How To Install Carpet: Laying A Wall To Wall Carpet

Carpets come in different materials in different densities and qualities. However, one of the most common choice for many homeowners is a wall-to-wall carpet. Installing this type of carpet is not everyone’s cup of tea. The installation process will have you on your knees and will require specialized tools and adequate knowledge on how to install carpet. Below is a guide on how to install a wall-to-wall carpet. This will help convince you that laying a wall to wall carpet is doable.

Prepare the Room for Laying A Wall To Wall Carpet

Clear the room, removing the furniture and the doors if they will have a low gap to the floor. Then proceed to remove the old carpet and its padding or overlay. Work gently if the carpet is still in a good state, it can be reused. Check on the quality of the overlay to see if it is reusable; if not, remove it too. Once you clear the floor, sweep and wipe it clean. Take Measurements of the Room You will need to measure the length and width to work out the total area; divide it by 9 to get the square yardage for the carpet. Then add around 10% more to cater for any irregularities, errors, and pattern matching issues that may arise during installation. Install Tack Strips Place tack strips along the wall edges, cutting the strips to size then nail them half an inch from the wall. Make sure you are using the right tack strips that work for the density of the carpet you will be installing. Work with caution because the tacks on the strips are sharp. Lay The Carpet Pad Make sure you are using a high-quality pad. Lay it out on the floor perpendicularly to the direction you will install the wall-to-wall carpet. Make sure it covers the tack strips and staple it into place near the strips. Then proceed to ensure it is completely flat and staple down any seams and then stretch the padding then trim the excess of the padding located along the edge of the tack strips to expose the strips. Lay the Carpet You will roll out the carpet on the floor making sure it is completely straight. Fold the excess at the walls and cut them leaving about three inches extra. Make sure you have enough coverage leaving little room for additional carpet. Lay the extra carpet to fill the room completely. You will then proceed to join the edges of the carpet segments. Apply some latex seam sealer on the trimmed edges and then place a seaming tape underneath the seam. You will then place the seaming iron on the tape, and slowly slide is along the tape to activate it and as you press down the seam onto the tape. Fix the Carpet in Place Ram the ends of the carpet against that wall for a dry-fit and trim any sections where there are obstacles. Use a knee kicker to fix the edges of the carpet to the tack strips. Use a wall trimmer to cut trim the excess of the carpet, and press the cut edges underneath the baseboard using a stair tool. Finish the installation by stretch out the carpet using a power stretcher. The stretcher should fit across the room. Use the knee kicker to work the corners that the power stretcher cannot reach. Follow this how to install carpet guide and you will find it easy to lay a wall-to-wall carpet in your home. You might want to call in extra hands to handle the large carpet.

Laying a wall to wall carpet