Cheap, quick, dirty snap-together tile flooring-in a bedroom?

In My Humble Opinion
1

The rental house I’m moving into next week has the worst dark-brown matted-down shag carpeting I’ve ever seen. After the u-haul and other costs, we’re running on a shoestring budget. But I have GOT to cover this carpet with something or I’m going to go crazy.

I know they make snap-together tiles for garage floors and kids play areas. Could this possibly work in a bedroom? Potentially fortunately, any padding that was under the carpet seems to have worn down to nothing. It’s pretty hard and flat, for carpet.

2

it’ll be lumpy what ever you do.

throw rugs over it as you acquire them at low cost.

3

Asked my husband. He does stuff like this for a living. In a word, no. That will not work. He suggests you go Home Depot/Menard’s/Lowe’s etc., and buy a carpet remnant (the parts they have at the end of the rolls). They are hugely discounted and you can just lay it on top of the old carpet. If it’s a little too big, cut it yourself. If it’s a little too small, oh well - it’ll only be off on the edges. The furniture will hold it in place. That’s how we carpeted our entry hallway (it was tile - but the dog couldn’t walk on it). It cost us maybe $20.

4

Could be wrong, but I don’t think she’s talking about any actual tile, wood, or other actual hard flooring surfaces. It seems that by “snap-together tiles for garage floors and kids play areas” she means those (generally) large, heavy foam rubber tiles, like you can see here.

I’d prefer throw rugs or carpet remnants over that solution, myself.

5

Another vote for rugs or carpet remnants. Check craigslist, too, for cheap options.

The product in voltaire’s link will not work well at all over existing lumpy or worn carpet. They’ll only work over a uniformly flat, level surface.

6

I knew what she was talking about. A friend of ours has them in his garage/man cave. :slight_smile:

7

Can you take the carpet up? It’s not particularly difficult. If not, then anything you put over it is going to be sort of squishy, especially snap together tiles since they will flex at the seams. I’d go with the remnant, cut to fit. Something thin and stiff.

8

I guess a carpet remnant is what we’ll probably do. Thanks for the recommendation about where to find cheap ones, Missy2U.

In a few months, we may look at pulling out the carpet. I just don’t know what’s underneath it yet–maybe nice old wood, maybe yucky subfloor. The landlord is pretty laissez-faire, so I doubt he will care.

Hey thanks, saving this link for later. Maybe it’s not what everyone wants, but there are some nice snap-together options that *look *like marble or wood. Even if they’re not really marble or wood, it’s classier than fecal-toned '70s shag. :slight_smile:

9

I don’t see that as a cheap option. The one I looked at was 2.99 a sq ft. If you have a 10x10 room, you are looking at $300 for a wonky substandard fix.

The carpet remnant is a better option.

10

I understand cheap and quick, but why do you want the snap together flooring to be dirty?

11

Make a deal with the landlord - he doesn’t want that crap in there any more than you. - you’ll by the remnant (large enough for the room and closet if he’ll spring for pros to remove/haul away and install.
dicker about pad
At least get permission to remove the crap and install cheap click-together laminate - I did a 13x14 room in an afternoon for a couple of hundred (Color Tile have gotten a carload of crap, and was moving it (no returns!) out dirt cheap.
The usual routine on tile, at least, was to uy mouch more than you expected to need, then return the excess when done. That sould be the routine on laminate, but don’t know).

The absolute cheapest “floor cover” was (HD, of course) was 40"x8" strips of dark brown VINVY - it had ribs so it would hold together - I can’t imagine paying someone for the privilege of hauling this crap away…