Carpet Installation Wall-to-Wall Wonderment

For centuries, people have loved the soft, extravagant feeling of carpeting beneath their feet. Instead of cold tile, wood, or even concrete, you may want to opt for the luxurious comfort of wall-to-wall carpeting.

What are carpets and what''s carpet installation?

For centuries, people have loved the soft, extravagant feeling of carpeting beneath their feet. Instead of cold tile, wood, or even concrete, you may want to opt for the luxurious comfort of wall-to-wall carpeting.

Carpets are loom-woven or felted textile flooring. They''re popularly made from wool, cotton, hemp, straw, and synthetic fibers like polyester, polypropylene, and nylon. Find them knotted together, or glued to an under-weave that serves as the carpet surface''s base. Carpets are fixed to the floor over a cushioned pad with nails, tack strips, staples, or adhesives. Remember, we''re not talking about rugs or mats. Those are put down loosely, not installed in a permanent way.

These days, it''s very common for people to use more environmentally friendly carpet elements, such as organic wool, natural bindings and padding, and formaldehyde-free adhesives. Most carpets are sold in widths of nine feet, twelve feet, and fifteen feet.

Preparation involves five main steps:

1) The carpet installers will take the basic measurements of the space you plan to cover. 2) They''ll plan the final layout and how the padding will be put down. In this process, they''ll do their best to minimize the chance of having carpet seams in the middle of the room, making the most of the available carpet widths. 3) They''ll cut the carpet and pad to the room''s measurements. 4) All the furniture will be removed. Loose nails will be pounded down. Squeaky floorboards will be reset. Some baseboards may be removed if you''re hoping to really make the carpet wall-to-wall. That way, when the carpeting has been fully installed, the baseboards will be reset overlapping the carpet edge, so that it looks flush, without any mistakes. 5) The room is vacuumed to make the surface that will be under the carpet clean and smooth.
The installation involves these four main steps:

1) Fastening strips are nailed down around the corners and edges of the room, about a quarter of an inch from the walls. 2) The padding is unrolled along the room''s edges, from wall to wall, with the waffle pattern facing upward. Then, with a staple gun, the installers set the padding into place along the fastening strips. 3) After the padding is fully installed, the edges of it are trimmed along the outside of the fastening strips, so that there is not any excess material. 4) Now it''s time for the carpet. The installers unroll the carpet over the padding. They use what''s called a "knee kicker" to fasten the carpet down. Here''s how this works: The installers apply the "knee kicker" along the edges of the carpet, pushing it into teeth along the fastening strips. Now the carpet is hooked in along the room''s edges, neatly applied over the padding beneath.

Who should install carpets?

After many years of wear-and-tear, many homeowners decide that it''s time to do something about those scratched, chipped, beaten wood floors. Maybe, they think, now is the time for a new kind of flooring. I''ve always been thinking of carpeting. It can be applied over the existing flooring, and there''s no need to bring in a team of carpenters, who bring along sawdust and noisy tools. Just make sure you know what you''re doing or else you''ll have a mind field of lumpy, ill-fitting carpet adorning your favorite rooms.


The benefits and drawbacks to installing carpets:

Carpet installers are professionally trained workers who have passed through rigorous training. It takes a lot of skill to measure a room correctly and prepare sheets of carpeting and padding. Remember, the carpet installers are looking for ways to reduce the visibility of seams. It may not be an exact science, but it takes professionalism, practice, and experience to make your carpet look as flush and attractive as possible.

Keep in mind that carpets can be a haven for allergens. It''s much easier to clean hard floors and keep them free of dust, pollen, and dust mites. Those little bugs live among the carpet fibers, and their waste can irritate people who are prone to allergic reactions.

The bottom line:

Carpets can add a high degree of comfort to your home. A carpet installation service can offer free in-home price quotes and take care of the preparation and installation of wall-to-wall carpeting.

Jon Ellowitz is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Find a contractor or more home care articles at Yodle Consumer Guide. Carpet Installation: Wall-to-Wall Wonderment