Carpet transition to lower surface

benjamincall · 12-10-2010, 05:26 PM

In my basement I'll be installing carpet over a 7/16" pad, 3/4" plywood, 1-1/2" rigid foam, and dimpled membrane. What is a graceful way to make the transition between the carpeted area and much lower porcelain 3/16" tile over Ditra? I'm not performing the carpet installation, but I want to make sure I don't present a problem for the installers. The height differential could be as much as 2".

rusty baker · 12-10-2010, 06:25 PM

Why are you putting plywood on concrete? That's a recipe for failure and not needed.

benjamincall · 12-10-2010, 06:42 PM

The plywood is going over xps foam and Delta-FL dimpled membrane.

rusty baker · 12-10-2010, 07:49 PM

Well, I wish you luck.

benjamincall · 12-16-2010, 11:52 AM

Any ideas on how to achieve a graceful 2" transition from carpet down to porcelain tile?

benjamincall · 01-14-2011, 11:48 AM

Here are my numbers again:

1/8" thinset and Ditra + 1/8" thinset between Ditra and tile + 1/4" porcelain tile = 1/2" finished floor height.

5/16" Delta-FL + 1" XPS Foam + 19/32" AdvanTech + 7/16" pad + 1/2" Carpet = 2-27/32"

What should I do in the doorways to the bathroom and at the entryway where the carpet meets the tile? Should I do away with the XPS foam and put the AdvanTech right down on the Delta-FL? That would buy me another inch. A difference of 1-3/8" is still pretty big.

woodman58 · 01-14-2011, 03:02 PM

Why are you putting all this under the pad and carpet? In the mid-west we just put pad and carpet only.

benjamincall · 01-14-2011, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodman58

Why are you putting all this under the pad and carpet? In the mid-west we just put pad and carpet only.

The membrane is there for water vapor and for small amounts of water inflitration. If you don't have insulation under your slab, adding a layer of closed cell foam insulation can prevent cold floors. The floor sheathing provides a level surface for the carpet and prevents compression of the foam. I may go without the XPS insulation if I can't find a good way to reduce the height.

benjamincall · 01-17-2011, 08:41 PM

I was thinking perhaps I could use some Wedi board to bring up the level of the tile, but I have no experience with Wedi.

Someone on a different forum suggested that I create a mud bed, but an area as large as the one I'll be tiling would present a big challenge for me.