Installing Carpet Over Cement

Tack strips are sometimes called tackless strips because they eliminate the need for using individual carpet tacks to hold carpeting to the floor.

Installing carpet over cement.

Many viewers ask if they can put carpet over a concrete floor. And if the existing carpet was glued down not tacked it can be a huge time saver to lay the new carpet over the old. It saves on the cost and labor of pulling up and disposing of the existing carpet keeping carpet waste materials out of the landfill. The answer is a qualified yes there are three different concrete floors to consider.

To make the project even more affordable it is possible to install your carpet yourself saving yourself the expense of hiring a contractor to perform this work. Installing carpet directly over concrete can be a do it yourself project if using the glue down method. To install carpet on concrete choose a carpet that is constructed of synthetic products only as natural fibers are often too absorbent. Nail the tack strips to the wooden subfloor or if installing carpet over concrete use masonry tacks or an epoxy adhesive attach the strips to the floor.

Before you install the carpet make sure to check the concrete for any moisture issues that need to be addressed. Add the plywood layer on top and anchor it to the concrete with 15 concrete screws predrilled and countersunk per 4 x 8 ft. When installing carpet it s easiest to start with a solid concrete subfloor which provides a stable base for installation. Those in upper floors of the house that are always high and dry those in the basement that may possibly run into moisture problems and those outdoors that will definitely get wet when you have no moisture problems to consider the only thing that.

Then lay tack strips around the perimeter of the room and install your strips of padding. When padding is not desirable the carpet ends up directly on top of the concrete. Installing carpet over a basement concrete cement floor can be a simple project and requires very few tools to accomplish. Whether for a basement enclosed porch or a finished garage you can use carpet to cover concrete floors.

Many carpets and carpet padding are vapor permeable so if your concrete basement is showing moisture it can continue to evaporate up through the pad and carpet. Dimpled polyethylene underlayment is available from home centers flooring suppliers or online. Lay the sheet over the concrete floor dimples down overlap adjacent edges and tape the seams.