Renting? Here's A DIY Hack To Turn A Shabby Carpet Into Glorious Faux Hardwood

If you're renting, you know all too well the pain of dealing with your landlord's awkward tastes. Whether it's ugly paint jobs, awkward wallpapers, or dingy wall-to-wall carpeting, you just have to live with it, right? Well, while that's the expectation, some renters have found clever and innovative ways to customize their space without losing their security deposits. If you're renting a home with an old carpet that looks like it belongs in the 1980s, you don't have to just shrug and live with it. Instead, you can use a DIY hack to turn shabby carpet into glorious faux hardwood.

The idea comes from @msfr1zz, a daring Instagram creator who thought to use plywood and faux wood tiles to turn a gray carpet into something that looks modern and clean. All of the materials used are from the hardware store, and the project should only take a few days to complete.

But before you run to the store and get your supplies, there are a few considerations and questions to think about. Mainly, a lot of people in the comments are worried about mold growing under the boards, which isn't a silly concern. Mold could grow in the carpet if moisture is trapped between the layers. Therefore, it's best to avoid mopping or spilling liquids on that type of DIY floor overlay, because it could leak between the planks. This might also be an issue if the room is humid and poorly ventilated. However, covering carpet with temporary flooring is hardly a new idea, and it's proven to work well with vinyl and laminate. To be safe, check under the planks periodically to spot and remove any problematic mold if it does occur. 

If you'd like to try this approach, start by figuring out which areas of the room need to be covered. The original creator didn't actually cover their entire room with a faux hardwood floor. Instead, they only used it in exposed areas, and didn't bother adding it under their bed or below area rugs. This makes this approach both easier and cheaper, since you won't need as much material to cover the room. 

Start by measuring the areas you want to cover, then head to a local hardware store. You'll want two things: first, a layer of thin plywood to use as a base. These come in larger sheets that are bendy and can be cut with a box cutter or X-Acto knife. Cut larger planks into smaller rectangles to work around the room's edges and corners, and be sure to cut out sections where floor vents are so they're not covered.

Secondly, to give the plywood that hardwood floor look, you'll need peel-and-stick vinyl floor tiles, like these Wood Look Planks from ZRJT. The original creator applied them next to each other, but if you want a more natural hardwood floor look, stagger the pieces. To make sure this creative way to DIY hardwood floors on a budget looks legit, avoid air bubbles and work slowly to ensure the pieces are parallel and free of visible gaps. Here again, make sure to cut out the vinyl sheets to avoid covering air vents. You can try this technique with different types of adhesive vinyl floor tiles. For example, try faux pavers, tiles, or other flooring options instead of hardwood.