Carpet Tiles

[Patrick Kelly]

I've seen carpet tiles used in a lot of commercial properties and was wondering if they are worth using in small multi-family units. This is a C property in a B+ area and I'm looking to rehab. It has tenants in it, but the flooring is really beat up and the tenants are complaining. I was thinking of either doing an allure flooring that looks like wood or carpet tiles that can be replaced individually as they get damaged. Just wondering if anyone has any experience.

[Steve Vaughan]

Rubber backed commercial carpet tiles have worked great for me.  They can stand about anything except heat.  A cigarette cherry or iron will burn right through.  Nice to be able to replace squares as necessary.  Is the floor itself pretty level @Patrick Kelly?  What's on the floor now? Plywood or particle board underneath? 

[Mindy Jensen]

Carpet tiles will look awesome for about 5 minutes. If the floors are beat up now, your best bet is either a solid hardwood floor which can be refinished multiple times, or an Allure flooring. Cheapest is not always best for the long term. I'm in the solid hardwood camp, because it can be refinished so many times. But water does bad things to hardwood and you're in Massachusetts. Snow could ruin them. I'd vote Allure.

[Roy N.]

We use carpet tiles in corridors and other common areas.  

I suppose if you had the right pattern, they could work in a living space without looking overly institutional.

In the apartment itself, I would lean towards vinyl plank with an area rug in lieu of carpet ... much easier to clean and deal with between tenants.  You can get vinyl floor which uses a pressure adhesive and the planks do not ship-lap or interlock; this allows each plank to be pulled-up/replaced without disassembling the entire floor.

In (converted) houses, I tend towards hardwood (engineered or traditional), a good quality laminate, or ceramic/porcelain tiles (if the subfloor is stable enough).

In {older}, stick-built multis, you are often compelled to use soft flooring options (carpet, vinyl, linoleum, cork), particularly in bedrooms and living rooms, due to sound transference.  

Laminate, or floating engineered hardwood, can be maddening for downstairs tenants in a stick-built multi!  {Life lesson learned the hard way ... lifeline provided by using custom area rugs in all living rooms and bedrooms.} 

[Tim Wilkinson]

common area is perfect for it. I agree with Roy. Sheet vinyl or hardwood in the unit. 

[Mike Hurney]

@Patrick KellyI've had good luck the past few years with self stick vinyl tiles from Depot, especially in kitchens.

[Steven Thomas]

Coming from a handyman, carpet is only as good as the installation, and carpet tiles are doubly so. If you go that route,you HAVE to make sure the adhesive is REALLY good and make sure the edges have plenty. If you dont the corners will eventually poke  up. Installation is quick and fairly straight forward though. The floor needs to be fairly level and the surface you stick them to needs to be clean when installed.  

[Jim Adrian]

Carpet tiles will hold up but if the edges aren't glued well it will look crappy. They can be replaced easy. What ever product you use make sure it sits in the house for a few days to acclimate.  You may want to open up the product packaging.   At this point, it comes down to what look you want.  A wood looking floor will always look richer that carpet. 

[Rick H.]

It would seem to me that carpet tiles in bedrooms only makes sense for rentals.

I've been in the habit of using ceramic tile in common areas, including high traffic like entryway and hallways then creating islands of carpet in bedrooms. 

This makes replacing carpet in a single bedroom easy with remnant carpet. However, I've never tried carpet squares as an alternative for nice remnant carpet. Also, I don't get a lot of turnover. 

Anyone use the 'islands of carpet' method with carpet squares?

[Michael Quarles]

I guess in a high crime area carpet tiles make sense... Ya know... easier to clean up the blood stains... 

Other then that it seems too much of a trailer trash mentality.

[Alison Robinson]

I'm planning to use carpet tiles in a small mud room entryway to replace old laminate flooring.

[Sylvia B.]

Our local home center carries a loose lay sheet vinyl that looks and feels like wood. At less than $1/ft² you really can't beat it. My nicer houses get engineered hard wood, but I have 2 smaller houses with this flooring throughout.

[Julie Marquez]

I think carpet tiles can be great in the right spaces, with the right adhesive and installation. Just make sure to keep a healthy stock of tiles. They often discontinue quickly, or change lots.