Carpet installation to give your carpet a neat and clean look

Installing a new carpet provides insulation and a comfortable surface to walk on. Carpets help in controlling sound and enhancing the beauty of a room. Beautiful and attractive carpets can make a room look elegant and charming.

Measure and Prepare the Area of the Room to be carpeted

After you have chosen the carpet for your room you need to first determine the exact area of your room. Add about five to ten percent extra for wastage, irregularities and matching of pattern. The old carpet should be removed and the surface of the floor to be carpeted has to be cleaned and made smooth. Any paint or compound should be scraped and vacuumed thoroughly. For easy installation the doors of the room should be temporarily removed so it will be easy to work till the corners.

Step wise Installation of the Carpet

Once the surface of the floor is cleaned tack strips are installed on the sides and the corners. The under pads or the under lay is placed in strips against each other without overlapping till the track strips. Duct tape is used to seal the seams in case of a wooden floor, and glue can be used on concrete floors so that the pads can be kept in place. Now start installing the carpet by first trimming the overlay to make the carpet fit securely. Start with a piece of carpet that overlaps the edge of the floor and cut with a sharp utility knife. If room is wide enough than place another piece of carpet in the same way but make sure that both the pieces are running the same way. The carpet should be laid in such a way that the seams are not noticeable. Now overlap the two pieces of carpet and cut with a utility knife and make sure that the edges exactly match with each other. Use a seaming tape with the adhesive side under the carpet to join the edges. Next use a seaming iron so that adhesive tape is activated and sticks properly. After installing a knee kicker is used to attach the carpet to the tack strip on the sides of the room where the carpet will be held firmly in place. A carpet stretcher is also often used in place of a knee kicker to stretch the carpet. The carpet is now tucked into the gap between the tack strips and the wall with the help of a stair tool.