Carpeting Up Your Pad Like a Pro

The advantages of using carpets as your flooring material

Settling on carpet as the flooring option for your pad will offer you multiple advantages which will certainly not come by if you decide otherwise. To start with you have a really big catalog of tones and colors to select from; you will definitely be spoilt for choice trying to pick out a single design from the all so elegant alternatives at your disposal. The choice of carpeting color you opt for should be informed by whether you need it to impart a feature approach or a background approach to the room. The feature approach basically means that you need a carpet color that will stand out as a major focus point of the interior décor. The background approach implies that your carpet will complement the other decorations that you have or intend to have in the room.

Carpets also have an enormous range of patterns to select from and with these come further styling considerations. Single color carpets create an illusion of expansive space while large-patterned carpets tend to make the room seem more compact. If you opt for these types of carpet then you also have to consider what type of pattern will suit you best. Classical patterns rhyme best with wood furniture that is dark and polished while simple and bright patterns suit rooms furnished with more contemporary fittings.

The sort of carpet texture that you settle for also speaks volumes about your pad. For many people a lushly thick carpet is the way to go; being able to walk around a room barefooted is a luxury to savor. A carpet with a more complete finish may show that you prefer more reserved fittings.

Another important consideration has to do with the ease of stain removal and cleaning that the carpet offers. The latest carpets offer stain-resistant technology that ensures limited stain permanence and spot removal ease. For adequate carpet care though you just have to ensure that spills are attended to fast and that vacuuming is regularly done. An annual professional clean ensures that your carpet retains its elegance for longer.

Preparing to install the new carpet

Having found the right carpet for your pad the onus is on you to ensure that it is properly installed and fitted. Poor installation not only promotes rapid wearing but also reflects negatively on the entire room. Purchase the right quantity of carpeting by making a prior measurement of the room in square feet or square yards as these are the units used in selling carpets. You can also go a step better and use an online carpet calculator to get a more accurate estimate based on the room’s dimensions.

Before installation begins assess the state of the floor to ensure that there isn’t any excessive moisture that will serve to ruin the carpet. Check out the delivered carpeting for any visual defects and confirm that it is the actual carpet you chose.

Start by putting the underlay in place

Begin by positioning tackless strips on the floor near the walls. The tackless strips may be made of either metallic or wooden strips which have pins arranged in rows. It is these pins that secure the carpet when it is stretched on the floor. The good thing about tackless strips is that the new carpet does not need tacks to be inserted from above.

The tackless strips need to be laid around the room’s perimeter. In doing this ensure that the space between the strips and the wall is two-thirds the carpet’s thickness. The strips have to be securely fastened to the floor with the pins facing the wall. No space should be allowed where the strips meet at room corners.

After laying the tackless strips it’s time to lay the underlay pad which is meant to provide your feet with the necessary comfort and to make up for the defects on the floor. Have the padding cut in strips and fitted along the room’s lengths such that they evenly cover the strips. The underlay should then be laid to within a few inches of the tackless strips and secured with staples at appropriate lengths. Consultations should be made as concerns the best choice of underlay material with respect to the carpet material. For a thorough finish place the strips in such a way that they form even seams. Duct tape should then be used to fasten the seams in place.

Installing the main thing

This is quite a process so you are well advised to apply some elbow grease. Begin by cutting the carpet material in pieces that will slightly exceed the room’s dimensions and thereby allow for a fitting trim. The trim of the carpet’s wall overlap should be made from its bottom surface and must follow a straight edge. A utility knife is best tool for this job. Laying patterned carpets is quite tricky and requires careful consideration on how an individual strip’s motifs and pile will run in harmony with its neighbor’s. A flush seam should be used where the pieces meet; this just means that the pieces should not overlap. Next, line adhesive tape on the underlay above which the seam will be formed. The tape’s adhesive is activated using a carpet iron which is one tool you mustn’t lack when doing this work. Place the pieces edges atop the melted adhesive and then use a rolling pin to seal the seam.

Attaching the carpet to the corners and edges is a more difficult proposition that requires the use of a Knee Kicker. Choose a corner and affix the carpet to the underlying tackless strips. Let the Knee Kicker’s teeth bore into the carpet roughly an inch to the wall and then use the Kicker to force the carpet toward the wall such that when it retracts it gets hooked firmly to the tackless strip’s pins. You then need to stretch the carpet to the opposite side and here you’ll need a Carpet Stretcher. Have the base of the Stretcher at the same corner and its teeth into the carpet on the opposite side. At this point press the Stretcher’s lever to secure the carpet on the pins. Do this all round the room and follow it up with the Knee Kicker. You don’t have to buy these two tools because this job is hardly regular – just visit the local flooring store and rent them. When all the installation is done, finish off by slicing off the uneven excesses at the walls with a trimming knife. At exits the carpet should be held down using metal strips or edges.

By no means is this job a walkover; it’s quite intense. For ease and proper workmanship ensure that you have the required tools and if you aren’t too sure you can always seek professional assistance. Either way, carpeting up will certainly add a kick to the character of your pad.