DIY Tips – Laying a Carpet
Posted On December 17th, 2011 by boiler in DIY Tips, Home ImprovementsPreparing to Lay a Carpet
The first thing to do is ensure the floor area is clean, dry and relatively even. Assuming you have already disposed of the original carpet, remove any remaining tacks or carpet nails; if they are too firmly attached to pull out, use a hammer to flatten them flush with the floor. If your carpet is rubber-backed, you will need to secure it with a 50 mm wide double-sided tale around the room’s edge. Woven carpets require gripper strips, which are fixed 6mm from the walls or skirting boards, teeth angled towards the wall.
Carpet Underlay
Rubber-backed carpets do not require underlay. Otherwise lay the underlay so that there is a slight gap, about 50mm, around the perimeter.
Laying the Carpet
You should now roll the new carpet the length of the room. Try to start in the corner of two plain walls, lining up the machine-cut edge with one wall before fixing it using either tape or grippers. The edge can be tucked beneath the skirting board with a bolster. The carpet must then be stretched across the area until it is taut. A knee kicker is required for this, which can be hired or bought.
Ensure that the carpet is as flat as possible by working at the opposite wall, using the kicker to stretch it onto the gripper. Trim the edge to fit, leaving about 5mm to poke under the skirting board. Next go across the room the other way, using the knee kicker to stretch the carpet onto the gripper strips. When there are alcoves or radiator pipes, carefully cut the carpet to shape.