Hiring a professional carpet installer is a very important step when adding carpeting to your home

Can you do it on your own? Sure. If you have the proper tools and know-how.

Is it worth the headache of trying? Not really.

That being said, here is a simplistic rundown of the process.

1. Determine the area of the Room

First, measure the longest walls in your room. Next, multiply the length and width of your walls, and divide by 9 to determine the square yardage. It’s always best to add 10% to allow for any irregularities, errors, waste, and pattern matching.

2. Clean the Sub-floor

You want the floor surface to be smooth and clean. Scrape any paint or joint compound that may be on the floor and sweep and vacuum the floor thoroughly.

3. Remove the Doors

If you can, remove the doors from the rooms you are carpeting so you won’t have to work around them.

4. Install the Tack Strips

Cut the tack strips to size with a strip cutter or heavy snips. Nail the strips a 1/2 inch from the wall. Do not install tack strips across thresholds for doorways; the tacks on the strips are very sharp and could tear through the carpet and hurt your feet. Tack strips come in a variety of heights, thicknesses, and widths. You want to make sure you are using the correct size for the pile of your carpet. If you are installing carpet over a concrete sub-floor, use masonry tacks or epoxy adhesive to hold the tack strips in place.

5. Install the Carpet Pad

Layout the carpet pad in the opposite direction you plan to install the carpet and staple it near the tack strips with a staple hammer.

6. Staple Any Pad Seams

Staple the seam of the pad, alternating staples so that they are not right next to one another. Stretch the padding so that the pieces are joined tightly together.

7. Trim the Pad

Locate the tack strip by feeling through the padding, then use a utility knife to cut away the padding along the interior edge of the strip so that all tacks are exposed.

8. Notch Corners for Trimming

Measure the room at its longest point, then add 3″ to the measurement. Take the carpet outside, and cut it slightly on both sides at the measured length. The carpet may be easier to handle in a larger space like outdoors. If possible, have someone help you.

9. Trim the Carpet to Size

Roll the carpet with the back facing outward until the cut areas show. Next, run a chalk line from cut to cut. Cut the back of the carpet along the chalk line, roll up the carpet, and take it back inside.

10.Trim the Excess Carpet

Roll out the carpet into the room while keeping it as straight as possible. Cutaway any excess carpet, but leave 3″ of extra carpet next to the walls. Lay out any additional carpet needed to fill the room.

11. Glue the Seams Together

You’ll need to create a seam where the carpet edges join. These edges must be straight. Make sure to check the edges: don’t assume that a factory edge is straight. Place a piece of seaming tape under the seam, adhesive side up. Heat the seaming iron to the temperature recommended by the tape manufacturer, and rest it directly on the tape for 15 to 30 seconds. Then carefully slide the iron along with the tape, and press the seam into the melted glue behind the iron. Place heavy objects on the seam after the pieces are joined, to ensure they will hold it in place. Seams should run parallel to the room’s main light source. And make sure the pile of both pieces runs in the same direction.

12. Trim Around the Obstacles

Dry-fit the carpet, butting one end against a wall. Use a carpet knife to trim the carpet to fit around obstacles like pillars, floor vents, and outlets.

13. Attach the First Edge of the Carpet

Using a knee kicker, attach the carpet to the tackless strips on one end of the room. Place the knee kicker against the carpet about 3″ away from the wall, and forcefully strike the padded end to stretch the carpet over the tackless strips.

14. Trim the Excess from the Edges

You’ll next need to trim the excess carpet with a wall trimmer, which rests against the wall and provides a straight cut. Using a stair tool to press the cut edges underneath the baseboard trim.

15. Stretch the Carpet

Use the power stretcher to attach the strips on the other side of the room. For corners and alcoves where the power stretcher can’t easily reach, use a knee kicker and/or stair tool.

16. Use the Binder Bar

In this step, you’ll need to nail a binder bar to any areas where the carpet ends without abutting a wall such as a threshold. Stretch the carpet with the knee kicker and link to the hooks in the binder bar. Next, use a wooden block or scrap piece of lumber to close the binder bar onto the edge of the carpet.

17. Finish Trimming the Carpet

When all the carpet is in place, cut out any necessary openings. Attach molding around the room if desired.

That’s a lot of steps to complete for even the most determined DIYer.

But… Before all of that happens, you still have to pick out the carpet you like.

Shaw has quite a broad selection of carpets to include their Truaccents collection. You can also find some great selections at Dreamweaver.

Be sure to check out our website for great offers, or better yet, come to our showroom at 8643 W Kelton Ln Suite 105 in Peoria!

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