. Carpet underlay is typically much thicker, which is why it's known for being particularly expensive. Using a similar product for wood floors would make them uneven and creaky.
Is 12mm underlay too thick?
How Thick? A maximum of 12mm is recommended as working with gripper rod becomes difficult if any thicker, but rooms with heavy traffic will need a thinner denser underlay. The combination of thickness and density is all important as a thick underlay with a low density may not perform well.
Can I use carpet underlay for vinyl?
Vinyl floors.
The short answer is no. No underlay is required for a vinyl floor is you are installing your new floor on a smooth surface.
Can carpet underlay be too thick?
This may seem thin, but using thick underlay will create too much bounce when people walk on it and cause the floor to move underfoot.
Is carpet underlay breathable?
Quality felt underlay will allow for air to circulate between the fibres, allowing the carpet to breathe and prevent any moisture building up within the carpet which may result in mildew growth without this circulation.
Can you use underlay twice?
No, it is not recommended to install a thick or double layer of underlayment with laminate flooring. Underlayment is manufactured and meant to be used as only a single layer to allow your floor to be balanced and float properly.
Is carpet glued or stapled?
Direct glue down installation is the most popular carpet installation in commercial settings. In this type of installation, the carpet is glued directly to the floor. The floor needs to be very smooth. Any imperfections in the floor will telegraph through the carpet and be visible.
Is it OK to have different carpet in different rooms?
Yes, it's absolutely okay to use different types of flooring in different rooms of your home. In fact, it's a common and practical design choice.
Where not to put carpet seams?
Try to have them placed in non-traffic areas, under a bed or under a sofa etc. Try to not have any cross seams (at right angles) unless it is a shag. It is also important to attend the initial carpet measure and discuss the placing of the seams as part of the overall quote for the job.
Is it OK to reuse carpet padding?
Unless the pad is very new, yes, it should be replaced. A quality padding is critical to the life and feel of your carpet.
What can old carpet be used for?
A general rule is to replace your carpets when they pose health risks like harboring mold or allergens. However, if your carpets have just a few stains, you can likely get professional cleaning help to restore them to their original glory.
Is it better to clean or replace carpet?
Carpet flooring comes in three basic types of pile: cut pile, loop pile and a cut and loop pile combination. You can significantly narrow down your options by focusing your search on one type of carpet pile based on the pros and cons of each.
What are the three 3 types of carpet?
Can you install carpet yourself? Yes, you definitely can. If you are a competent DIYer with all the tools (or access to rentals), you can save money by installing your own wall-to-wall carpet.
What are the disadvantages of carpet flooring?
In fact, carpets can do a great job protecting hardwood floors because they're not exposed to the elements and won't be damaged by people walking all over them. Hardwood floors can be damaged only during carpet installation or if the carpet gets saturated with liquid.
Can I lay carpet myself?
In some cases, the use of underlayment may be required to satisfy the product warranty. Plywood underlayment is typically needed when a floor material must have a very smooth, flat surface.
Why do people put carpet over wood floors?
If the carpet is not thick and has a low carpet pile, then you should be able to install the hardwood flooring directly on top of the carpet. Low pile carpet is thinner, with very little padding. You'll often find low pile carpet in commercial settings.
Why put plywood under carpet?
Lay Out The Under Padding
Best Underlayment with moisture barrier is essential to a good carpet Install, a good pad not only feels good under foot, but helps keep a concrete pad warm and helps make your carpet last longer!
Can I put wood on top of carpet?
Before installing any glue down carpet, the concrete floor must be clean and dry, as well as fully cured. The concrete can't have any chips or cracks allowed.
What should I put between carpet and concrete?
As concrete is a cold hard surface and a carpet creates a warm layer on top, there is a danger of condensation and damp forming on the underside of the carpet. For the best results, invest in a good-quality synthetic underlay to provide extra cushioning and a barrier between your carpet and the floor.
Can you glue carpet to concrete?
Subfloor is the solid material beneath your floor covering. It's attached to your home's floor joists and acts as a base for your finished flooring, such as carpet, hardwood, laminate or tile.
What goes between concrete and carpet?
Carpets also need to 'breathe'; air needs to be able to move over and through. The carpet under the mat will stay in a 'time capsule' and not change. Over a period of time this may create a “footprint.” This is an outline where the mat sits that is generally permanent.
What is the floor under carpet called?
If you install a ceramic tile floor, a level subfloor is essential to prevent tile cracking. Another function of subflooring is to protect your surface floor against moisture damage and mold in a damp environment. Electrical wiring and plumbing pipes may be run through the subfloor.
Does carpet need to breathe?
The best underlayment for carpet on concrete is a sponge rubber underlayment. This type of carpet padding is durable enough to endure wear and tear on hard concrete yet soft enough to provide comfort underfoot.
Do I really need a subfloor?
Without underlayment to add a layer between these damp subfloors and the surface flooring, your laminate can quickly become wet, warped, and mildewy, harming its overall integrity. Moisture over time can also break down floor adhesive which causes the floor to start warping.
Can you put carpet underlay on concrete?
Some laminate flooring planks come with the underlayment attached to each plank. Underlayment is not optional. If your laminate planks don't have it already attached, we recommend that you buy rolls of underlayment on which to install your laminate floor.
What happens if you don't use underlay?
"If it's spray adhesives it's ok. If the carpet is going down with underlay then they should use grippers." "If you are having a feltback carpet fitted the fitter will use a spray adhesive around the perimeter of the room, this can easily be pulled back to gain access if needed."
Can you lay flooring without underlay?
Simply put, carpet padding will help your carpet last longer. Carpet cushion or padding works to protect the under layer of your home's carpet from wearing against the base floor the carpet lays on top of. It also protects the top layer of your carpet from furniture indentations and the wear and tear of foot traffic.
Should carpet be glued to the floor?
Carpet can be glued onto all types of floor so long as you have the right glue and primer (if necessary). This practice is mostly reserved for home owners, as removing the glue in the event of later renovation work can be tedious and may leave marks.
Do you need foam under carpet?
Thickness and density
It goes without saying that the more there is of a particular underlay, the more you can expect it to cost. This applies to both thickness and density. Thicker products quite clearly mean more material has been used to produce it, which means a higher cost. But density plays a huge part too.
Is carpet glued to the floor?
Can you use carpet underlay for laminate flooring? Although re-using your underlay may be appealing, using a carpet underlay with laminate flooring will cause problems in the long run. Carpet underlay is usually much thicker than laminate underlay.
Why is underlay so expensive?
Yes you can lay carpet over floorboards. It's completely standard.
Can you use carpet underlay for laminate?
This goes to show that you shouldn't always assume that thicker is better. 9-10mm carpet underlays are usually good all-rounders that can be installed in all areas of the home, including stairs and hallways.
Can you put carpet on floor boards?
So generally speaking 7mm is about as thin as you want to go unless you have a specialist need for something thinner, but 8-12mm is the band most manufacturers produce carpet underlay with and its perfect for any room and any carpet. So go thicker if you can afford it!
What is the best underlay for hardwood floors?
It's worth noting that the underlay used for carpets and wood flooring are not the same. Carpet underlay is typically much thicker, which is why it's known for being particularly expensive. Using a similar product for wood floors would make them uneven and creaky.
Is 10mm carpet underlay good?
In short, vinyl flooring itself can be completely self sustainable and does not require an underlayment to function properly. Another reason underlayments may be suggested for vinyl flooring is if the vinyl flooring type is thin. When the vinyl flooring is thin, it becomes a lot easier to flex and bend.
Is 12mm carpet underlay good?
Any carpet underlay 11mm or over sits at the top end of the market and offers a real sense of luxury. Thick carpet underlay like this is best suited to areas with low foot traffic, like bedrooms and living rooms. They shouldn't really be installed on stairs as they can be a safety/trip hazard.
Can you use carpet underlay for wooden flooring?
In humid areas, the underlay will start to absorb the moisture within the room and, over time, give off a damp and musty odour. Therefore, to protect your carpet underlay against humidity and dampness, it's worth buying a dehumidifier to take away any excess moisture in the room.
Can you lay vinyl flooring without underlay?
What is the difference between underlay and carpet?
Is 12mm carpet underlay too thick?
Will carpet underlay dry?
Does carpet underlay absorb water?
Although a typical carpet underlay will last somewhere between 10 and 25 years, we would always recommend installing new underlay every time you replace your carpets.
Do I need new underlay when replacing carpet?
If you're upgrading your flooring, you usually need to replace the underlay. Using carpet underlay that's well-worn is more likely to wear out faster – especially in high traffic areas – and cause your carpet to wear down unevenly.