How to Install Carpet | DoItYourself.com – DIY Home Improvement …

Installing wall to wall carpet isn't rocket science, and by using some specialized tools (available at most tool rental outlets) and being prepared to take your time, installing carpet is a job you can do yourself.

Your first step is to get rid of the old carpet. Start by removing the moldings around the floor and take the door off the entrance, so you can get the old carpet out and the new carpet in easier. Give the old carpet a good vacuuming so you won't be breathing in dust, and then use a utility knife to cut the carpet into strips about 18 to 24 inches wide.

Start at one end and pull the carpet off the tackless strips and roll it up in sections. Some people feel that you can reuse the existing underlay, but in most cases it will be worn out just like the carpet, so you're better off getting rid of it as well.

Remove the existing tackless strips and make sure the floor is clean and dry. This is a good time to check your subfloor and securely fasten any floorboards that may be loose so they won't squeak under the new carpet (use 1 1/2-inch screws into the underlying floor joists).

Install new tackless strips around the perimeter of the room, but not in front of doorways. Leave a space of about 1/2-inch between the strips and the wall, and be sure the pins or tacks face towards the wall. (They're called tackless strips even though they have two or three rows or very sharp tacks, because using these "tackless strips" means you don't need to "tack" carpet down.) At corners, make sure the tackless strips are butted tightly against each other.

Step 2 - Lay the Underpad

Put the underpad down in strips that overlap the tackless strips. Butt the strips against each other--don't overlap them--then staple the underlay down along the inside edge of the tackless strip. Trim the excess underlay along the inside of the tackless strip and use duct tape to seal the seams.

A wall to wall carpet will shrink and expand with changes in temperature and air pressure. If you bring a carpet in from outside and install it right away, as the carpet adjusts to the conditions inside your home it will stretch and shrink away from the tackless strips, or it will expand toward the walls and wrikle and buckle in the middle. To prevent this, allow the new carpet to rest, uninstalled, in the room for at least 24 hours. It will adjust to your conditions and remain true to the dimensions you cut it to.

Step 4 - Measure and Cut the Carpet

To install carpet properly, you need to start with a piece that overlaps the edge of the floor by 4 to 6 inches. The overlay can then be trimmed so the carpet fits properly. To cut your first section, measure the room at its longest point and add 6 inches to that measurement. Mark the back of your carpet on both edges with that measurement and join the two marks with a chalk line. Fold the carpet over on itself, and using a straight edge and a sharp utility knife, cut through the backside of your carpet. Be sure to place a piece of scrap board underneath your cut line to protect the underlying carpet.

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How to Install Carpet | DoItYourself.com - DIY Home Improvement ...