I messed up this question yesterday, so got advice about everything
except what I need - which is:
What types of solid flooring can I temporarily install over flat
Industrial Carpet, which can not be removed. The Temporary floor need
last only 6 to 8 months, but should protect the ugly carpet. No need
to worry about tripping hazards, etc.
I only want to know what stuff, if any, can go over carpet on a
temporary basis.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
PS - an easy DIY would be a really good thing!

On 5/24/2008 1:21 PM CatWoman spake thus:

I messed up this question yesterday, so got advice about everything
except what I need - which is:
What types of solid flooring can I temporarily install over flat
Industrial Carpet, which can not be removed. The Temporary floor need
last only 6 to 8 months, but should protect the ugly carpet. No need
to worry about tripping hazards, etc.
I only want to know what stuff, if any, can go over carpet on a
temporary basis.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
PS - an easy DIY would be a really good thing!

Not sure if this fits your need, but it seems to me that if you put down
some underlayment first (OSB or similar), you could put just about
anything over it. The underlayment could be screwed down to the real
floor to make it easily removeable.


--
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute
conversation with the average voter.

- Attributed to Winston Churchill

CatWoman wrote:
I messed up this question yesterday, so got advice about everything
except what I need - which is:
What types of solid flooring can I temporarily install over flat
Industrial Carpet, which can not be removed. The Temporary floor need
last only 6 to 8 months, but should protect the ugly carpet. No need
to worry about tripping hazards, etc.
I only want to know what stuff, if any, can go over carpet on a
temporary basis.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
PS - an easy DIY would be a really good thing!

We can't see your apartment from here, and there are lots of variables.
Offhand, just as a swag, I'd say lay out sheets of masonite or 1/4
luan, tape the joints with carpet seaming tape, and put edge-glued
textured vinyl over it. Try not to have joints in traffic paths. Find
some way to wedge it between walls or in a doorway or against cabinets,
so it doesn't slide around. (ie, some U-shaped cuts to fit around arches
or base cabinets) Put a hammer-down edge strip on the naked edge, just
without nails, to hold the layers together and provide some taper to
reduce the trip hazard.

IMHO, you can learn to live with anything for 6-8 months- just be
careful not to spill stuff. Any money you spend on a throw-away floor is
money you won't have to fix up the new place. And a new house, even a
newly-built one, will always take more cash in the first six months than
you planned on.

--
aem sends....

"David Nebenzahl" wrote

What types of solid flooring can I temporarily install over flat
Industrial Carpet, which can not be removed. The Temporary floor need
last only 6 to 8 months, but should protect the ugly carpet. No need
to worry about tripping hazards, etc.

some underlayment first (OSB or similar), you could put just about
anything over it. The underlayment could be screwed down to the real floor
to make it easily removeable.

Yup. In Navy when they work on ships, they lay down a thin plywood (and i
mean thin, this stuff is 1/4 inch if that) then tape the joints with an
industrial level tape along every seam, including the bulkheads. Being
steel bulkheads, this is easy but should be able to do it to wood floor
molding as well. May need 2 layers for an 8 month job. Set second layer so
the joints are offset from the one under it.