Bad tile to carpet transition: need help on fix

Hi. Great posts. Found lots of really useful info. I could really use some advice on our particular issue.

We built a house with tile to carpet on the first floor (living, dining and family are all carpet, foyer, kitchen, laundry are all tile). The same subcontractor installed both the tile and the carpet. Unfortunately, the subcontractor wasn't paying attention and we now have a 1/2" drop from our the tile to the carpet in all areas. This is in part due to the fact that they didn't run the carpet padding all the way up to the edge of the tile; the padding stops at the tack strip. However, the huge drop is mostly due to the fact that the tile is sitting on a backerboard and no one bothered to consider perhaps we might need to beef up the carpet padding. Arrghhh. The drop is so severe that my daughter has hurt her foot on the edge numerous times.

Our builder's rep and the flooring subcontractor are coming out Monday (finally) to try to hammer out a solution. I don't want them to try to weasel out of fixing this with some mickey mouse solution that really isn't the best solution and I accept it just because I don't know any better.

I read in previous posts about Schluter's products, but I do NOT want a transition strip on TOP of the tile/carpet areas. What I want is (1) the tile edge to be protected (the grout is already chipping out along the edge) and (2) the carpet to seamlessly blend into the tile (like that shown in the pic at http://www.floorstransformed.com/ceramic_tile/photos/610.jpg).

I've posted a pic online to show what my carpet to tile transition looks like now:

http://www.floorstransformed.com/ceramic_tile/photos/1867.jpg

Is there a solution here that doesn't involve ripping up tile to install a protective edge, or completely ripping up the carpet to install a thicker pad? Thanks in advance!

Kathleen the carpet pad always stops at the tackstrip. This isn't unusual. The problem here is that when carpet pad stops at the tackstrip along the walls it goes unnoticed, when it stops at the tackstrip in a doorway it can be more noticeable but these guys haven't done anything wrong.

A simple solution is to use a transition but you don't want that so now your only choice is for the guys to 'ramp' the carpet in the doorways, this is done all the time.

Protecting the tile edge should have been considered (by you) BEFORE the tile went down if you weren't going to allow a transition piece.

"Beefing up" the carpet padding IS NOT the way to remedy this situation.

What was done is typical and there is nothing wrong with it and I doubt anyone is going to try to 'weasel' out of anything. Where you your own general contractor when you built the house?

Hi Bud,

Thanks for replying. First, no we weren't our own general contractor. We built with a medium-sized local, reputable builder who provided a site supervisor. We have never built a home from scratch before, so really didn't know what to expect or to plan for. Thanks for putting me straight on what's standard. My comment on the weasel bit is due to our general dissatisfaction with the builder; sorry it leaked out.

90% of our carpet to tile transitions are between open rooms, not doorways, so are more noticable. There are several long stretches between our kitchen tile into the family room carpet area of 10 feet or more. That's why I don't want a transition piece on top.

Considering that we had not built a home before and that our previous home had numerous carpet to tile transitions where the carpet sat higher than the tile and didn't expose the tile edge, we didn't know that there was anything to watch out for. I have never been in a home with tile and carpet where the tile drops off to the carpet like it does in our home. No one mentioned transition pieces, tile edge protection, or anything of the sort to us during the entire building process. If we had known that there was going to be a 1/2" drop from the tile to carpet, certainly we would have planned for it in some way ahead of time.

I'm not sure what ramping up is, but I'll be sure to ask the subcontractor on Monday. Thanks so much for your time and reply!

Kathleen, when talking to your contractor, as Bud mentioned, ramping the carpet is your solution. This can be achieved 2 ways. One by feathering a levelling compound (this is the hard way) to build a ramp to the tile. The second way is to get reducer strips made for this. You'll find them at floorlayer supply stores. They come about a foot wide and 8 feet in length and and of varying thicknesses. They are installed onto the plywood or cement) then the tackstrips and pad, then the carpet. This should be your best option. As for the tile edge, short of removing the first row and reinstalling it with an edge you're stuck.

Thanks Marco. I found some ramps at a place called http://www.carpetshim.com/. I'm guessing that's what you are speaking of in option 2 for the fix.

Yikes on the tile edges. I surely don't want the tile ripped up. Hindsight is 20/20.

Thanks again!

Well, I'm just a curious observer on this one; but, what I'm wondering is why was this a problem, unless the installer used 1/2" backer board under the tile?

Usually there is not this kind of a difference between carpet and tile when using 1/4" backerboard on the floor. At least I've never seen it, unless the carpet is a very low nap, like berber, for instance (never sure how that's spelled).

Be that as it may, the ramp is the solution. On several tile jobs that we did, the carpet installer used the ramp. It actually made the carpet higher than the tile, which is a better situation (in your case, it sounds like it will make the carpet even with the tile).

Next time, don't let a carpet installer set your tile!

To be fair, maybe this one knows what he's doing in both trades, that would be rare; carpet installers are typically a "different animal" (at least the ones we've seen) and it would frighten me to think of any of them attempting to set tile. I've yet to see a decent tile job done by a carpet layer.

Hi Kathleen, those shims are pretty much what I was talking about. The ones I used are made of rubber. I installed them in a house where the homeowner is wheelchair bound. He was having a hard time with his chair between the carpet and tile. Problem solved.

Kathleen,

There's somethinmg else you should now be aware of that hasn't been mentioned. The carpet ramps you are seeing and that are being talked about now are a fairly late-model product and of course would be your best bet.

But let me warn you.......for many many years these ramps have been made from cedar roofing shingles so don't be surprised if the carpet guy shows up with a bundle of wood shingles to ramp your carpet with.

If you don't want this (wood shingles) that's fine. There is really nothing wrong with it except in-time the shingles could crack and click and squeek and flex. The vinyl or rubber products would be a much better choice these days. At least now you have some advance warning and some ammunition to fight your 'ramping' battle.

That is right, most carpet installers when they ramp will use Cedar Undercoursing shingles that are wedges 18"-24" long. Nothing wrong with that but I like the few guys who will use a mix and form/shape the ramp on-site. Ramping is the way its supposed to be done.
What they left you with is quite common, but not acceptable to me.

Ok heard lot's of great stuff from nice people. Easy fix as I am doing this at my own home in the morning.
Simply add a tack strip on top of the one already down. Carpet is then stretched over as normal with about a 1/2 inch left extra. This half inch is then rolled under the carpet between the tile and the tack board. It leaves you with a smooth transition without any of the extra stuff that I have read about. I don't have a pic yet as I have not finished but it's looks great where I've done it before. Not a weasle way just easy common sense.

My situation is worst and it involves a curve tile on top of backerboard and carpet transition.

Michael, if your floor is wood, very easy, window shims placed next to the tile, nail or use compressor & brad nailer to attach. Leave a gap next to tile, place tackstrip w/ gap to tuck carpet into. The pad goes over the shims up to the tackstrip.
Been doing this for years, most people can't tell I've done anything under the carpet.
The height of the tile off the subfloor will detemine how thick a shim you would use.