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What's The Best Vinyl Flooring For Over Carpet?

By Paige Cerulli Created: April, 2022

Vinyl flooring is highly durable and available in many finishes, making it a versatile and popular option. If you’re planning to install vinyl flooring over carpet, it’s important to choose a quality product that’s designed for that type of installation.

Tips for Installing Vinyl Flooring Over Carpet

While you can install certain vinyl flooring products over carpet, the results you get will vary depending on the type of carpet that you have. For the best results, only install vinyl flooring over a low-pile carpet.

It’s also best to avoid carpet that’s padded. In some cases, carpet with a light padding may work.

vinyl flooring tiles over carpet

Carpet that is too thick or too heavily padded won’t provide a firm enough surface to serve as the base for your vinyl flooring. This can cause the flooring tiles or planks to buckle or collapse down where they connect, leading to an uneven surface.

When you install the vinyl flooring, you may need to place a piece of wood underneath the tiles. The wood will give you the firmness you need to press the tiles together until they click or snap into place.

After you’ve laid the initial tiles, you can reposition the wood and use it as a base to lock the remaining tiles into place.

Keep in mind that tiles can slip on carpet, so you’ll want to install a large enough section of tiles so that the flooring won’t easily slip or slide. A wall-to-wall installation offers extra security and can help to keep the tiles in place.

vinyl flooring tiles over carpet

The Best Vinyl Flooring for Over Carpet

At Greatmats, we sell several vinyl flooring products that you can install over carpet.

Max Tile Raised Floor Tile


The Max Tile Raised Floor Tile is a 1x1-foot tile available in realistic wood grain designs for a luxurious finish. The tile is UV treated to protect it from the sun’s rays.

The tile is suitable for both residential and commercial use, and it’s a popular choice for basements, portable dance floors, garage floors, and trade shows.

Max Tile Raised Floor Tile

The vinyl top is highly durable and is resistant to scratches and wears. There’s no need to ever refinish the tile, which can save you money on maintenance.

These tiles’ wear layers are rated for 15 years when installed in a home, and for seven years when installed in commercial settings. The entire tile is also backed by a five-year warranty.

These waterproof tiles feature a built-in vapor barrier, so they can be used in areas where you need air circulation below them, like in basements. They can be dry laid over surfaces like cement and low-pile carpeting.

Since the tiles feature a raised base, they let water and air circulate beneath them. Ramped edge pieces are available to make for a smooth transition onto and off of the tiles, and the tiles are also strong enough to withstand the weight of furniture.

Installing the tiles is easy, thanks to their snap together tab and loop connectors. Those connectors hold the tiles together tightly, so they won’t separate during use.

You can install the tiles permanently, but they’re also durable enough to withstand repeated installations and removals. You can store the tiles as needed, and can also replace a tile that’s worn or damaged.

If needed, you can cut the tiles to fit the area by using a sharp utility knife and a straight edge.



TileFlex Floor Tile


The TileFlex Floor Tile is a durable vinyl tile that’s ideal for use in basements, dance floors, churches, and athletic courts. It’s available in two beautiful finishes that closely resemble stone, so you can get a luxury look with a surface that’s much more forgiving than real stone.

TileFlex Floor Tile

The tiles provide cushioned support, and since they float above the subfloor, they keep you up and off of the base for valuable thermal insulation properties. That raised base also allows for drainage, making the tile ideal for wet areas, too.

The tiles are waterproof and have a highly durable surface. Their solid top design makes them highly versatile, so you’ll find these tiles in utility rooms, used as dance floors, and more.

These tiles can be installed permanently, or you can remove them and reinstall them if needed, though they’re not designed for repeated installations. The tiles are conveniently sized, which makes them easy to transport and store.

They feature a snap-together installation and can be dry laid over surfaces like concrete and wood. You can also put the tiles on top of low-pile carpet with no padding.

Since the tiles measure 1x1 feet, a single person can easily perform the installation. Once installed, they’re easy to maintain and can be damp mopped with a common household floor cleaner to keep them looking their best.

No special adhesives are required to install the tiles, and they are backed by a 10-year warranty.