Do You Need A Subfloor For Carpet

The carpet is great under your feet and not cold at all.

Do you need a subfloor for carpet. Leveling floors can be a diy project or left to professionals. As with hardwood laminate flooring is best installed on a 3 4 inch thick plywood subfloor. I want to go over each question individually and demonstrate how the answers can affect the spacing or lack of spacing used when installing your baseboards. Once a wood subfloor is installed and waterproof you can install carpet laminate and vinyl floors right on top.

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. I don t know if a moisture barrier is actually good as it could actually trap moisture under there that would accumulate over time. Whether you re installing new carpet yourself or having a professional do it it s important to prepare your floors before installation. In many cases you can level a floor yourself.

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. Install a vapor barrier of plastic sheeting before laying the subfloor. 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. You would never say that it was on concrete.

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. I would suggest that you use moisture block paint for carpet or wood floor but it is not necessary for ceramic tile. If it s not a dry basement i would probably put a sub floor in. Imperfections in your subfloor can lead to problems with your new carpet like gaps or lumps or damage from moisture or odors.

I believe the biggest factor is moisture. If you have very high or low spots foundation or structural problems or termite damage you may need professional help. Only now is the subfloor ready for cement board underlayment. Before fixing the subfloor under the carpet you ll need to figure out why the subfloor became damaged in the first place.

Follow these guidelines to prepare your floor and protect your new carpet investment. 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. 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. Do you need it.

A level subfloor will help your flooring last longer and keep the finish attractive.