Can You Install Carpet Over Tile Floor?

Many readers ask me a lot of questions about installing carpet over the tile floor. They want to know, whether it is possible to cover the tile with carpeting. What are the ways to install the carpet over tile? Can I do it myself or should I hire a professional? I explored this topic from top to bottom and now I am ready to answer all these questions.

Usually, you can install the carpet on the tile floor. You can lay the carpet on all kinds of tile – ceramic, cement, or porcelain. If you have no experience in carpet installation, hire a professional crew to help you with it. Otherwise, you may get/rent the kit of carpet installation instruments, the glue, and double-sided tape and do it yourself. Read further to choose one of 3 ways of carpet installation over the tile floor.

Why Do I Need to Install the Carpet over the Tile?

I’ve read many blogs on the topic and noticed, that many homeowners don’t understand, why it is necessary to install carpet over tile. It seems that the tiled floor is great, too, especially for such premises as the bathroom, kitchen, and hallway. Still, I insist that putting carpet over tile may be necessary. Here are the reasons, why you need to install the carpet over tile.

Reason 1: Carpeting is warmer than tiles

If you have a tiled floor in the bathroom, then you know how cold it is during the late autumn and winter days. Your tender feet may feel very uncomfortable, standing on the cold tile in the early morning, while you are cleaning your teeth. Sometimes you may need to go barefoot in the kitchen to get some warm milk or tea on the cold winter evening. It’s good, if you step on the soft fragile pile of the carpet, and not on the hard cool tiled floor. That’s why you may have an idea to install the carpet over the tiles.

Reason 2: Carpeting is not as slippery as tiles 

Probably, you can recollect in mind the situation when you came from the walk and entered your hallway with a tiled floor during rainy or snowy weather. Was the tiled floor slippery? I’m sure your damp shoe soles slid apart on the tiles in the hallway. Or, can you remember if it is nice after a shower to step on the tiled floor in the bathroom? Of course, you can slip and fall. This is especially dangerous for older residents of your house. The great way out is to put carpeting over the tiles. It’s also a good idea to lay carpeting on tiled stairs. If you have the stairs, covered with tiles, in your house or the basement, you may cover them with carpeting to make them less slippery. 

Reason 3: Carpet over the tiles reduces noise

Your kids may ruin in the hallway or stomp in the bathroom in the early morning, but you won’t hear it if the floor there is covered with a carpet. So, noise reduction is one more reason to cover the tiles with a thick layer of carpeting. 

Many homeowners one day decide to cover the tile floor with carpet. But is it possible to lay the carpet on such a floor?

Can I Lay Carpet on Tile Floor?

The answer is positive, nevertheless, I know that you need details. So, there are various kinds of tiles, which homeowners choose to cover the floor:

• Ceramic tile
• Porcelain tile
• Cement tile

It doesn’t matter, what kind of tile you have at home, you can cover it with carpet. But there are two conditions, after fulfilling of which I may for sure tell you that you can lay the carpet over the tile floor. Here they are:

1. The tiles, where you lay the carpet, must be ideally flat

So, if the tiles on your bathroom or hallway floor were laid unprofessionally, and one of them is higher than the other, then you can’t put carpeting on such a basis. It is impossible to install carpeting firmly enough on uneven tiles. 

2. The tiles, where you lay the carpet, must be stable

The tiles, on which you are going to install a carpet, must be stable. No single tile should be cracked. Check, if each pile doesn’t flake off the floor.

If you meet both of these conditions, then you are ready to lay the carpet on the tile floor. Let’s see, how you can cover a tile floor.

How Do You Cover a Tile Floor With Carpet? 

So, now, when you know everything about carpeting the tile floor, it’s time to start putting your knowledge into practice. My readers often ask me, if it is possible to install the carpet on the tiles by themselves.

Can I Install the Carpet Over the Tile Floor by Myself or Should I Hire a Professional?

I am a big fan of carpets and I like to choose them and then maintain them correctly by myself. Nevertheless, I decided not to cover the tile floor in my bathroom with the carpet by myself and hired a professional team. I must say, that it is a hard job. Nobody can do it correctly on the first try. That’s why I advise you not to do it yourself but hire experts. Look at the video, where the professional crew covers the ceramic tiles with a carpet. 

As you can see, it’s quite a big and hard work. But if you like to challenge yourself or you have some experience in installing carpeting, then you may try. Read about 3 ways you can install the carpet over the tiles to remember all the details of this process and start doing it!

3 Ways to Install the Carpet over the Tile Floor

There are 3 ways to cover the tile floor with the carpet: without fixation, double-sided tape installation, glue adhesive fixation of the carpet with/without padding. Let’s look a little closer at each of them.

1. Laying the carpet over tile floor without fixation

Of course, you shouldn’t hire a professional crew to install the carpet over the tile floor without fixation. As it just means, you should simply lay the carpet on the tiles. I know that this way of carpeting the room is not so safe, and the carpet may be moving over the tiled floor and it is possible to slip on it. Nevertheless, it is a good idea for some situations. For example, you may install the carpet in this manner on the floor in your bathroom. The carpet shouldn’t be too big and completely cover the floor in your room. You can get a small rug and put it under the edge of your bath or shower cabin to stop there with your wet feet after water procedures. 

2. Double-sided tape installation

This way of carpet installation is not as easy, as the previous one. Still, you can try to do it with your own force. To install the carpet over the tile floor, you need:

• Double-sided tape
• A ruler
• A carpet knife
• A tape measure

The first thing you have to do is to measure the length of the carpet edge you want to fix. Then cut the double-sided tape strips of the same length and width as the carpet sides. After that, you have to unroll the carpet and place it on the tile floor to fix it. Stick the double-sided tape to the tile floor under the carpet sides. Finally, stick the carpet sides to the double-sided tape on the floor.

3. Glue adhesive fixation of the carpet with/without padding

To install the carpet on the tile in this way, you should have:

• Carpet glue
• Carpet knife
• Trowel

Keep in mind that carpet glue is of different types. You have to choose the right carpet glue for the padding (if you install it too) and the carpet backing. 

First of all, you have to cover the tile floor with glue. Use the trowel to spread the glue carefully on the tiles. Then put the carpet on the layer of glue. Then flatten the carpet surface, and get rid of all wrinkles and cracks. Use the carpet knife to cut the extra carpet fabric at its edges, if necessary. 

If you are serious about your idea to install the carpet on the tile floor by yourself, you may need a professional carpet kit.

Conclusion

To conclude, you can install the carpet on the tile. It’s necessary if you want the floor in your bathroom, kitchen, or hallway to be softer and warmer. I recommend hiring an expert crew to do this job for you. But if you plan to do it yourself, I’ve provided you with the necessary instructions.

Care about the space around you! Get soft fragile carpets to decorate the floor in your house. And you’ll be happy to come home after the long working day!