ᐅ Is it possible to install OSB boards as a subfloor over carpet?

So, am I the only one who has had this personal experience? 😱

I treated OSB boards (multiple coats of parquet lacquer) and used them as a subfloor over different surfaces (partly tiles, partly carpet) and back then, like you, I thought:

Great, it’s also a kind of impact sound insulation / underlay. And I didn’t need to add any other material or level out different heights.

Please don’t make the same mistake. This stuff eventually rots (depending, of course, on the carpet material). It also starts to smell musty. My carpet was originally neither smelly nor "poor quality," and it wasn’t high-pile either. I didn’t have problems with the (glued) joints. However, some moisture always finds its way into the floor. The carpet lets moisture through and passes it underneath to the OSB, which swells. You really don’t want this combination of damp carpet and swollen subfloor. For me, the problems only appeared after more than 10 years, but better to avoid it. Just tear everything out and build a clean system. Saves you nerves and money in the long run.

Over 10 years ago, I installed laminate flooring over carpet (floating) in two rooms of my mother’s apartment. So far, there has been no odor. However, this should not be taken as a recommendation for your project.

pagoni2020 schrieb:

Maybe you could explain what you mean by "making it habitable."

The house was built in 1937 and last renovated in 1984. At that time, a new oil heating system was installed, and carpet was laid over the wooden floors. It was then occupied for 11 years by a family and 25 years by a single person. Beneath the wooden floors, there is no screed or similar layer; instead, there are floorboards resting directly on sand—so the floor is naturally cold. The heating circuit wasn’t designed as an exterior circuit—that is, the radiators are not placed beneath the windows—but rather as an interior circuit. Most radiators are located next to the doors, while the cold enters through the windows, which have double glazing. The future use of the house is not yet fully determined—it is owned by a public authority. Our children have the opportunity to live here rent-free for at least two years, paying only the utility costs. The charm lies in the location: a completely isolated setting with a stunning view of nature and a river. Inland vessels pass right by the windows. The plan is to improve the house with minimal personal investment.

Well, you just have to adjust your own wishes to your financial and/or practical capabilities. Under a wooden floor, it doesn't necessarily have to be a screed layer; for example, if it lies on sleepers with sand in between, that's not a problem. This was commonly done in the past, and sand alone doesn’t make it colder than screed. Perhaps you could also simply buy a few rugs and place them where they make sense, to make it more comfortable underfoot.

If you start with that, it might be better to rent a nice apartment and pay rent instead. Renovations cost money for both materials and labor. I would say: don’t look a gift horse in the mouth...

The intention to spruce things up also depends especially on your own practical skills...

Is this your daughter's house? It might be more appropriate for her to register here herself.