# Forum Home Renovation Flooring  Difference in floor height between carpet & floorboards - what can we do??

## Zok&Lids

G'day everyone, 
we have a bit of a dilemma.  Hubby and I are installing 19mm floorboards (with battens underneath) through the majority of the house.  But in the bedrooms and lounge room we are having carpet. 
The problem is that when the carpet is eventually laid it will not match the height of the floorboards.  Hubby estimates we will be approx 20mm short. :Yuk:  
Can anyone come up with a cheap solution to raise the carpet height? 
All advice is appreciated
Lids  :Thewave:

----------


## leeton

You could always lay masonite on the floor before carpeting, it will lift it up a bit....not sure of the thickness of masonite though!

----------


## woodbe

Only a few options really. 
Ideally, raise the carpeted areas by laying the required thickness of flooring on top of the existing floor, then laying the carpet. 
Install a ramp under the carpet at the join that bridges the gap. Carpet place will supply and fit these, not sure if they go as high as 20mm though. 
Install a wooden ramp at the join. We have done this in one area, it actually works reasonably well. Ours would be more than 20mm and the ramp is about 250mm long. 
woodbe

----------


## Zok&Lids

> You could always lay masonite on the floor before carpeting, it will lift it up a bit....not sure of the thickness of masonite though!

  I'll run the masonite suggestions passed hubby - any idea on how much it is?   
Thanks for your help
Lids

----------


## Zok&Lids

> Only a few options really. 
> Ideally, raise the carpeted areas by laying the required thickness of flooring on top of the existing floor, then laying the carpet. 
> Install a ramp under the carpet at the join that bridges the gap. Carpet place will supply and fit these, not sure if they go as high as 20mm though. 
> Install a wooden ramp at the join. We have done this in one area, it actually works reasonably well. Ours would be more than 20mm and the ramp is about 250mm long. 
> woodbe

  I never thought of the ramp at the carpet join - thanks :Blush7: .  That may seem the cheapest alternative.  Cross fingers that they do go up to 20mm 
Thanks again
Lids

----------


## Bloss

:What he said:  or use some 12mm CD ply. 
But really that height difference is not much - if it exists at all when it is all in place. Carpet + underlay will end up about the same thickness as 19mm boards and in any case the aluminium edge strips used at the meeting points of carpet & timber give a gradual slope that will not be very noticeable.  :2thumbsup:  
I have also use a wider piece made of the floorboard timber as an edge strip by shaping the top to a wide shallow curve, cutting a rebate on the high side (in this case the timber side) so that it sits as flat as it can be. The colour and timber matches and makes a contrasting edge finish that has worked well. Higher visibility than the aluminium edge strip so a matter of personal preference. BTW - when there is a level difference I prefer the edge strip that sits on the timber and hammers down over the carpet edge rather than the simpler cover strip type. Ask the carpet supplier to show you the choices - looking a little like the 2nd one here: http://www.otitech.com/metal.htm

----------


## glock40sw

Lay sheets of 12mm or 15mm ply and fix the carpet over it. 
Seen it done and it works well.

----------


## Gaza

or yellow tonuge sheet flooring.

----------


## Bloss

> or yellow tonuge sheet flooring.

  Too expensive as underlay IMO.

----------


## That Floor Guy

A ramp would be the cheapest way to go, don't be too concerned as it's something the carpet installer/retailer would come across all the time(just make sure you mention it when they come out to measure). Carpet layers usually use a preformed mdf ramp for these situations, or if it's any higher they'll use  rapid set mortar to ramp it. 
If you don't want a ramp then yellow tongue or ply will be your other alternative (you'll probably have to do this yourself) masonite is about $7.00 per square and is only 5.5mm thick.

----------


## Bloss

> A ramp would be the cheapest way to go, don't be too concerned as it's something the carpet installer/retailer would come across all the time(just make sure you mention it when they come out to measure). Carpet layers usually use a preformed mdf ramp for these situations, or if it's any higher they'll use  rapid set mortar to ramp it. 
> If you don't want a ramp then yellow tongue or ply will be your other alternative (you'll probably have to do this yourself) masonite is about $7.00 per square and is only 5.5mm thick.

  Why didn't I think of that - and done it enough times too! Obviously too simple - oldtimer's moment!  :Frown:   :Biggrin:

----------


## Gaza

> Too expensive as underlay IMO.

  its only $10m2 not that bad, most carpets with underlay is 20mm so if laying 19mm floor on battens you will need atleast 19mm under the carpet as well. 
all other ideas with ramping will work but its best to get i flush i would not want a ramp in the middle of my door ways

----------


## glock40sw

> its only $10m2 not that bad, most carpets with underlay is 20mm so if laying 19mm floor on battens you will need atleast 19mm under the carpet as well. 
> all other ideas with ramping will work but its best to get i flush i would not want a ramp in the middle of my door ways

  I tend to agree with Gaza...Ramping looks cheap and nasty....very DIYerish.

----------


## Bloss

Nah - a ramp to cater for a 20mm difference is barely noticeable under carpet and common in commercial fitout - not so much in residential. Works best on wider openings though. As always this is a cost vs aesthetic balance. If the owner can afford to bring the whole floor to level then that's the best option - and the material choice made just on installed price (yellowtongue would be fast, but so would ply).  :2thumbsup:  If they can't then a properly done ramp is an OK alternative IMO. What the owner wants and what they can afford don't always match, but they need to be well informed so they are not disappointed when they see a result they didn't expect. In this case a ramp would be visible and some will be OK with it some wouldn't - up to the person paying.

----------


## Zok&Lids

> Nah - a ramp to cater for a 20mm difference is barely noticeable under carpet and common in commercial fitout - not so much in residential. Works best on wider openings though. As always this is a cost vs aesthetic balance. If the owner can afford to bring the whole floor to level then that's the best option - and the material choice made just on installed price (yellowtongue would be fast, but so would ply).  If they can't then a properly done ramp is an OK alternative IMO. What the owner wants and what they can afford don't always match, but they need to be well informed so they are not disappointed when they see a result they didn't expect. In this case a ramp would be visible and some will be OK with it some wouldn't - up to the person paying.

  Hi All.  WOW... so much advice - thanks everyone for your input.  I spoke to hubby last night and although the ramp would be the cheapest alternative, we have decided against it as we don't like the look of it.  
The only alternative is then to raise the floor height of the carpet.  Anyone know any dirt-cheap flooring ????? (if there is such a thing!!!).  I was googling last night and came across some recycled building material depots which sold timber floor boards - i may give them a call and see how much the timber is. 
BTW, how much is ply going for?? 
thanks
Lids

----------


## Bloss

You need to get quotes from suppliers near you (you need only CD or even DD, but you'd need to see how many flaws it had - see here for specs: http://www.timber.org.au/NTEP/menu.asp?id=137).  Try some second hand building material places near you too. Often there are seconds of ply or formwork board (ply with laminate surfaces) from construction sites.

----------


## Zok&Lids

> You need to get quotes from suppliers near you (you need only CD or even DD, but you'd need to see how many flaws it had - see here for specs: http://www.timber.org.au/NTEP/menu.asp?id=137). Try some second hand building material places near you too. Often there are seconds of ply or formwork board (ply with laminate surfaces) from construction sites.

  sorry ... but whats CD and DD?   
ta
lids

----------


## Gaza

you can use imported ply for this, there is chinese guy selling it cheap in trading post.

----------


## Gaza

> Nah - a ramp to cater for a 20mm difference is barely noticeable under carpet and common in commercial fitout - not so much in residential. Works best on wider openings though. As always this is a cost vs aesthetic balance. If the owner can afford to bring the whole floor to level then that's the best option - and the material choice made just on installed price (yellowtongue would be fast, but so would ply).  If they can't then a properly done ramp is an OK alternative IMO. What the owner wants and what they can afford don't always match, but they need to be well informed so they are not disappointed when they see a result they didn't expect. In this case a ramp would be visible and some will be OK with it some wouldn't - up to the person paying.

  i agree that in commerical they ramp floor coverings all the time but there is a limt to how much you can ramp. 
5 or 6mm is ok across 300mm but thats as much as i would go if you do 20mm across 300mm you would need a handrail as it is so steep.

----------


## Bloss

> sorry ... but whats CD and DD?   
> ta
> lids

  If you click on the link in the post above it will explain - these are the grades of plywood veneer (not the strengths) and refer to how many and what type of flaws are in that particular grade. CD has one face with [possible holes in the surface veneer which on one side are filled (the C side) and on the other aren't (D side). In you case the D side would face down.

----------


## Bloss

> 20mm across 300mm you would need a handrail as it is so steep.

  1:15 slope needs a handrail  :Biggrin:  . . . but my content above makes my view clear.  :2thumbsup:  And they have already decided to level the lot.

----------


## woodbe

I agree it is best to level the floor. In our case, we were matching new with old, and the old will be getting the chop in due course, so we put in the ramp, and although we had aesthetic and safety concerns at the time, they were unfounded in our case. It's a high traffic area, and no-one has ever tripped on it or even looked like tripping. Including an octogenarian with a walker.  
As it happens, the timber ramp over the carpet blends the two areas together, and the glossy finish looks good. We'll level it in stage 2 whenever that is... 
woodbe.

----------


## Christopher_940

i would lay down ply if i was u i can get it for about 32-33$ a sheet make shure u get cd ply cos it will be cheaper i think its around the 45-50$ in most hardware shops

----------


## Larry McCully

When a carpet layer needs to raise the height at a join, they use a leveling compond . First you need to peel back the carpet and mix up some Ardur z8 or k15 leveling compond. Leveling compond is a cementious type of compond that looks like cement powder. Any hardware have this brand or simular. Mix up some in a bucket and then you apply it at the line where you want to build up. Feather it back about 300mm . So what you want is a slight ramp from about 300 or 400mm back under th carpet and flush with the top of the timber floor. Let it all dry then relay the carpet over it.

----------


## shellac

> Hi All. WOW... so much advice - thanks everyone for your input. I spoke to hubby last night and although the ramp would be the cheapest alternative, we have decided against it as we don't like the look of it.  
> The only alternative is then to raise the floor height of the carpet. Anyone know any dirt-cheap flooring ????? (if there is such a thing!!!). I was googling last night and came across some recycled building material depots which sold timber floor boards - i may give them a call and see how much the timber is. 
> BTW, how much is ply going for?? 
> thanks
> Lids

  You could try Laws Auctions. I wonder if cement sheeting would work they have tons of seconds and different sizes.

----------

