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63 Flint St. Salem, MA 01930, ph: 978-744-5909
www.landryandarcari.com
Installing Carpet With Attached Cushion
Proper procedures, including stretching and seaming, are
best done by a qualified, professional installer following CRI standards for
installation of residential or commercial carpet.
However, carpet with attached cushion can be installed for residential use
by the do-it-yourselfer. The attached cushion makes carpet rolls lightweight
and easy to handle. With a few simple, inexpensive tools and double-faced
tape, you can complete a beautiful, quality installation in no time.
(Professional installers will find that carpet with attached cushion can be
installed quickly and easily using a good quality, low VOC, multi-purpose
adhesive.) (See adhesive testing program.)
The tools you will need are: A utility knife with extra blades, a pry bar,
a putty knife, a metal measuring tape, a hammer and scissors. If you have to
make a seam, you'll need a string chalk line, a straight edge or a
cushion-back carpet cutter. Carpet seam sealer adhesive is also required for
seams and may be purchased at any carpet supply shop, or at home improvement
or do-it-yourself stores that sell carpet.
Measure first. Measure the area before you buy the carpet. Be sure to
measure to the center of doorways and to the back of closets.
Installation with Double-Faced Tape
It's a good idea to measure the room again, then pre-cut the carpet 4" to 6"
larger than the room size.
NOTE: If you have to make a seam, do it first! (See seaming instructions
below)
Prepare the room. If possible, remove all furniture from this room. This
will allow you to maneuver the carpet into the room and place it without
obstructions. If the room has shoe moulding remove the shoe mold using a pry
bar and hammer. (Shoe mold, sometimes referred to as 1/4 round, is the small
strip of wood at the intersection of the baseboard and floor. Do not remove
baseboards). Take extra care not to break the fragile pieces. Remove the doors
by taking the pins out of the hinges. The bottom of the doors may have to be
trimmed to allow them to swing freely over the new carpet when installed.
Put double-faced carpet tape around the perimeter of the room and place 12"
x 12" crosses on four-foot intervals in the middle of the room. Leave the
protective cover on the tape for now.
Position the carpet in the room, centering it. Let the 2" to
3" surplus run up the walls equally. If one wall has no thresholds or
projections it is all right to butt the carpet up to the wall and trim the
other three sides.
Fold one half of the carpet back over itself, peel the protective cover off
the tape and replace the carpet, smoothing out the carpet from the center of
the room toward the walls. Repeat for the other half of the room.
On the sides which must be trimmed, use a stiff putty knife to crease the
carpet at a 90-degree angle at the joint of the floor and the wall. Trim off
the surplus carpet, making sure you have a sharp blade in your utility knife.
Be sure to hold the knife almost parallel to the floor and cut in the crease.
Walk along this edge to fasten it to the tape.
Installation with Staples
Staples can be used instead of tape. Use heavy duty staples a minimum of 1/2"
long. Do not use more staples than are necessary to hold the carpet down
securely. On hardwood it may be necessary to tap the staple with a small
hammer to drive it in fully. Do this immediately after shooting each staple.
Installation with Multi-Purpose Adhesive
Any good multi-purpose adhesive may be used with attached carpet cushions.
After positioning the carpet in the room (see step #3) fold one half of the
carpet back over itself, apply the adhesive (following manufacturers
instructions) to the floor. After proper "tack time" lay the carpet into the
adhesive and then do the other half of the room. Trim the carpet as mentioned
in step #5.
Making A Seam
On all seams, you will need to position the second piece of carpet so that it
runs in the same direction as the first. This is very important.
When you have determined how the two pieces of carpet will lie in the room,
you'll want to start by getting the straightest edge possible on the piece you
will cut first. If using the cushion back carpet cutter you may make your cuts
from the face side of the carpet. Follow proper seaming procedures supplied
with the Carpet Cutter. If using a utility knife, fold the carpet over and,
using a chalk line, mark where you wish to cut on the back of the carpet.
Using the straight edge, trim the carpet as straight as you can, cutting
through the back of the carpet.
Position both pieces of carpet properly in the room. Make sure that the
edge of the trimmed piece is where you want your seam, and that you have
enough carpet on either side to reach the walls and doorways. With the uncut
piece of carpet on the floor, place the edge of the trimmed piece on top
overlapping at least 2". Use the trimmed edge of the cut piece as a guide to
cut the other piece.
Fold back both sides and place one strip of 3" double-faced
tape, centering the line or two strips of double-faced tape parallel to the
line, one on each side of the line. Remove the protective paper from the tape,
keeping the carpet folded back.
Apply a bead of seam sealer along the edge of the cushion-backed carpet. A
plastic bottle with a long thin neck works best. Apply seam adhesive to only
one edge of the carpet.
Complete the seam by butting both sections of the carpet together while the
adhesive is still wet, allowing the carpet and cushion to make contact with
the tape and seam sealer at the same time. Be sure to keep carpet fiber up and
away from the seam sealer. (Professional installers may use hot melt seaming
tape on premium attached cushions. The seaming iron will not harm or melt the
cushion.)
Finishing Your Installation
Smears of adhesive on the carpet surface can be cleaned with a non-flammable
solvent and clean cloth if cleaning is done while adhesive is still wet.
If the edge of the carpet at a doorway must be butted up against carpeting
in the next room or hall, follow the same procedure for seaming described
above. If there is sufficient carpet, most installers prefer to butt the two
pieces in the section directly under the door when the door is closed, making
a neater looking installation from both sides. If needed, you may also wish to
use metal binding strips found at any hardware store or home center.
Posted by Donnie
| How to
Install a Carpet Runner on Stairs |
1. Measure and cut a piece of carpet to the appropriate
length. Because it requires specialized sewing equipment and knowledge,
have the edges bound by a professional.
2. Mark the location on each step where the runner will
rest. Make an inside mark to show where the edges of the padding will
extend and an outside mark to show how far the carpet will extend.
3. Cut a piece of padding to fit on each step. Lay each
piece in place, and secure it with a hammer stapler.
4. Roll up the carpet, and lay it a few steps above the
bottom. Then pull the end toward the bottom. You'll need some slack to
work with so that you don't tug too hard on the bottom and cause the
entire roll to fall down on you. Keep the roll centered as you work your
way up the stairs.
5. Run a row of staples along the bottom of the bottom
riser where the carpet meets the floor. Gently wiggle the head of the
staple in between the fibers of the carpet to hide the staples. Because
the staples are in the corner between the riser and the tread they should
stay well hidden.
6. Pull the carpet tight, and run a row of staples along
the top of the riser where it meets the tread of the stair.
7. Use the knee kicker to pull the carpet tight as you
place another row of staples in the corner between the riser and the
tread.
8. Use the stair tool to wedge the carpet into the
corner between the tread and the riser.
9. Repeat the process starting at step 5 as you work
your way up the stairs. End the process at the corner between the top
tread and the last riser to the floor above. After stapling the carpet to
the last tread, use a carpet knife to trim any excess carpet. |
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719-302-1782
Brad@Clean-Response.com
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