Adding new carpet to your home can give a room a new leash of life and totally transform a space, it might sound like a daunting task but with the right tools and the right guide it is definitely within your reach. Like with all DIY jobs you need to take your time and be sure that all of your measurements are correct before you begin to buy materials. A carpet is only as good as the underlay beneath it so in this guide we will walk you through the entire installation process including fitting carpet grippers and underlay.
If you are totally renovating a room then we recommend leaving the installation of a new carpet till the end, the last thing you want is to lay down a brand-new carpet and end up getting splashes of paint all over it when you repaint your walls.
Carpets are expensive and any mistake can represent a large cost so if you do not feel up to the task then it may be best to get a professional fitter in, however if you are confident and wanting to have a go then the first place to start is making sure you have the right materials and tools.
Materials Needed:
Tools Needed:
- Hammer – Buy Here
- Staple Gun – Buy Here
- Seaming Iron
- Carpet Roller
- Knee Kicker – Buy Here
- Craft Knife – Buy Here
- Carpet Chisel/Tucker – Buy Here
- Pliers – Buy Here
- Screwdriver – Buy Here
- Vacuum Cleaner/Brush – Buy Here
- Pipe and Cable Detector – Buy Here
- Pencil – Buy Here
- Hand Saw – Buy Here
- Measuring Tape – Buy Here
Safety Kit Needed:
Preparation:
Begin by clearing the room of all furniture, if your door opens into the room then you may want to also take down your door. You will also need unscrew and take up any metal transitions/thresholds in your doorways.
Removing your Old Carpet:
If you already have a carpet laid down then you will need to remove this before you begin installing your new carpet. To do so, firstly use a pair of pliers to grab a corner of the carpet and pull it upwards, then grab the carpet with your hand and continue to pull it up. If you are disposing of the old carpet then as you pull back the carpet cut it into approximately 3-foot strips using a craft knife, if you are planning on keeping the carpet then remove the carpet from the carpet grippers along a wall and roll it together tightly as you go.
Remove all the carpet in the same way beginning at the corners. If there is padding underneath the carpet then this will also need removing and can be done using the same method as removing the carpet. Be sure to tidy up your floor, you may want to sweep/vacuum up any loose material, dirt or debris.
Calculating Materials Needed:
If your room is a perfect square or rectangle then this is simple just measure the length (m) and width (m) of your room and multiply these two figures to give you the total area (m^2m^2). If your room is not a perfect square/rectangle then you will need to divide your room into separate smaller rectangles and measure the length (m) and width (m) of each one. Then add up all these figures for the total area (m^2m^2).
TIP: Add 10% to this total area to allow for any mistakes when installing the carpet. Do this by multiplying your total area by 1.1.
Use this new total figure to buy your carpet and underlay (if you are replacing it).
If you are also buying new tack strips then use your length and width measurements for the whole room, times this figure by 2 and add 10% in the same way as before.
Installing Carpet Grippers / Tack Strips:
Step 1:
Check for any hidden wires or pipes with a cable detector and mark where they are on the floor.
Step 2:
Cut your tack strips to size with a handsaw and place them into position about half an inch from the wall and with the angled edge facing the wall.
Step 3:
Nail the strips into place around the perimeter of the room with 2 nails for each strip, some tack strips come with the nails in place already and as such can be easily knocked in. If there are any wires or pipes where your tack strips need to be then you will have to use adhesive to secure them in place.
Installing Underlay:
Step 1:
Start by rolling out your underlay from one side of the room to another with the rubber side facing down. Use a craft knife to cut the underlay at the closest edge of the tack strips so it sits inside your tack strip perimeter.
Step 2:
Roll out your next strips of underlay each at right next to the previous one and continue trimming them in the same way as the first roll. Butt together the rows making sure that they match up evenly for a smooth finish.
Step 3:
Staple the underlay into place along the edge of the tack strip and press staples into place at a 2-foot spacing along the rest of the area.
Step 4:
Duct tape the seams between the carpet pieces together, ensure the tape is applied smoothly and that it leaves a level finish.
Installing the Carpet – Step-by-Step Guide:
Your carpet needs time to adjust to its new environment so we suggest leaving the carpet stored rolled up for at least 24 hours prior to insulation, this gives the carpet time to expand or shrink in its new conditions.
Step 1:
You may find it helpful to begin by cutting your carpet to size, taking reference to your earlier measurements. Leaves some extra carpet at each edge of about 75mm (≈3 inches).
Step 2:
Lay out the carpet starting in one corner leaving your excess carpet (about 3 inches) up against the wall. Unroll the carpet playing close attention to the edges making sure they overlap with the tack strips.
Step 3:
Use your foot to push the carpet into place on the tack strips and continue unrolling until all the carpet is down.
Step 4:
If you are using more than once piece of carpet then before you lay the next piece, place seaming tape beneath the seam with the sticky side facing up. Lay down your next roll of carpet in the same way as the first – make sure both edges of the carpets lay along the seaming tape.
If you are laying a single piece of carpet then skip to Step 7.
Step 5:
Lift up both pieces of carpet and use a seaming iron set to either 2 or 3 to melt the adhesive on the seaming tape, this should take around 10 seconds then press the carpet down where you have just heated. (Don’t try to do the entire length of the carpet in one, do this process in sections along the seam).
Step 6:
As you heat and stick each section run a carpet roller back and forth along the seam several times until the entire seam is stuck down into place. Leave the carpet for approximately 20 minutes before moving onto the next step.
Step 7:
Place the tooth edge of your knee kicker about 3-4 inches from the longest wall and push firmly against the padded end with your knee – this will hook the carpet onto the tack strips. Repeat this process along the wall every 30cm or so until you reach the end of the wall.
Step 8:
Stretch out the carpet to remove any bumps so the carpet lays flat and smooth.
Step 9:
Once the carpet lies flat and tight then use the knee kicker just as above to hook the carpet to the tacks.
Step 10:
It is now time to trim the carpet’s excess using a craft knife or box cutter. Cut only slightly higher (about 5mm) than the carpet surface, do this carefully to not mark the skirting board.
Step 11:
Before you remove the trimmed strip check that you have cut cleanly through the entire carpet such that there are no fibres attached. Once you are confident remove the strip.
Step 12:
Use a carpet chisel/tucker to push the edge of the carpet underneath the skirting board and thoroughly wedged.
Step 13:
For any difficult or awkward shapes use your craft knife to make vertical cuts on the excess at each edge of the wall and then trim the carpet horizontally until it sits flush.
Step 14:
For any pipework make a straight cut from the edge of the carpet to the centre of the pipe. Lay the carpet down and make 45° cuts around the base of the pipe, do this until the carpet lies smoothly around the pipe.
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