CARPET FITTING A-B-C

A tiled kitchen and living room seemed okay but things will change if you have babies and hyperactive toddlers at home. Their safety is now your first priority. So what could a mother do? Have the whole living room carpeted to ensure a no-slip floor. Fitting a carpet requires expertise from professionals and several additional accessories are needed to properly fit it thus a separate budget for these is needed.

There are two types of carpet, the rolled one and the tiled one. The latter is easier to fit as they are usually self-adhesive, sticking directly to the sub-floor surface. The former requires underlay that would serve as shock absorbers, extending the life of your carpet. Aside from being a shock absorber, it also helps withstand the wear of foot traffic, makes the carpet more comfortable underfoot, adds sound-proofing and heat insulation. An underlay may add to the cost of the carpet but the investment would be all worth it given the above functions.

To fit a carpet you will need the following:

1. Hammer
2. Saw
3. Scissors
4. Carpet Stretcher
5. Bolster Chisel
6. Carpet Knife

The first step is to strip the floor back so it shows the floor substrate and vacuum thoroughly.

Second is to nail or glue the gripper strip to the perimeter of the room and place the underlay inside the boundary of the gripping strip, make sure to tape any seams together.

Now roll out the carpet and fix one edge to the gripper strip along the wall. Stretch the rest of the carpet working from the center outwards and cut a notch at each corner so the carpet lays flat.

Press the toothed head of the knee kicker into the pile of the carpet while pushing the other end with a knee to stretch the carpet into the corners of the room.

Press the carpet into the join of the skirting and floor with a bolster chisel. Use a carpet knife to cut the trim along this join.

Final step would be pressing any loose ends into the gripper strip using the bolster chisel.

Seems easy, huh? But put into consideration the huge investment you’ve placed in these carpets so it’s better to hire a professional when you’re unsure that you can do well in the above given steps.