How to Lay Carpet Over Tile

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Installing carpet in your home is a daunting task, but it is something you can accomplish yourself. You can install carpet over most clean, dry surfaces, including tile, as long as you’ve prepared the surface properly prior to installation. However, carpet installation requires specialized tools, such as a carpet stretcher and a knee kicker, but these tools aren’t limited to professionals. You can usually rent or purchase from most home building supply or flooring stores.

Cut and remove the tile around the perimeter of the room using a tile cutter so that there is a space 2 inches larger than the width of a tack strip. Make sure the tile is thoroughly cleaned and dry before installing your carpet.
Measure each wall in the room. Cut a length of tackless strip to fit each measurement using a hacksaw. Wear heavy work gloves when working with tack strips.
Position the strips around the room with the pointed ends of the tacks facing up. Leave a space between the strip and the wall that is about two-thirds of the thickness of the carpet.
Secure the strips by hammering at least two masonry nails into each one and into the subfloor. Add a nail at the joints in the corners of the room.
Cut the under-padding into strips that extend over the tack strips at each end of the room.
Lay out the under-padding and staple it about every 6 inches along the edges of the room. Seal the seams where each strip overlaps with duct tape.
Trim excess padding at each end of the room using a utility knife.
Cut the carpet about 4 to 6 inches longer than the length of the room. Lay the first piece so that there is at least 2 inches of excess carpet at the wall. If you need two pieces of carpet to fit the width of the room, lay the second length of carpet so that it overlaps the first by about 2 inches.
Snap a chalk line to mark where the edge of the top carpet overlaps on the bottom. Cut the bottom piece of carpet at this mark using a row cutter.
Lay a strip of seaming tape beneath each seam so that the adhesive side faces up. Run a seaming iron over the strip to melt the adhesive, and press both sides of the seam down onto the melted adhesive.
Hook the carpet ends over the tack strip beginning at one corner of the room.
Position a knee kicker about 1 inch away from the wall, and push the teeth into the carpet. Kick the cushioned end of the kicker with your knee to hook the carpet onto the tack strip.
Place the base of a power stretcher at the wall where you hooked the carpet and dig the stretcher’s teeth into the carpet at a spot about 6 inches away from the opposite wall.
Press down on the lever to lock the stretcher and attach the carpet to the tack strips.
Move the base of the power stretcher along the wall and repeat digging the teeth in and pressing the lever to lock the next section into the tack strip. Continue this process along each wall until the carpet is attached to the tack strips along all sides.
Trim excess carpet on all sides of the room using a wall trimmer or a utility knife.

Push the carpet edges between the wall and the tack strips and re-install your baseboard or trim.