Have you looked at your carpet and decided it was time for a facelift? Sometimes the easiest way to enhance the beauty of a room is to install new carpeting. Not only will new carpeting make your space feel refreshed, but it will also provide insulation, sound control, and a comfortable surface to walk on. However, once you’ve picked the perfect combination of style and color, how are you going to get the carpet in the room. When installing carpet, go for the trusted method. By calling a professional, you’ll have the piece of mind in quality carpet installation that will last for many years to come. Here is how professional installation works.
Choosing An Installer
When you choose a professional to install your carpet, you are not only choosing someone to install your rug, but you are choosing someone who knows the in’s and out’s of the business. Most certified installers have been in the industry for at least two years prior to certification. A professional has to complete several tests that cover the abilities to install floor coverings. They also have to know various government and business standards. When you call a professional to install your new plush carpet, you can rest easy on the level of quality and knowledge that the job will be done to exacting standards.
Professional Installation
When you have chosen an installer, there are a few things to expect on installation day. If you have carpet already, they will remove it. You can not install carpet on carpet. For standard floors, the floor is plywood, MDF subfloor or concrete. This surface has to be smooth and clean. Using existing carpet as a base is not sufficient for long-term durability.
After ripping up your carpet, the installers will clean the underlying floor and lay down carpet padding. The padding is a foam layer that will make your carpet softer when you are walking on it and dampen noise. When the underpad has been laid, the installer will begin with the carpet.
Materials Needed for Installation
What is the secret behind installing carpet? Besides having knowledge of the industry, proper carpet installation starts with the tools you are using. Carpet installation tools are highly specialized and could do a lot of damage when in the wrong hands. Under the guidance of professionals, these tools will be used correctly, leaving you stress-free with a great looking carpet.
Tack Strips
Tack strips are a thin piece of wood that sits around the perimeter of your room. These long strips are studded with hundreds of sharp nails or tacks. Not only does the strip hold your carpet in place, but the carpet edge is also jammed between the strip and the wall, giving your carpet edge a smooth finish. The strips have to be nailed, glued, or screwed into the subfloor with the tacks angled toward the wall.
Knee-Kicker
Knee-Kickers are small tools, about 18 inches long, that is used for small spaces, like closets and stairs. The tool has “teeth” that grip the carpet and a solid end that you “kick” with your knee to jam the carpet into the edges of the room. Generally, the knee-kicker is used for spaces that are 10ft x 10ft or smaller. The knee-kicker doesn’t have enough power to be used for a large room and will leave too much slack in the carpet in the form of ripples.
Power Stretcher
A power stretcher may look like a medieval torture device, but it is also used to stretch carpet. A power stretcher is a long tool that stretches from one side of the room to the other. The head is placed on the loose edge of the carpet and grips the carpet to pull it tight. A long pole is placed from the head to the opposite wall. Then a lever is hand-pumped to create pressure and stretch the carpet with greater force than the knee-kicker can create. This device makes sure the carpet is even and won’t bulge or look out of place.
Seam Roller
When the installer puts the seams together by hand, any imperfections in the seam will become apparent. The seam will also be visible since the carpet pile was not blended prior to the seaming process. That is where the seam roller comes in. This tool is used to press down on the carpet to ensure that it sticks to the adhesive beneath it. A seam roller is a hand tool that has two small metal axels with metal wheels attached to them. The installer aligns the center of the seam roller with the seam, and the wheels push the carpet seam together and blend the pile from both carpet pieces together.
What Does A Properly Installed Carpet Look Like?
Well for one, the carpet will be secured to the floor, meeting the walls snugly without showing any edges. The seams will not be noticeable at first glance and after use, will not come apart. The carpet will also be smooth without any bumps or ridges.
At David Tiftickjian & Sons, we recommend professional installation by one our professional installers. We employ only the BEST carpet installers/ technicians. Each of our installers has been trained and held to the strictest standards of courtesy and professionalism. WE DO NOT CUT CORNERS. We use a seam sealing technique unique to David Tiftickjian & Sons, as to make each seam as invisible as possible. We do every job to best our ability NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!!
