It’s time you replaced the carpet in your home, but you’re not entirely sure if you should hire carpet installers or if you should do it yourself. At Mountain Valley Floors, we want to take care of your carpet installation for you. However, we respect your DIY spirit!
With this being said, we wanted to give you a general overview of how to install carpet in your home so that you can get the process started. While you’re reading through this article, keep in mind that when you hire a professional, the time you spend doing the project is saved. You may realize that after reading how tough it can be to install your own carpet you will want to hire a professional. Know that you’re not alone.
Many homeowners start carpet installations and realize they need some help. Mountain Valley Floors serves all of Northern Colorado with carpet installation services. All you need to do is give us a call, and we’ll do our absolute best to help you.
7 Steps to New Carpet
Before you get started on your carpet installation, you will need to know the cost and which materials are required to complete the project. Here’s most of what you’ll need for materials:
- Gloves
- Dust mask
- Utility knife
- Knee pads
- Staple gun
- Hammer
- Carpet scissors
- Tackless strips
- Carpet
When it comes to the carpet you’re choosing, there are dozens of options. Consider your budget, needs, and wants. What can you afford? How often will the carpet be walked on? What do you want your carpet to look like? Answer these questions before you go shopping, even if you change your mind later; it’s good to have a baseline.
Step #1. Calculate How Much Carpet You Need
How much carpet do you need? You’ll want to determine the area of the rooms you’ll be adding carpet to. This means you’ll need to do some math. A simple carpet calculator will do to make your life easier. Once you determine the area (square footage) of the room, you will be able to then communicate to a showroom or home improvement store how much you need.
Step #2. Remove Existing Carpet and Padding
Once you bring home (or have it delivered) your new carpet, it’s time to tear up the old carpet and padding. This process can be moderately dangerous, so it’s best to wear gloves, knee pads, dust mask and eye protection during the process.
Start by detaching a corner of existing carpet. Then, every three feet, cut chunks of the carpet away from what remains. Continue this process until all the carpet and padding is pulled up.
Once all carpet and padding is pulled up, inspect your floor for any existing staples and glue. Remove these as well. Check your tackless strip. If it’s not damaged, than you won’t need to remove it.
Step #3. Clean The Floor
Before you lay your new carpet, you want to clean the underfloor thoroughly. If the reason you’re replacing your old carpet with new is because of pet accidents, water damage, or other liquid-based accidents, it can stain the concrete or soak into any wood. Cleaning this helps with installing your new carpet.
Step #4. Install Your Tackless Strip
You may not need to install a tackless strip. If this is you, then go ahead and skip this step. However, if you do need to install the strip, size it to the length of the wall and nail about 1 ½ inches away from the wall. Be careful of the strip; it’s sharp.
Step #5. Install the Carpet Padding
After your tackless strip is installed, you will want to lay your padding. This can be a quick or long process, depending on how you do it. You want to make sure the padding fits inside the tackless strip exactly. Any overlap will cause issues later when installing your carpet. Cut any excess carpet away and use tape to secure any joins.
Step #6. Install the Carpet
Now you get to install your new carpet! Unroll the carpet and lay it over the padding. You will want to leave excess at one end so that you can place your kicker against the carpet to hold it in place. Then, you will want to pull the carpet tight, stretching it into place. Trim the carpet with your utility knife and size it correctly to fit neatly between the strip and the wall.
Want professional carpet installers to take care of your flooring? Give Mountain Valley Floors a call today!