Replacing carpet with cheap stick-on tile or other tile?

[LittleIzumi]

Or something like that. Ds appears to be allergic to either the carpet, or something that gets on the carpet constantly. Unless I have JUST vacuumed, he gets covered in red rashes where he touches the floor. He's crawling and every inch of his legs that touch the floor are covered in what looks like mini scratches, red and angry. The underside of his arms have them, too. It will be an added bonus if his allergy testing next week (for other reasons, possible food allergies) finds the culprit for this rash, but I'm not counting on that. I assume the carpet will have to go, as I can't vacuum the whole house every hour. (Unless the tests come up positive for the cat, who is easier to remove....) I don't think we could replace them in the entire house but at least in the living room where we spend most of our time. I don't even know where to start. Any good basic sites or books or resources, or any ballpark figure? The only kind of flooring I'm really familiar with is a sheet of peel-and-stick tile, since that is our budget range :lol:. In some future with more money I'd love to get a Pergo-type laminate floor or a bamboo floor but that time is not now.

[almondbutterandjelly]

We did that, for allergy reasons also. There's some really nice-looking vinyl sticky-back tile. We got some that looks like Beige Slate. Everyone compliments it and doesn't realize it's not ceramic until we tell them. It was about $1 a tile. Easy peasy and nice looking.

[LittleIzumi]

We did that, for allergy reasons also. There's some really nice-looking vinyl sticky-back tile. We got some that looks like Beige Slate. Everyone compliments it and doesn't realize it's not ceramic until we tell them. It was about $1 a tile. Easy peasy and nice looking.

 

Did you have to do anything special, or just pull up the carpet & pad, sweep, and stick?

[MBM]

Did you have to do anything special, or just pull up the carpet & pad, sweep, and stick?

 

If the carpet is not glued down, you just have to pull it up and remove the wood tack strips that run along the walls. You can use a crow bar to remove the strips. Then you will have to vacuum the floor and make sure it is pretty even.

 

You will also want to check to see how the tile works with your floor molding. Removing that and then reinstalling is a whole 'nother can of worms.

 

In my kitchen, I used a vinyl tile from Menard's that looks just like the real deal. It even has grout lines. I put it in as a temporary fix five years ago, but because it looks good and is easy care, I'm in no rush to put in real tile.

 

You can also get a type of vinyl tile that can be grouted. I don't know how they hold up (you'd want to find out if the grout can crack -- if the tile isn't in really good and tight, I imagine it could). Home depot carries them.

 

Is the laminate too pricey at this point? Honestly, I think if you can swing it, laminate is a better choice for your living room. IKEA carries an inexpensive line called TUNDRA. It's easy to put down, and once it's done, it's done. Putting down vinyl is easy, too, but will still cost you something and take time to do. If you do go with tile, you'll want to get it in good and tight so it doesn't shift leaving gaps that show the floor underneath. Vinyl tile tends to shift in walked-on areas or areas where you might be sliding heavy pieces of furniture.

 

To install, buy yourself a metal ruler that's a little larger than your tile (art stores carry good ones) and a snap-off blade knife. You just have to score the tile and snap to cut it. A self-healing cutting mat that's larger than your tile would be nice, too, but it's not absolutely necessary. You can get those at art stores, too.

 

For intricate cuts (for example, where the doorway molding meets the floor), I use sticky notes to makes a template. Lay down the stickies, tape them together, then place them on your tile and cut. You'll get an accurate fit that way.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. :)

Edited July 14, 2011 by MBM

[LittleIzumi]

If the carpet is not glued down, you just have to pull it up and remove the wood tack strips that run along the walls. You can use a crow bar to remove the strips. Then you will have to vacuum the floor and make sure it is pretty even.

 

You will also want to check to see how the tile works with your floor molding. Removing that and then reinstalling is a whole 'nother can of worms.

 

In my kitchen, I used a vinyl tile from Menard's that looks just like the real deal. It even has grout lines. I put it in as a temporary fix five years ago, but because it looks good and is easy care, I'm in no rush to put in real tile.

 

You can also get a type of vinyl tile that can be grouted. I don't know how they hold up (you'd want to find out if the grout can crack -- if the tile isn't in really good and tight, I imagine it could). Home depot carries them.

 

Is the laminate too pricey at this point? Honestly, I think if you can swing it, laminate is a better choice for your living room. IKEA carries an inexpensive line called TUNDRA. It's easy to put down, and once it's done, it's done. Putting down vinyl is easy, too, but will still cost you something and take time to do. If you do go with tile, you'll want to get it in good and tight so it doesn't shift leaving gaps that show the floor underneath. Vinyl tile tends to shift in walked-on areas or areas where you might be sliding heavy pieces of furniture.

 

To install, buy yourself a metal ruler that's a little larger than your tile (art stores carry good ones) and a snap-off blade knife. You just have to score the tile and snap to cut it. A self-healing cutting mat that's larger than your tile would be nice, too, but it's not absolutely necessary. You can get those at art stores, too.

 

For intricate cuts (for example, where the doorway molding meets the floor), I use sticky notes to makes a template. Lay down the stickies, tape them together, then place them on your tile and cut. You'll get an accurate fit that way.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. :)

 

Thanks! If the carpet turns out to be glued (no idea yet), are we just stuck?

 

Nice IKEA laminate, too :D

[k2bdeutmeyer]

Um....we did peel & stick tile in our bathroom. It was a nightmare! I will never do it again! The sticky stuff on the back was all over our hands and the only way to get it off was to use "Goo Gone". It made it very hard to handle the tiles. Then, the seams between the tiles had little bits of sticky stuff that came through & attracted socks/sock fuzzies. And finally, when the toilet overflowed one day we discovered an hour or so later, after the water had been cleaned up, that liquids are able to get through the tiles, because when we walked on them there was water/bubbles squishing up between the tiles.

 

Just my experience, but I would not recommend the sticky tiles!

[In The Great White North]

Don't get the cheapest of the cheap sticky back tile - it doesn't stick well and the surface wore off quickly. [it's in a rental, so I'm sure they didn't put anything on it (like Future - which really helps)]

 

I second laminate if you can. It looks nice, has a harder surface and fewer seams than sticky back tiles.

 

Even if the carpet is glued down, I would rip it out. It's just more work. You might even have to sand/paint the subflooring to get it smooth (bumps show through the tiles and wear off faster.)

[kim.4dogs]

I have bought the cheapest laminate that Home Depot carries, and it worked out to $1.10/sq. ft. Pretty cheap! I'm not sure the sticky tile is much cheaper. I did it myself. It looks good and has held up well since I did it at least 4 years ago. You do need access to some power saws.

[MBM]

Thanks! If the carpet turns out to be glued (no idea yet), are we just stuck?

 

Nice IKEA laminate, too :D

 

No, and I'd be surprised if it is. If so, just count on more work. If it's too difficult to pull up, you can use a floor scraper, which is a sharp blade attached to a handle. You can also buy a can of pre-mixed floor leveler to even out surfaces. It's kind of like a cement. I used it to even out the grooves of my kitchen's ceramic tile grout lines before laying the vinyl tiles.

 

Yes, you will likely have some adhesive on the edges of the tiles. I used a paper towel or q-tip dipped in a little olive oil to get it off. Like k2bdeutmeyer mentioned, try not to get it on your hands ... or face or hair (!!). That is why my husband is banned forever from laying tile!

[Maeintx]

Home Depot sells a product made by Allure Flooring that is vinyl but looks like hardwood, quieter than laminate. We put it down ourselves so it's pretty easy. Only adhesive strips on the sides and ends. It looks great and we love it in our game room. You just score it with a utility knife to cut so no saws needed.

 

I think if you buy what is in the store it is cheaper than the prices listed online.

[LittleIzumi]

No, and I'd be surprised if it is. If so, just count on more work. If it's too difficult to pull up, you can use a floor scraper, which is a sharp blade attached to a handle. You can also buy a can of pre-mixed floor leveler to even out surfaces. It's kind of like a cement. I used it to even out the grooves of my kitchen's ceramic tile grout lines before laying the vinyl tiles.

 

Yes, you will likely have some adhesive on the edges of the tiles. I used a paper towel or q-tip dipped in a little olive oil to get it off. Like k2bdeutmeyer mentioned, try not to get it on your hands ... or face or hair (!!). That is why my husband is banned forever from laying tile!

 

It looks like it's tacked, as the middle pulls UP when I grab a bit and tug, plus there were little tacks scattered in the carpet when we moved in. So. Yay! Thanks everyone!