Carpet Installation: Ten Helpful Tips

Carpet installation can be an easy job or a hard job depending on body strength and how ones knees hold out. The instructions here will be how to install carpeting simply and with professional results.

Tip number one: Proper tools needed for job carpet kicker, carpet knife, scrapper, hammer, carpet iron and carpet glue tape. The carpet knife must have a sharp blade at all times so buy extra. Use knee pads with kicker as to not hurt oneself.

Tip number two: Make sure the surface to be carpeted is very clean and that no nails, screws or staples are sticking up. These will be felt after carpet is in.

Tip number three: Make sure tack strips are in place around the walls of the room.

Tip number four: Attach padding to floor using staples especially on seams. Padding has a tendency to slide and not stay in place when laying carpet on top.

Tip number five: Measure the area to be carpeted and cut the carpet outside if possible before bringing it in. Always cut the carpet bigger by a few inches all the way around as it is easier to cut away excess than to add an additional piece.

Tip number six: Unroll the carpet from one wall to another and kick it in place with your feet for the initial seating. Do this by holding the carpet up with your hands and kicking it until it is even all around the room.

Tip number seven: After the carpet is roughed in you can proceed to cut the excess away. Fold the carpet down and cut it from the back a little at a time until there is just enough to go under the baseboard onto the tack strip.The back will cut much easier than the front side.

Tip number eight: Attach the carpet at one end by using hammer and scraper gently tapping the end of the scraper and carpet until it is seated under baseboard on top of the tack strips. Using kicker start in the middle and kick the carpet toward the opposite wall. Do this until the carpet is stretched tight. Do the other end the same way cutting away excess carpeting.

Tip number nine: If you have to seam make sure carpet is cut even on both pieces to be put together. Do this by laying one piece on top of the other and cutting them both at the same time. After this is done put carpet glue tape under the edge of both pieces and using the carpet iron heat the tape and work the pieces together. This should only take one application.

Tip number ten: If you are not seaming one can use a carpet strip to go between doorways.