Installing your own wall to
wall carpet isn't a job everybody wants to take on. It can be hard on both your
knees and your back to do it yourself, and if you don't get it right, everybody can see where you
messed up. However, installing carpet isn't "rocket science," and by
using some specialized tools (available at most tool rental outlets) and being
prepared to take your time, installing carpet is a job you can do yourself.
How To Lay Carpet STRETCHED IN OVER
PAD
By
What You'll Need:
Rental Tools:
Getting Ready
Your first step is to get rid of the old carpet. Start by removing the moldings
around the floor and take the door off the entrance, so you can get the old
carpet out and the new carpet in easier. Give the old carpet a good vacuuming
so you won't be breathing in dust, and then use a utility knife to cut the
carpet into strips about 18 to 24 inches wide.
Start at one end and pull the carpet off the
tackless strips and roll it up in
sections. Some people feel that you can reuse the existing underlay, but in
most cases it will be worn out just like the carpet, so you're better off
getting rid of it as well.
Remove the existing
tackless
strips and make sure the floor is clean and dry.
This is a good time to check your subfloor and securely fasten any floorboards that
may be loose so they won't squeak under the new carpet (use 1 1/2" screws
into the underlying floor joists).
Install new tackless strips around the perimeter of the room, but not in front
of doorways. Leave a space of about 1/2" between the strips and the wall,
and be sure the pins or tacks face towards the wall. (They're called tackless
strips even though they have two or three rows or very sharp tacks, because
using these "tackless strips" means you don't need to
"tack" carpet down.) At corners, make sure the tackless strips are
butted tightly against each other.
Laying the Underpad
Put the underpad down in strips that overlap the tackless strips. Butt the
strips against each other - don't overlap them - then staple the underlay
padding down
along the inside edge of the tackless strip. Trim the excess underlay along the
inside of the tackless strip and use duct tape to seal the seams.
Laying the Carpet
To install carpet properly, you need to start with a piece that overlaps the
edge of the floor by 4 to 6 inches. The overlay can then be trimmed so the
carpet fits properly. To cut your first section, measure the room at its
longest point and add 6 inches to that measurement. Mark the back of your
carpet on both edges with that measurement and join the two marks with a chalk
line. Fold the carpet over on itself, and using a straight edge and a sharp
utility knife, cut through the backside of your carpet. Be sure to place a
piece of scrap board underneath your cut line to protect the underlying carpet.
Seams
If your room is wide enough that you're going to need another piece of carpet,
follow the same process with the second piece - measure, mark and trim. Be sure
the carpet pile is running the same way in both pieces, and that the carpet
piece is large enough to overlap the wall by 4 to 6 inches, as well as
overlapping the first piece of carpet by 4 to 6 inches. (Try to layout your
carpet pieces so the seams won't be in noticeable areas, but obviously
sometimes that just isn't possible.)
Where the carpet pieces will join, overlap the two pieces, and then using a
utility knife or a rented seam cutter, cut through both pieces of carpet,
ensuring the edges will match exactly. After cutting the carpet, center a piece
of seaming tape on the floor underneath where they join, adhesive side up. Use
the seaming iron to activate the adhesive (the iron goes on the tape, not on
top of the carpet), and then butt the edges together and seal the seam with a
rolling pin or a carpet roller.
Attaching the Carpet
Use a knee kicker to attach the carpet along one edge. A knee kicker is a solid
metal tool about 18" long with "teeth" that will grip the carpet
on one end, and a heavily padded "butt" on the other. Place the
toothed end of the kicker about 3" from the wall and drive your knee
forcefully into the padded end of the tool. This will stretch the carpet over
the tackless strip where the tacks will grab it and hold it firmly in place.
A carpet stretcher will finish attaching the carpet. A carpet stretcher is
similar to knee kicker, but much longer. Put one end of the carpet stretcher
against the wall where the carpet is already attached and place the other end
about 6 inches from the far wall. The carpet stretcher also has teeth to grip
the carpet, and when you push on the activation lever, it will stretch the
carpet over the tackless strip near the far wall.
Work your way around the room stretching the carpet over the tackless strips,
and trim the carper near the wall with a utility knife or a wall trimmer.
Finishing Up
Using a stair tool, tuck the carpet down into the gap between the tackless
strips and the wall. At the doorway, trim the carpet so the edge is centered
under the closed door and install a door edge strip. Finally, cut any vent
openings and install the molding on the baseboards.
That's it. Stretch your back, check to see if your knees still work, and then
take some time to admire what all your hard work has accomplished.