Bringing a new look to your room or house is always exciting and appealing. And doing this by laminating your floor is one of the easiest. It is a convenient and instant way to bring about an exceptional and aesthetic look.
Laminate flooring is often called “floating floor” as no nail or adhesive is used to keep the joints in place. If you want to use carpet as an underlay, then it would be better if your house or room’s floor is covered by low pile carpets instead of high pile carpets.
But there are some Laminate flooring over carpet problems that come with the aesthetic look. You need to identify the problem and solve the problem accordingly. Know the reasons for the problem to effectively solve them without wasting any time.
Can I install laminate flooring over the carpet?
Whether you can install your laminate flooring over the carpet depends on the condition of the carpets lying on your floor. If your floor is covered in low pile carpet, you can install it over it. But if the carpet is high-pile, then you might want to reconsider your decision.
Low pile carpets come with tight loops and shorter fibers which give them a flat, dense and smoother surface. Low pile carpets can hold the laminate flooring way more steadily than the other types and that’s why can be used as underlay. Whereas the high pile carpets’ fibers are taller and looser.
These are used mainly for their warmth and comfort which are not suitable to be used as an underlay for laminate flooring.
Laminate flooring over carpet problems
Laminating the floor is one of the simplest ways to bring about a change in interior design. If your floor is covered with carpets, you might want to install laminate flooring over it to make the installation task easier. But in the long run, this might give rise to many problems and cost you money. You should be aware of the reasons causing those problems and as to how you can solve them…
Deformation of Laminate
Deformation of the laminate is one of the most common problems if lamination is done over the carpet. Here deformation refers to the warping of the installation. When you first install the lamination, you will get an even flooring like your original floor. But eventually, the evenness will go away in some areas. This is what is meant by the deformation.
Reason
The reason for the deformation or warping is frequent use of some specific area and least use of other corners. Sometimes the warping is caused because there was a lack of proper pre-arrangements.
Solution
The warping of the laminate flooring can be prevented if the following steps are taken while installing the lamination.
- Remove the baseboard
- Install plastic sheeting
- Then install the low pile carpet
- Now do the laminate flooring.
Unevenness on the floor
When you do the lamination of the floor on the carpet, the fabrics of the carpet underneath the flooring get uneven over time. You will eventually see that some of the areas of the floor are a little bit lower than the other area. This will be evident at some point and will take away the aesthetic look.
Reason
Overuse and least use of some of the parts, corners causes this discomforting unevenness. Another reason for unevenness is using “high-pile” carpets as the underlay. Generally, high pile carpets have taller and looser fabrics that are not suitable for use as the underlay of laminate flooring. With the passage of time, the taller fabrics keep getting flattered and cause unevenness.
Solution
- The solution to the unevenness can be the preparation that must be taken beforehand.
- Make sure that you are using a low pile carpet underneath.
- The carpet must be in this flattest condition so that it can’t be the cause of unevenness.
- You can use floor leveling compounds to reduce the unevenness.
Distortion in floor’s shape
If your subfloor is not strong enough to hold the weight of laminate flooring and that’s why it was covered with carpets in the first place, then distortion in the underneath subfloor can be seen after a while.
Reason
The sub-floor was not ready to hold the weight of laminate flooring in the first place. Another reason might be the underneath carpet. If the carpet was not able to provide enough protection to the sub-floor, that can be distorted from the lamination.
Solution
- Ensure proper pre-arrangements before installing the laminate flooring.
- Make sure the low-pile carpet is of good quality and capable of holding the flooring properly.
Accumulation of Dust & Mites
Carpets are prone to dust and mites. If the carpets are not covered by any lamination, the dust and mites can be cleared by using a vacuum. But the laminate flooring is done over the carpet, the dust and mites get accumulated underneath which is not possible to clean and can cause allergies.
Reason
The dust and mites keep getting trapped underneath the laminate flooring and there’s no way to clean them. This lack of cleanliness causes the accumulation of dust and causes allergies.
Solution
- Give attention to the floor so that the dirt can’t be accumulated.
- Properly clean the carpet before installing laminate flooring over it.
- Clean the floor on a regular basis, specially the edge of the joints of plywoods.
Mold and Mildew growth
When you install laminate flooring over the carpets, the moisture of the fabric is trapped underneath the laminate flooring. The trapped moisture then gives rise to the humidity and can cause the unnecessary growth of mold and mildew.
Reason
Trapped moisture is the reason for the mold and mildew’s growth.
Solution
- Regularly use the dehumidifier to keep the balance of the humidity and moisture.
- Keep the room or whole house well ventilated.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the dust off the flooring which can cause the growth of mold and mildew.
Scratches or stains
Laminate flooring over carpet is prone to scratches and stains which are the hindrance of its aesthetic look.
Reason
Use of sharp objects, movement of the sharp-edged furniture can cause scratches, and improper cleaner substances along with others can cause stains on the laminate flooring.
Solution
- Try to move the furniture without touching the flooring.
- Use an anti-scratch substance on the laminate flooring to prevent excessive scratches from forming.
- Try to clean the stains as quickly as possible so it doesn’t leave any stain mark.
Cracks or gaps on the floor
If you install laminate flooring over the carpet, you will eventually see some cracks or gaps on the flooring. Sometimes, the gaps become so large that it can cause the entire flooring to be cracked open.
Reason
Over time, the interlocking tongue and the joints get cracked open because of the overwalking around some areas. Sometimes, when the floor gets hit by something extraordinarily hard or heavier, the flooring may form some gaps.
Solution
- Use vinyl putty on the gaps to cover them.
- Make sure you use the perfect colored putty. If the putty doesn’t come with the perfect color, then make adjustments to bring out the perfect color.
- You can use markers or crayon, specially made to cover the gap of laminate flooring, to solve the crack or gap problem.
Water Damage
The laminate flooring is not waterproof in general. So, the constant washing with soap water, and other liquid can damage the “wooden look” of laminate flooring over the carpet.
Reason
If any waterproof substance is not applied and the floor comes in contact with water regularly, the laminate flooring will be damaged and the color will fade away eventually.
Solution
- Use waterproof substance eg. polyurethane to make the laminate flooring waterproof.
- Don’t let the floor get cracked open.
- Try to vacuum cleaning instead of water cleaning.
Removal problem
Once you install laminate flooring over carpet, it gets pretty hard to remove them if you ever want to remove them to bring back the previous look. This causes the removal problem. You might have to count from $400 to $550 which is quite costly for just the removal process.
Reason
You have installed the lamination over the carpet and the laminate flooring might be in its worst condition. This can be the reason you want to remove or change the lamination.
Solution
- While installing the laminate flooring, do it in such a way that the future removal process will be easier.
- Hire an expert to remove the lamination to avoid any mishaps.
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Conclusion
Laminate flooring over carpet is always appreciated for its aesthetic and exceptional look. However, if proper pre-arrangements are not made or are not maintained properly afterwards, it can cause you many troubles and even cost you money.
If you are able to or in the position of removing the carpet that lies on the floor, do it before applying the laminate flooring. This will prevent the future inconvenience regarding laminate flooring over carpet problems.
If you are still considering installing laminate flooring over the carpet after going through the aforementioned problems, then do it properly over low pile carpets and with all the preparations needed for it. Also, You had better ensure proper maintenance.