What factors do you consider when looking for an appropriate floor? Things you should be keen on in your search for a floor include the floor’s safety; if it’s easy to clean, and how fast it gets dirty.
The floor’s appearance too is essential. There are different laminate floor types, including one with a smooth surface, a hard surface, and a warm surface with carpeting.
When it comes to deciding whether to put a carpet over laminate flooring, the decision-making process is often challenging. There are factors you need to consider to help you make the decision.
I have made the work easy for you by conducting tons of research and have come up with what you should consider. All you need to do is go through this comprehensive article. By the end, you will be well informed to make the decision.
Carpet over laminate flooring
It’s important first to understand how laminate flooring is installed to make it easy for you to decide. It is installed through the floating floor method.
This means that it is not attached to the floor below it. It works by attaching the board floor or the plank. Installing through the floating method has its own advantages.
How Laminate Flooring is Installed
One of them is the floor is free to expand and contract without affecting the floor. You will not have to worry about the floor changing its primary structure.
The floating floor has a disadvantage too. At some point, the floor can become slightly warped and get rigid, known as “seasick.” This happens as laminate flooring is a firm surface that doesn’t allow cushion.
To avoid this, ensure you rip it before installation. Another advantage is that it comes out easily; once one part is out, the other follows easily.
The advantage of installing a carpet instead of a floor is that you avoid a rough surface in the future and excessive wearing of the carpet.
What to Consider When Carpeting on Top of a Laminate Floor
You may prefer laminate flooring as it is a popular choice by most homeowners and comes at a great cost. Additionally, the floor is versatile.
After installation, some people feel like it was not worth it as the floor looks similar to the hardwood, but it’s not. People who appreciate aesthetics may even feel like the laminate floor is fake.
Apart from that, the floor may tend to be slippery as it has a wood-like surface on top. Also, the floor can’t be sanded or refinished, and it is not impervious. But there is a quick fix to all those problems.
You can install the carpet on top of it. When you throw a carpet on the floor, it creates a distraction, and you can’t see all the things you don’t love about it, and still, it solves the slipperiness issue of the floor.
But before you go ahead and install the carpet on top of the laminate floor, consider the factors outlined below.
Consider The Height Of Your Doors
Before you put a carpet over your laminate floor, consider the measurements. At times, people put the carpet over the laminate floor, leaving little or no allowance for the door.
The problem with this carpeting is that you cannot comfortably open or close your door. Consequently, you will either cut a piece of the carpet or remove the door for adjustments.
The result is a distorted image of your door. Additionally, your carpet’s original appearance negatively changes.
If you want to avoid all this unnecessary hassle, measure the height of the carpet you intend to put over the laminate floor.
Consider the space in your house, then make the necessary adjustments before you adhere to the carpet.
Consider Floor and Foundation Attachment
Having a floating laminate floor gives an advantage when you intend to put a carpet over it. If you intend to stick the carpet on the floor, a floor attached to the foundation is troublesome.
Well, here is how to look at it. Whenever that carpet gets damaged by either spilled water, a flood, or any other contaminant, a need to replace it will arise.
You will have to destroy the laminate floor by detaching it from the foundation. That whole process will be costly. You, therefore, need to stick the carpet on a floating floor.
The alternative is just placing the carpet without adhering to it. In addition, when the temperature increases, the laminate floor expands.
An installed carpet with little allowance will cause trouble when opening or shutting a door due to limited space. Another problem with sticking your carpet on a floating floor is that it rips the laminate off the subfloor. You there need to consider how your floor and house’s foundation are interlinked.
Possibility Of Going Back to Laminate Flooring
Do you intend to remove the carpet later? If you intend to install the carpet permanently, you can glue it to the laminate floor. However, if you feel the need to change the carpet to a different model or color, it would be best to avoid sticking it on the laminate floor.
First, take measurements of the room you intend to carpet. Second, look for a carpet that fits the desired space without needing additional pieces. Lay it on the laminate floor and enjoy the tranquility of your carpeted room.
Carpet Installation On Laminate Flooring Tips
The first thing you need to do is get the exact measurements of the space you want to carpet. These measurements will help you select a perfect fitting carpet.
To get the correct square footage, measure your room’s length, and multiply it by its width. Make sure you add at least an extra ten percent in case your calculations are a little off.
The second step is cleaning the subfloor leaving it spotless. The dirt that sticks on the subfloor should be permanently removed to avoid having ramps on your floor that are uncomfortable to walk on.
The dirty subfloor begins to produce unpleasant smells and should, therefore, be cleaned. Allow it to dry and escape a mold infestation under the carpet.
For a free working environment, remove doors that would distract you or cause accidents. You don’t want to keep banging your toes or head against the door, do you? At this point, add tackless strips on the floor.
Carefully lay your carpet over the space you desire. You mustn’t overlap any edges to get a uniform and flat carpet appearance.
If your carpet has patterns that need to face a given direction, make sure the pad should be perpendicular to that specific direction. Perfectly fit your carpet on the laminate floor, then trim the edges, leaving you with an eye-catchy carpeted room.
Wrap Up
To sum up, it is possible to have a carpet on the laminate flooring of your house. However, you should consider the guidelines discussed in this article.
Prevent mold from growing under your carpet by allowing the laminate floor to dry first before laying the carpet.
Additionally, consider the height of your doors so that you don’t have trouble opening your doors. If you have thoughts of changing the carpet later, you should not permanently stick to the laminate floor.
