Whenever you go for your new carpeting then you may often get tempted to install your new carpet over your old carpet. By making this choice, you can make a little saving your money as you need not spend the labour needed for tearing up your old carpet and also disposing of your old one.

If your old carpet was glued on the floor then it can take lots of time to remove it and you can thus save a lot of time also by considering installing your new carpet over the older one.   

Leaving your old carpet in place adds another layer of insulation to cold floors. Furthermore, a cushion is not required because the existing carpet serves as padding.

However, despite the apparent benefits of installing new carpet over old carpet, most carpeting industry specialists that you may choose from Flooring Domain will suggest you not to go for this approach. This procedure should be avoided for various reasons.

Let us now discuss in this post why you should not install your new carpet over your old one.

1. Tack strips will be difficult to install

You make it even more difficult to fix the tack strips by leaving a certain layer of carpet in place. The anchoring nails put on tack strips are barely ¾” long, which is far too short for penetrating the existing carpet and pad to reach the subfloor. 

The complexity of putting tack strips might be the only thing keeping you from spreading new carpet over old.

1. Carpet is considered as an inadequate base

Any tradie chosen from Flooring Domain will tell you that your carpeting will need a very solid base for installing it properly and also for better performance. Any carpet installed without any proper base will soon wear out after installation.

There can be many aspects to this, however, you may consider just this one i.e. the traffic patterns that have already worn into your old carpet will quickly be transferred to your newly installed carpet.

1. Your old carpeting may contain lots of dust and mould

Mold and mildew in your carpeting are increased by the presence of dust, according to studies. Mold and mildew are caused by a combination of dust and moisture, as well as high temperatures. Cleaning an old carpet thoroughly enough for removing the entire dust is nearly impossible. 

However, if you prefer to have your old carpet cleaned first, you have already spent money that could have gone toward carpet removal.

1. Dual carpet may create additional floor layers

You may easily lower your ceiling by adding an extra layer to your flooring. Every inch counts in a basement and any other low-ceilinged space. Remember that adding height will cause doors to scrape, requiring them to be cut from the bottom. Wood trim will also need to be removed and replaced.

1. You will lose your chance to repair and check the subfloor

When you select a tradie from Flooring Domain he will rip up the old carpet, and that will help him to assess the condition of the subfloor and also identify if it needs any repair or not.