Basement Carpet Pad
A basement carpet pad will help hold off the cold and dampness that concrete floors can transfer. As with any carpet pad you choose, it impacts the longevity and comfort of your carpet. The big decision is whether you are going to buy something that's moisture-proof or if you are going to take precautionary measures before putting your basement carpet pad down.
Basements are often a moist and uninviting room that brings with it an entirely different set of considerations when considering flooring. One such component that is often hard to decide upon is the right basement carpet pad for your needs and room to help keep your investment safe, so that it stays beautiful and lasts for many years to come. What is the purpose of a basement carpet pad and of carpet pads in general?
Carpet padding serves several different purposes. One of them is moisture protection. This is especially helpful in spaces like a basement, because they are more susceptible to moisture. The reason for this is that they are normally located underground and on a concrete subfloor, which allows moisture to come in. This moisture can cause mold and mildew to grow under and in your carpeting and padding as well, which can be a health concern. By choosing the right basement carpet pad, you can help forestall these problems to allow you to live comfortably and healthy in your basement.
Another purpose that a basement carpet pad serves is protecting your carpet. Carpet without a pad under it will not last as long, because it continually rubs and comes into contact with your subfloor. Padding can help it to last longer, because it takes some of the weight that can damage carpet. Even though people assume that carpet padding is to help the carpet to feel softer for walking, it really protects the carpet, helping it to last longer.
What are some types of basement carpet pad that you should consider? Most flooring installers first recommend you install some sort of vapor or moisture barrier on your subfloor before carpet padding, unless this was installed when the house was built. If you are not sure, then it may be best to lay down a vapor barrier first. This barrier can help keep some of the moisture from coming into contact with your carpet pad and carpeting, so that you will not have some of the problems that are associated with moist floors in a basement.
If moisture is a problem in your home consider installing a subfloor system that will moisture-proof your basement more than the Raven Industries vapor barrier will do. Check out the various articles on this site to better understand your options.
The carpet pad you choose for your basement should have an antimicrobial in it to help prevent any mold or mildew growth, just in case it gets a little moist. A thicker basement carpet pad may be a good idea, especially if your concrete floor is a little uneven. The density of the carpet pad will depend upon your carpet choice, so be sure that you ask a professional about which carpet pad will work best with your carpet and your room to help the carpet last as long as possible.
Since basements are prone to moisture problems, be sure you do everything possible to keep the floors dry. This can help prevent mold, mildew, and the destruction of your carpet, which can be quite an investment. By planning ahead by choosing the right basement carpet pad, you can make the most of your basement to make it into a livable area that you and your family can enjoy and spend time in.
In this story you mention that "If moisture is a problem in your home consider installing a subfloor system that will moisture-proof your basement more than the Raven Industries vapor barrier will do". I would like to know how you made that determination. Please keep in mind that Raven Industries produces very high performance vapor & gas barriers. However, they are best utilized when placed below the concrete slab during the initial construction phase.
Tom Stoebner at April 30, 2008 12:36 PMHi, Tom. Thanks for your note.
I am a huge admirer of Raven Industries, as you may notice by comments made throughout this site, and by my article on your company. But sometimes not even a high-quality products like RI's vapor barrier film is enough protection against some water/moisture problems.
And if people weren't lucky enough to know about your products before construction they won't be able to retrofit their slab to have the barrier film below it. And if there are water problems, not just humidity and moisture problems, then a subfloor that raises your floor off the slab could be a better solution than your wonderful films.
The Flooring Lady at April 30, 2008 12:46 PMthe moisture barrier padding that was installed on my concrete floor was put down with the foam backing next to the concrete; the moisture barrier next to the carpeting. Is that the correct method????
jeanne at July 1, 2009 7:47 AMHi Jeanne, That is perfectly fine.
The Flooring Lady at July 1, 2009 10:35 AMHi,
I am in the market to re-carpet my basement floor. The basement floor is damp, but not wet. There was carpeting down there recently which I removed becasue of a sump pump failure. I now want to make sure ia choose the correct pad and carpet to help prevent moisture from forming on the carpet and pad. I have been told the carpet pad with a moisture barier will do the trick. However, I am getting differing opinions now. I now am told the moisture barioer only protects the floor from spills on top the carpet, not moisture from the ground up. can you advise me?
Thank You!
Joe
Joe at July 10, 2009 8:31 AMHi Joe, If moisture is going to be a continuing problem in your basement then I would suggest one of these two options.
1. Installing a sub floor that raises your floor off the concrete.
The Flooring Lady at July 10, 2009 12:14 PM2. Install your carpet without a pad and without gluing or tack strips. If moisture seeps through the floor again, you can easily pull up the carpet and get it dry. This is not an ideal method but it is an option.
Please advise me, since I am about to lay the carpet pad on the basement concrete floor. The basement is not leaky, so the only problem is that it is below grade. Should the moisture barrier side go against the floor or against the carpet? Thanks.
Louise at August 3, 2009 11:28 AMHi Louise, The moisture barrier goes against the carpet.
The Flooring Lady at August 4, 2009 12:25 PMWe are planning to carpet our basement which is currently tiled. What is the best way to lay pad and the carpet on tile? We've had tried in the past to lay padding, but found that it "slipped" beneath the carpet, making it useless.
Do we need to remove the tile??
Susan at August 11, 2009 9:08 AMSusan,
If you want to preserve the tile you would have to use a glue on the edging and tack it down as well. If you don't want to preserve the tile you can use
Bostick's Durabond to prevent slipping.
You can always consult a local professional as well to see if perhaps carpet tiles might be an option for you.
The Flooring Lady at August 11, 2009 4:42 PMI have carpet in my basement and had a sump pump failure several years ago. The carpet padding in half of the basement was removed and the carpet professionally cleaned and blown dry. I have kept that half of the carpet folded back ever since, in case of another leak, and there is still no padding on that half. Last month I flipped the carpet back into position and forgot about it. The other day I noticed a moldy odor as I passed by the basement door & went down to check it out. The carpet felt cool, perhaps damp, under my bare feet. There is a wooden coffee table with mold all over the legs and some things on top of the table have mold. I turned on my carpet fan and am blowing it dry and am having a professional come to do mold remediation. Could this have happened because there was no padding with vapor barrier and the natural moisture in the cement soaked into the carpet? I don't know why I would suddenly have this mold problem after all these years. I would like to install new padding myself and then have the carpet restretched. Is there a special type of padding I should get?
Thank you,
Regge at September 21, 2009 12:24 AMReggie
Hi Regge,
Padding *can* act as a moisture/vapor barrier, but most don't. The bottom line is it happened because there continues to be a moisture problem and those need to be resolved before reflooring.
The Flooring Lady at September 22, 2009 7:29 AMLooking at carpeting our basement. the flooring place is recommending installing a bonded 8 lb. pad that has a vapor barrier on both sides- Is that a good idea?
sherry
Sherry at October 24, 2009 4:12 PMSherry,
Yes. The vapor barriers definitely help with basement carpet. I would still be sure that the floor underneath is sealed and there aren't any moisture issues before installing the carpet.
The Flooring Lady at October 27, 2009 9:56 AMHi,
We are carpeting our basement and have purchased the moisture-barrier fiber pad. It's not a cushy as we would like. Can we put another layer of pad down over the fiber pad? If so, could it be a foam pad or would it have to be antoher layer of fiber pad?
Thank you,
Rick
Rick at October 29, 2009 9:36 AMHi,
We are carpeting our basement and have purchased the moisture-barrier fiber pad. It's not a cushy as we would like. Can we put another layer of pad down over the fiber pad? If so, could it be a foam pad or would it have to be antoher layer of fiber pad?
Thank you,
Rick
Rick at October 29, 2009 10:47 AMRick,
Yes, you can add padding on top of another. With it being used in a basement you would want to choose one that will resist mold and mildew.
"The carpet pad you choose for your basement should have an antimicrobial in it to help prevent any mold or mildew growth, just in case it gets a little moist. A thicker basement carpet pad may be a good idea, especially if your concrete floor is a little uneven. The density of the carpet pad will depend upon your carpet choice, so be sure that you ask a professional about which carpet pad will work best with your carpet and your room to help the carpet last as long as possible."
The Flooring Lady at October 30, 2009 10:03 AMHello....
Bill at November 3, 2009 9:36 AMIs "Drylock" paint a good sealer for the
basement floor as well as the walls, before
installing pad and carpet in a basement?....
-Bill
Bill,
I do not have experience with Drylock paint.
I would go by the manufacturer's recommendations, and be sure that there aren't harsh odors from using it that can affect you and your family.
Another article you may be interested in reading is Basement Floors.
The Flooring Lady at November 3, 2009 2:42 PM