The Floating Nature of Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is popular for its durability and various aesthetics, and is regularly installed as a “floating floor”. The laminate panels are designed to interlock with each other which creates a stable surface that can freely move and adjust, without necessarily being constricted by being attached to the subfloor beneath.
Because of this, a critical aspect of a laminate installation is the necessity of leaving an expansion gap, typically a few millimetres wide, around the entire perimeter of the room. This causes the laminate to “float” allowing it to freely move around. This is ideal as it allows the flooring to expand and contract as the temperature and humidity changes in the room.
Because of the gap, skirting boards tend to get placed above the laminate which effectively tidies up the installation by hiding the unsightly gap. However, when homeowners consider a carpet installation the awkwardness of the skirting boards often put people off removing the laminate flooring. We feel this is a big mistake because removing the laminate flooring isn’t that difficult. They are designed to simply slide out from beneath the skirting board!
Don’t be put off by what seems like a daunting task – if you’re unsure, seek advice from a professional, like us, to get information on how to achieve all of your interior design goals.
Why Carpeting Over Laminate is a Bad Idea
Let’s start with a simple analogy: would you wallpaper on top of existing wallpaper? Sure – this shortcut might save a bit of time and be a little cheaper, but really you shouldn’t. While these shortcuts may not pose any problems initially, later down the line they may come back to haunt you. If a job is worth doing then it’s worth doing right, and that’s especially true when it comes to your flooring.
Whilst you could argue it’s not the end of the world for a DIY job, professional installers should never fit a carpet above your existing laminate. It’s a bad idea for several reasons:
The Increase in Floor Height
Installing carpet above your laminate will add additional height to your flooring. This often overlooked issue can cause issues with your doors, which may require easing or trimming in order to shut properly – creating additional cost when this could’ve easily been avoided.
Another consideration should be the height of your flooring in adjoining rooms. Ideally you want the height in all rooms to match and be consistent, but this extra height may cause unevenness and ruin the consistency throughout your house.
It Will Damage the Laminate
There’s no avoiding this. You will have to use either adhesive or nails to secure the carpet, and whichever you choose will cause damage to the laminate underneath. Applying adhesive will cause surface damage once applied, causing discolouration which will permanently affect its appearance. When you come to remove the carpet, the adhesive will cause further damage to the laminate too.
Even using nails will still cause irreversible damage to the laminate underneath. Whichever path you take, the laminate will need replacing either way afterwards.
Your Carpet Isn't Actually Attached to Anything
As we previously mentioned, since the laminate isn’t actually attached to the subfloor, it means your carpet wont be either. By fitting carpet to laminate, the necessary movement required for laminate is prevented which can lead to additional wear and stretching – damaging the floor. This can even cause the carpet itself to start shifting and bunching.
You Could Invalidate Any Warranties
This is a bit of a grey area, but why would you risk it? You spend all that time choosing the perfect carpet and if disaster strikes, you could be left out of pocket because you chose a shortcut rather than doing it properly.
Conclusion
While carpeting over laminate might seem like a tempting shortcut – the potential pitfalls and problems that may arise as a result simply aren’t worth risking. Laminate flooring is designed with movement in mind, whilst carpet needs to be properly fitted in place. If the process of removing your existing laminate seems too daunting, your carpet fitter will usually offer the removal of existing flooring as part of their service – although they will probably charge for this.
But if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Spend that little bit extra initially to ensure you don’t spend more in the long run.
If you’re still weighing up your options or still considering whether you can lay carpet over laminate flooring, come and visit our showroom in March where we can provide tailored advice about what works for your home, and go into more depth about the potential repercussions.
