Installing carpet over ceramic tile on slab floor?


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Old 12-14-15, 08:26 PM
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Installing carpet over ceramic tile on slab floor?

I have a mountain house that the lower level, not really a basement, has ceramic tile covering the entire floor. Someday I will want that tile because it will become a game room, but for now. My senior citizen mother is going to be living there. So I want to cover the tile with carpet. Is there anything I should be concerned with or make sure I do when putting carpet over the tile? The floor is a slab.
 
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Old 12-14-15, 08:39 PM
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Is it your plan to glue the carpet down or is this a big throw rug ?

ANY glue you use to fasten the carpet now will be a problem to remove in the future.
 
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Old 12-15-15, 02:33 AM
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In addition, you won't be able to use tack strips to fasten the edges of the carpet down. I would opt for a large rug or rugs, rather than carpet, for the same reasons Pete mentioned.
 
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Old 12-15-15, 02:03 PM
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Not going to glue down. Will be taken up in the future.
 
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Old 12-15-15, 02:20 PM
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Carpets either get glued or tacked down - so you're going to install tack strips?

Or are you planning rug(s) like mentioned?
 
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Old 12-15-15, 03:13 PM
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Once you understand how carpet is installed, you will answer your own question. Carpet is held in place with tack strips that run around the perimeter of the room. The carpet is then stretched onto these tack strips to keep it flat to the floor and prevent wrinkles fro forming. Without tack strips, the carpet will walk around and bunch up. The edges are then tucked under the baseboard or cut close to them to give a clean finish. The other way of holding carpet in place is to glue it down. Which will pretty much destroy the tile. Actually, both ways will destroy the tile. Area rugs with grippers is the correct solution in your case. They are bound on the edges to prevent curling.
 
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Old 12-15-15, 08:11 PM
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You can nail tack strip into the grout lines, I have done it several times. But it will mess up the grout. When you pull it later, it will be hard to match. You can try Kangaback carpet. It will lay in place pretty good without being fastened. If needed, it can be fastened around the edges with double-faced tape. The residue isn't easy to clean off but it's doable. Kangaback has a pad attached, but it's more durable than the old rubber-back carpet.
 
 

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