Question: Can I install carpeting over the luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring in my basement? The current floor is dark in colour right now and makes the place feel like a dungeon.
Answer: Do you happen to know if your LVP is installed over some kind of subfloor panels? If so, then you can safely install carpeting over your existing floor. If the LVPs are installed directly on the concrete (perhaps with a foam underlay), then carpeting could be risky because of the hazards of condensation and mustiness occurring within the carpet during humid weather. You could always install subfloor panels on top of the LVP, then carpet and underlay. That would work well, and it would make the floor warmer and less mold-prone.
A new type of subfloor panel is very promising for applications like yours. It’s called Insul-Armor (that’s it above) and it’s new on the market. These all-foam panels are twice as large as traditional subfloor panels but weigh a fraction as much. Insul-Armor is made for use under rigid flooring like laminate or engineered click hardwood but can be used underneath carpeting if some plywood is placed on top of the foam first.
Need help choosing an appropriate finished floor for your basement? Basements are different enough that you sometimes need to make different flooring choices compared with above-ground spaces. Watch the video below to learn about basement-friendly flooring options.
- Video Watch Time = 12 minutes
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