Should I carpet over new tiles to keep the height the same, or just do something else? - Tile Advice

[Cleo]

Hello folks,

Basically I am looking for some professional advice.

In October last year I bought my first house - a massive do-er upper, and one that we knew when I bought it would need some significant work doing to it due to the presence of red ash in the property. Some thirty odd tonnes of concrete later plus a layer of insulation, I am now finally in a position where I can screed the floor.

However, the debate. My Dad is of the opinion that I should tile the entire ground floor. Whilst I agree that I do want tiles in my kitchen and utility room, and I am not a fan of a tiled living room look. He is telling me that I can then put a fitted carpet on top of the living room tiled floor, but to me that seems like a waste of resources and time and can't understand why you might tile something to then cover it in a carpet.

Is there some benefit in doing the entire tiled thing throughout the ground floor that I am apparently missing? He is worried about there been a difference in height, but I would imagine that it would be negligible by the time the underlay and carpet have been put down between the living and the kitchen floor.

Any advice or comments would be very deeply appreciated.

 

[Spare Tool]

Negligible is right, a decent carpet plus decent underlay 15-20mm
Tiles plus adhesive 15mm, nothing in it!!

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Are we talking about ceramic/porcelain tiles or vinyl tiles that your father wants on the entire ground floor?
It was a practice in the '70s to have all ground floor areas vinyl tiled and of late larger areas are now being hard floors.
It's obviously a personal decision but I'd go the tiled route with a fabulous rug thrown over it!

 

[WetSaw]

I don't think Dad has thought it through properly. If you put carpet on top of tiles there's going to be a height difference, negligible difference if you tile some and carpet the rest. That's not even considering the waste of time and money !
TJ's rug idea is good because its easy to change if you want to.
Also think about your lifestyle, do you have animals, kids, dust allergies? A tiled floor will outlive a carpet but you'll be living with it a long time so you have to get it right.

 

[Cleo]

He wants me to put ceramic tiles all across the ground floor. He believes that this will help "seal the floor".

I'm not a fan of the large rug over a tiled floor look personally speaking in the living room. I quite like the idea of warmth that comes from a fitted carpet in a living room. And no pets, no small children, no allergies

 

[WetSaw]

How many hundreds of thousands of houses in the UK have carpet directly on a concrete floor? How many are tiled first?
There's absolutely no point tiling if you're going to put carpet down.

 

[Italy]

screed, + Mapelastic Foundation, + carpet. problem solved.
when you're tired of the carpet, remove the carpet and place tiles. over Mapelastic

 

[SJPurdy]

As above answers, no need to tile if covering with a fitted carpet.
However personally I think solid floors are much easier to keep clean than carpet, whether tiled throughout or mixture of tiling (eg kitchen, dining areas,hallways etc.) and eg engineered wood in living room areas. Rugs can then be put on top of the solid floor to provide a softer and contrasting focal area. Rugs can also be changed easily at relatively little cost as the room décor changes.
Also as you haven't screeded yet consider installing an underfloor heating system, it is a much more efficient form of heating than (unsightly/in the way) wall radiators.

 

[KateJ]

I wanted to do tiles floor/rug on my refurb (to let to tenants) as it would give me many years of no hassle flooring and rug/carpet tiles are so cheap to change. In my own home if I tiled I'd do underfloor heating!xx

 

[Dan]

I too wouldn't bother tiling under carpet.

However, I'd tile the living space, with underfloor heating under it, and then have a cosy rug in the middle. Nice warm tiles, nice cosy rug under your feet, and in the summer you can roll the rug up and walk around bare foot as if you're in a villa in spain. Best of both worlds.