Installing Carpet Over Concrete: Include best-quality padding for insulation and vapor barrier

Tom Kraeutler asks,

Great show! The carpet in my family room is a few years old now and it needs replacement. The problem here is that this carpet was installed directly over the concrete floor in the family room, and I would like to change that. I am planning to remove the carpet, install some half-inch plywood and then install the new carpet over the plywood. My question is, what is the best vapor barrier or other material to install under the plywood considering our cold climate here in Ontario, Canada?

Our Answer

There is no reason to install plywood over your concrete. Carpet is designed to be installed right on top of concrete. We would, however, recommend that you install the best-quality foam padding you can afford. This will help to insulate the surface and provide a degree of vapor barrier as well.