Carpet Installing

Planning Ahead

First, carpet installing requires planning. Start by drawing a floor plan of the room or rooms in which you plan to install carpet. A scale drawing helps determine how much carpet is needed and offers an overview to decide the best locations for carpet seams in rooms that require more than one roll of carpet. Avoid seams in high-traffic areas and when seaming carpet plan ahead to be sure the pile is running in the same direction through the room.

Wall-to-wall carpet rolls come in 12- and 15-foot widths and are heavy and hard to move, especially once you get them indoors and have to maneuver through doors. Be sure to line up enough help to drag the carpet roll into the house and get it into place.

Once you’ve lined up the carpet and manpower, renting specific carpet installing tools will not only make the job easier, but will also give your home that finished look with a professional touch. Proper installation ensures appropriate wear and tear and extends the life of your new carpet.

Carpet Installing Equipment

The right tools make carpet installing easier and reduces waste. Tools can be rented at a local tool rental shop. Specific tools to rent will include:

• Knee kicker - A knee kicker attaches carpet along one edge. This metal tool is about 18" long and grips the carpet with teeth on one end. The other end is padded. The gripping end of the knee kicker is placed about three inches from the wall. The user drives his or her knee into the padded end. This stretches the carpet over the tack strip.

• Power stretcher – Rooms over 10 feet by 10 feet should have the carpet power stretched to avoid wrinkles. A carpet stretcher finishes attaching the carpet and is longer than a knee kicker. One end of the carpet stretcher is placed against the wall where the carpet is already attached. The power stretcher is used to stretch the carpet over the tackless strip at the far wall.

• Seam cutter - Cuts through backing of carpet pile and is constructed for placement beneath carpet sections so cuts match, providing almost invisible carpet seams.

• Seam tape – Some do-it-yourselfers use double-sided tape instead of professional seam tape.

• Seaming iron - Activates adhesive on seam tape to seal the seam.

• Wall trimmer – Saves time when trimming carpet to fit walls.

• Tack strip cutter – The long blade permits straight or diagonal cuts.

Where to Start

Once you’ve got your plan and have removed the old carpet and padding, vacuum well to reduce dust. Then carefully remove moldings before nailing tack strips along floor edges. Tack strips are four-foot long thin wood strips lined with gripper tacks that grip the back of the carpeting. They keep the carpet taut and secured to the floor.

With the tack strips are installed, the next step is to lay padding to cover the entire floor. If the size of the room requires piecing the padding, butt the edges and tape together with duct tape. Use a stapler to secure padding to the subfloor along the edge of the tack strip. Trim padding so it just touches the edge of the tack strip.

When measuring for carpet, add about three inches to the determined carpet size. Adjust carpet evenly over the floor and with the knee kicker, attach the carpet to the tack strip. Start in one corner and work along that edge. Using the power stretcher, stretch carpet toward the opposite wall and attach it to the tack strip along that wall. After trimming the carpet along the wall, push the trimmed edge into the gap between the tack strip and wall.

Carpet Installing Checklist

Aside from the specialized tools needed for carpet installing, you’ll want to be sure to have these common household tools on hand to make carpet installation easier and less time-consuming.

• Stapler
• Hammer
• Utility knife
• Measuring tape
• Rolling pin to smooth seams

And for your safety and protection:

• Work gloves
• Safety glasses
• Knee pads

Finishing Touches

Once you’ve attached, trimmed and tucked the carpet between the wall and tack strips, install door edge strips for thresholds at exterior doors, other than sliding glass doors, to avoid raveling in high-traffic areas. Edge strips should also be used where carpeting abuts tile or vinyl flooring. When you're done, cut vent openings, and finally reinstall moldings.

Installing carpet is a lot of hard work. If you don’t think you’re up to it, use the installation service provided by the carpet store where you make your purchase. Another thing to take into consideration is warranties. Will the warranty apply if the carpet is not professionally installed? It’s worth doing your homework as you decide the best carpet installation option for you.

Written by Karen Schweitzer