Should you hire a professional carpet installer?
Written by No Doubt Marketing
When it comes to carpet installation, most people do have it installed rather than do it themselves. There are some courageous and adventurous do-it-yourselfers that still tackle the job but for the most part it's left to professionals. The reason being that most people do not have any idea what is really involved in installing carpet. It is not just a simple matter of ripping up the old one and laying the new carpet. It isn't rocket science but yet if you make a mistake it is a fact everyone will notice it.
The basics of carpet installation:
- Removing old carpet. It is best if you cut it into strips before removing. You must first remove the floor moldings around the room.
- Remove the tackless strips or carpet tacks (if it is a very old carpet)
- Clean and dry the bare floor
- Install new tackless strips
- Lay the underpad and staple to the tackless strips
- Begin laying new carpet in strips that are 6" longer than the length of floor. (you will cut this later so the carpet is flush with the wall)
- Attach new carpet
- Reinstall moldings
Obviously that isn't step by step but more of a basic description of carpet installation. There is a lot of measuring, overlaying and cutting that goes on throughout the above steps.
Why most people hire a professional:
- Carpet laying is very hard on the back and knees
- If you make a mistake it will be very obvious
- Professionals can get the job done in much less time than you could.
- Professionals are responsible for getting the job done right
- Experience comes in handy in home projects like carpet laying
- Most carpet stores offer you free or reduced price on installation
When installing carpet great care must be taken in measuring and cutting. Otherwise the entire section has to be ripped up and another section of carpet used. Many times the inexperienced will end up spending more on carpet than they would had to hire a professional installer. If you do install it yourself you must make sure the floor is prepped before the new carpet is installed. This will include cleaning and scraping the floorboards, securing loose boards and putting down the carpet pad.
Hiring a professional carpet installer saves you physical discomfort (knees and back), time and often, money.
