Can I put a floating laminate floor over a thin commercial grade rug?

Yes, depending on the laminate you choose a moisture barrier or pad may be required. Your laminate supplier will know the answer.

Ditto . . . Good luck!

Hi Mark, My thoughts on this one are why not. But I am not an expert. If I was going to do it I would not put down a moisture barrier. I think it would cause a creepy mold problem. Heck, people paint rugs all the time why not some thin set? If you are doing peel and stick I'm not sure. There is a Youtube video on how to remove glued carpet from a basement floor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFzVd0cn_4U and that might be the best way to go. It will be a bit of work but you'll get a better result I think. Here is a link about flooring that says you can do it if the carpet is glued on wood flooring. http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/top-10-laminate.html . One more web site says When you tear up carpet, you must remove everything down to the subfloor. You absolutely cannot use carpet underlayment underneath laminate flooring. As much as you want to cut down costs on a new floor, this is not the way to do it. Installing laminate flooring over carpet underlayment will do more harm than good in the long run. Here is their link https://www.bestlaminate.com/blog/can-i-install-laminate-flooring-over-carpet-underlayment/ Hope this information will help you. Best of luck with your project!

Laminate flooring can be installed almost anywhere in your home, as long as you have a structurally sound, clean, dry, and flat subfloor. You can also install laminate over existing floors made of wood, concrete, ceramic tile, vinyl sheet, or even carpet (Carpet must be fully adhered and no more than 1/4" thick over suspended wood subfloors.).

"SwiftLock" laminate flooring can be installed over ceramic tile, concrete, well-bonded vinyl or board/ply underlayments, even over carpet that is less than 1/4" high and has no pad underneath... I'm sure there are others as well.

use a moisture barrier first.

I'm no contractor, but my laminate floor was installed directly over a thick sheet vinyl floor. It looks perfect! It also stays warmer since it is on a concrete slab that now has a layer underneath it. :)

Uh