Best solution for low-par floorboards.

[joshier]

I am currently in the process of having a new carpet installed.

I live in an old house and a lot of the current fixings etc., are not correctly done.

One of these "fixings" is the skirting board does not hit the floor boards, so in some sections the gap roughly looks around 2cm.

The option I went with at Wakes (carpet store) was a big thick rug, and a thin - felt back carpet.

The floor boards have a gap between each of them as you could expect, so this will be noticeable on the areas outside the rug where the thin carpet will lay.

I am personally OK with this and have also thought about the potential idea of having a small bevel to lay on the outside edges on the thin carpet against the skirting board, thus removing the noticeable gap which I'm sure the thin carpet will create.

I was given a few options at wakes to fix this, either have wooden (can't remember the proper name) lay on top of the floor boards removing any seams that would otherwise be visible with floor board gaps (which I can get from B & Q)... or having very thick underlay with an action-pack carpet, though this would eventually sink down and gaps would again come through, or using the idea I had and have the big rug over-lay it.

I don't plan to stay here for much more but I did want to decorate a few bits and bobs for perhaps this last year.

Now, the main issue I have currently is that my mother is saying that draft is going to be a huge problem if I don't put a fair amount of underlay down first. I'd like to know if she is correct in her views.

My questions are firstly your general opinion.
If I have got anything wrong and what other options I can be going for..

Finally, the solution I should be taking perhaps differently to which I am doing now.


Regards,

Mike.

 

[mattysupra]

over board with plywood. If you use a thick plywood you can lose the gap in skirting.

 

[joshier]

over board with plywood. If you use a thick plywood you can lose the gap in skirting.

Thanks for the reply.

Why do you suggest over boarding? what are the advantages?

What about using thick underlay instead of over board?

also, what about over boarding *with* underlay together?

 

[mattysupra]

thick underlay will not make any difference around the edge of the room as it is your gripper around the edge and this only comes in one thickness! Also to thick an underlay the faster your carpet will wear as it will distort the backing of the carpet. It will also lift the carpet off the gripper as it will be sitting higher than the gripper, also the underlay is not designed to hide bad floorboards or gaps in them, you will still get draft and the underlay will soon crush into gaps etc and look a total mess in a matter of months.

 

[joshier]

thick underlay will not make any difference around the edge of the room as it is your gripper around the edge and this only comes in one thickness! Also to thick an underlay the faster your carpet will wear as it will distort the backing of the carpet. It will also lift the carpet off the gripper as it will be sitting higher than the gripper, also the underlay is not designed to hide bad floorboards or gaps in them, you will still get draft and the underlay will soon crush into gaps etc and look a total mess in a matter of months.

would this do?
http://www.abbey-carpets.co.uk/product.php/837/31/pre_shrunk_flooring_hardboard

if so, what are the procedures to install?

 

[mattysupra]

no. you want plywood not hard board, you can also buy 8x4 sheets of plywood from B&Q for 10 quid a sheet that is twice as thick as the hardboard. Im off to do a bit of work now so will post some instructions later.

 

[mattysupra]

to install plywood you need to pin with ring shank nails, screws or divergent staples. i would advice you use ring shank or screws and also get the thickest plywood you can afford to raise the floor height. You should be fixing at 150mm centers and every 100mm around the edge but no more than 12mm away from the edge.