Do You Need A Subfloor For Carpet

Everybody needs normal subflooring at the very least since finished flooring is not designed to be attached to joists and wouldn t be strong enough to hold the.

Do you need a subfloor for carpet.

Install a vapor barrier of plastic sheeting before laying the subfloor. A level subfloor will help your flooring last longer and keep the finish attractive. Insulating subfloors are a welcome addition to basement spaces because they typically help to improve the warmth of the flooring that will be placed over it. As with hardwood laminate flooring is best installed on a 3 4 inch thick plywood subfloor.

You would never say that it was on concrete. Once a wood subfloor is installed and waterproof you can install carpet laminate and vinyl floors right on top. I don t know if a moisture barrier is actually good as it could actually trap moisture under there that would accumulate over time. I would suggest that you use moisture block paint for carpet or wood floor but it is not necessary for ceramic tile.

To install carpet in your basement you will need to apply a poly plastic moisture barrier under the carpet and pad and many contractors may suggest that you first apply a concrete paint that is formulated to block moisture. The carpet is great under your feet and not cold at all. Before fixing the subfloor under the carpet you ll need to figure out why the subfloor became damaged in the first place. While a subfloor is not necessary to add structural strength when you ll be laying finish flooring on top of a concrete slab as in a basement remodel subflooring over concrete offers two other advantages.

The answers to these questions will determine if you can put the baseboard flush or if you need to leave a gap as much as between subfloor and baseboard. An underlayment is a middle layer between the subfloor and the finished flooring that may need to be put in depending on the type of flooring you re putting above it. In many cases you can level a floor yourself. Follow these guidelines to prepare your floor and protect your new carpet investment.

I believe the biggest factor is moisture. Imperfections in your subfloor can lead to problems with your new carpet like gaps or lumps or damage from moisture or odors. Do you need it. Do i need a subfloor over a concrete slab.

If it s not a dry basement i would probably put a sub floor in. If the existing subfloor is in poor condition you will need to add a secondary underlayment of thin plywood over the subfloor. Usually water is the culprit in which case the source of the water leak must be identified and fixed or you could end up with the same problem down the road. Only now is the subfloor ready for cement board underlayment.

Leveling floors can be a diy project or left to professionals.