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So you are thinking about doing your own carpet installation? Well after years of installing carpets I can give you the shortcuts and secrets that will save you some money and your back.

Installing carpet does not take a graduate degree, just some secrets from years of experience of bumping into walls… so to speak!

The First Secret:

There is nothing worse than needing a hammer and all you have is a pair of pliers. You could break the pliers and knock your knuckles to pieces. That’s the first secret of laying carpet: Make sure you have the right tools.

Some of the tools you can hire. Many of the super hardware stores, rental stores and some carpet stores will have these available:

Knee kicker
Power stretcher
Seam cutter
Seaming iron
Wall trimmer
Strip cutter
Seam roller

You also need these tools:

Work gloves
Safety glasses
Knee pads
Pry Bar
Floor scraper
Glue knife
Utility knife
Particle mask

Then purchase:

Tackless strips
Seam tape
Carpet glue
Carpet

Tear Out:

If you have old carpet to tear out inspect the floor moldings or baseboards to see if they can be easily removed or if they will need to be replaced. Remove these first. Now you might need a particle mask. There is often a dust cloud when tearing out old carpet and I have seen padding underneath so old it has turned to dust. Then cut the carpet into strips about 2 feet wide with a utility knife for tear out. When the old carpet is pulled up use the pry bar to remove any carpet tack strips.

Now inspect the subfloor for any nails or screws sticking up and loose boards. Make sure the floor is securely fastened and clean.

Tackless Strips:

You are ready to install the new tackless strips. These are narrow wooded strips full of tacks. So why are they called tackless strips? Because when you use them you don’t have to tack the carpet. I know it’s kind of like calling a car a “walking car” because when you drive it you don’t have to walk. I didn’t come up with the name.

Place the tackless strips around the perimeter of the room about a 1/2′ away from the walls. Do not put any in front of the doorways. The tacks should be pointing toward the walls.

Lay down the padding. If you are using strips make sure they do not overlap. To hold the seams together you can use some duct tape. Staple the underlay just enough to hold it in place.

Installing:

The carpet should be slightly bigger than the floor – about six inches each direction. You will be trimming the overlap. Take the carpet edge and fold it over on itself. You want the inside of the fold to be the edge of the carpet – right at the wall. Cut the backside of the carpet in a straight line with the utility knife. Be careful not to cut the carpet underneath.

Seams:

Sometimes a room is larger than the carpet and you will need to seam pieces together. Measure the space and cut a piece that overlap at the wall again by about 6 inches and over the other piece of carpet by about 6 inches. Make sure the carpet pattern or fiber runs the same direction. Make sure that the pieces are overlapped and then fold back and cut at the seam first. (This will leave you some adjustment room to cut but he walls later). Use the seam cutter for a straight cut.

Place a piece of carpet tape on the floor sticky side up exactly where the seam will be so it will be sticking to both pieces of carpet. Use the seaming iron to heat the tape and place the carpet down with the edges butted together. Seal the seam with the seam roller.

Now you can use the knee kicker along the edge to stretch the carpet over the tackless strips. Under the doorway areas use the carpet glue. Trim the edges and you are ready to replace the baseboards or install new ones.

It was very simple to locate local carpet installation businesses at Home Services Engine. It’s a great site to use and it makes it fast and easy to find businesses in the local area. So, if you’re looking for a carpet installation business near you, go to => http://www.homeservicesengine.com/rug_carpet_installation/