Installing the Carpet
So far we have covered the preparation stages of installing carpet. That included choosing and installing the right carpet pad and installing the tack strip to accept the carpet but actually installing carpet is difficult.
If your home already has carpet you can ask your installer if they will cut you a deal if you remove the old carpet and pad. Tack strips can be reused if they are in good condition and may only need some patching here and there.
Installing large areas of carpet will require gluing of the edges to have a wide enough piece to cover the whole room. It will also be important to cut the carpet in the right direction for both appearance and material savings.
If a whole level of a home or the whole home is to get carpet then performing the work yourself is really not reccomended but it is important that you be there when the work is done.
You should make sure that the installer uses the pad that you ordered and you should ask that a few large scraps be saved for later patching of your carpet incase someone visiting drops a cigarette or drink that can’t be fixed.
If the idea of not being able to walk for a few days still hasn’t deterred you here are some of the tools you will need.
A carpet stretcher (used in larger rooms over 15 feet wide to stretch wrinkles out of the carpet and apply proper tension to the carpet).
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Crain Carpet JR. Power Stretcher #500 from: Crain Carpet |
A Carpet Kicker to attach the carpet to the tack strip.
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Roberts Carpet Tools Deluxe Knee Kicker 10-412 from: Roberts Carpet Tools |
Stair Tools (look like large chisels are used to force the borders behind your base board moldings and clean up stairs).
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Roberts Carpet Tools 3-1/2-Inch Stair Tool 10-521 from: Roberts Carpet Tools |
A breakoff utility knife and carpet cutter (used for cutting out the rough dimensions and trimming).
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Stanley 10-555 FatMaxCarpet Knife from: Stanley Hand Tools |
A carpet edge cutter (used to cut the outside border waste once attached to the tack strip).
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Roberts Carpet Tools Loop Pile Cutter 10-154 |
A Hot Glue Seamer(this looks like a small clothes iron and is used to heat glue strip backing when 2 pieces of rug need to be joined).
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Roberts Carpet Tools Cool Shield Heat Bond Iron 10-482G |
And don’t forget a good set of knee pads and some back pills.
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Bayer Extra Strength Caplets for Back and Body Pain Aspirin, 100-Count Bottles (Pack of 2) |
Honestly this really is one of the few jobs you don’t want to do. Not really because it is too difficult but because it is hard on your knees and back if you don’t do it every day and making cuts can be deceptive when you are trying to match up a doorway or closet to the length it will be after it has been stretched.
Probably the best thing you can do to save money is remove the carpet and old pad yourself and move the furniture the day before the install to your garage or basement.
Install prices are usually covered by the cost of the carpet pad over actual cost. You should ask the sales person what is and is not included in an install fee because often moving large and heavy items is the customers responsibility unless they want to pay an extra fee.