How to Install Carpet

Tap to Read ➤ Madhura Pandit

Installing carpet at home is not as difficult as you might imagine. We will give you step-by-step techniques for the same.

Carpet is one of the easiest ways to decorate and cover your flooring. Carpets are available in myriad colors, patterns, and designs that suit everyone's budget.

Once you have chosen the suitable carpet for your living room, bedroom, or for the stairs, the question arises as to how to lay it. Taking professional help can be expensive, so why not install it on your own. Although not a very easy process, it is definitely not impossible.

Installing a Carpet

Things required: Carpet and carpet padding (underlay) Tack strips Knee kicker Stapler Hammer Utility knife or cutter Seam iron Seam tape Gloves If possible, look for things that can be rented rather than bought.

Here is the method to follow. Firstly, remove the old carpet and underlay. You can also get rid of the old tack strips if they have worn out. At the same time, check for loose floorboards or tiles and repair them.

Now place the tack strips around the circumference of the room, leaving 1/5 inch space between the strips and walls. You should make sure that the pins and nails of the tack strips are facing towards the wall. Do not place tack strips in doorways.

Next, lay the carpet padding (underlay) in strips and fasten it with staples. While installing a carpet on concrete, you will need glue to fasten the carpet underlay and carpet to the floor.

Take the measurement of the room, add 5-6 inches extra to it, and cut the carpet accordingly. Place the carpet on the floor and fix it to the tack strips using a knee knicker. Trim the excess length of the carpet with a cutter.

In case, there is extra space left, you can repeat the procedure and fasten another piece of carpet by matching the two parts exactly. Tuck the carpet in between tack strips and the wall, near objects and glue it and that's it!

For setting a carpet on stairs, you can use the mentioned procedure. But, you need to place the tack strips either in an angle between the horizontal (tread) and vertical (riser) part of the stair; or in 90 degree like on the tread and one for the riser.

Laying carpet tiles is different, but, is a fairly easy process as the tiles can be directly stuck to the floor with the help of adhesive. Some of the tiles even come with an adhesive backing.

Once you start doing it, you may not find it that difficult, and after doing it a couple of times, you will definitely master it. Good luck!