How to Install Carpet

Having a carpet at home is one way of making your interior space warm and comfortable for all members of the family. But while you are enjoying your old carpet, there will come a time in the future that you will need to change it. You may ask yourself then, “Is installing a carpet easy?” Not quite but you can always learn how to do it.

Before installing a new carpet, you have to remove the existing one. The old carpet including its underlay will have to go. Once you have removed the old one, take the opportunity to check the condition of your subfloor. If you see some loose floorboards, make sure to fasten them securely to avoid squeaks. The floor has to be clean and dry as well before you lay out your new carpet.

After you have prepared the floor, it’s time to install the new tackless strips that are usually made from wood strips. The old ones should have been removed by this stage. The tackless strips are used to hold the carpet in place and should be placed around the perimeter of the room except in the area fronting the doorways. Allow a one-half inch space also between the wall and the strips.

Before laying the carpet, you have to put the underpad sometimes called underlay first. This should be laid in strips overlapping the tackless strips. You can then staple the underpad along the inner edge of the strip and trim off the extra part.

Now for the carpet installation, you need to measure first the length of the room and add six more inches for allowance. Using this measurement, your next step is to mark the back of your carpet using a chalk line. Cut it then directly using a sharp utility knife or you can also fold it first. Once you lay the carpet properly, the extra overlap should also be trimmed so that the carpet fits perfectly along the edges.

To attach the carpet on one edge, a knee kicker will do the trick. This is a vital tool made from metal about 18 inches long and with teeth. The purpose of the teeth is to grip the carpet on one end. To use it, you need to place the toothed part of the kicker approximately three inches from the wall and with your knee on the padded part, drive it with force to stretch the carpet over the tackless strips. As this is done, the strips will get hold of the carpet and firmly secure it in place.

A carpet stretcher will complete the installation. This tool is quite similar to the kicker although longer in size. What this does is stretch the carpet against the wall for a perfect fit. The stretching process should be done around the entire room. You will also have to trim the excess part of the carpet once the stretching is done to create a clean look. Make sure as well that you tuck the carpet in the space between the wall and the tackless strips to cover the floor area.

Feel free to email me with your questions or comments.

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