- In order to install new carpet, all old carpeting and padding must be removed. This is done by cutting the old carpeting into strips that are manageable with a utility knife and rolling them up. A piece of string can be tied around the roll and carried out. Next the old tack or tack-less strip, as it is sometimes called, should be removed along with the floor molding. The floor should then be swept and vacuumed to remove all sand and dust that was under the padding.
- Installing carpet begins with a new tack strip. Nail it into the floor about a half inch away from the wall with the tacks pointing toward the wall. No tack strip is used in front of the openings to other rooms. These edges are held down by a metal or wood strip that is placed over the carpet edge and installed after the carpet is laid. Next the padding is laid. This is done by unrolling the padding overlapping the tack strip. It is stapled into place with a staple gun, one staple per every 6 inches. Then the padding is trimmed back to expose the tack strip, just at the edge, with a utility knife. Once the entire floor is covered and stapled, it is time to install the carpet.
- The carpet is cut to the size of the room plus 5 or 6 additional inches by the dealer. If the room is wider than 15 feet it will have to be seamed. If the dealer does seam the carpet, a carpet seam iron and seam tape will be needed. Lay the carpet out in the room, overlapping the seam. If there are floor vents or the room is not a square, the corners and cutouts should be made first. Cuts should always be made to have a few extra inches that can be trimmed off later, rather than being too short. Cut through both pieces of carpet where the seam will be. Place the seam tape down under the seam making sure it matches up perfectly and use the seam iron to connect the two pieces. A knee kicker is then used to attach the carpet to the tack strips. Knee kickers can be rented at tool rental stores and the employees will demonstrate its use. It is places about 3 inches from the wall and when hit with a knee, it grabs the edge of the carpet and stretches it over the tack strip. Working from one corner to another and then to the opposite side of the room. When the carpet is kicked in the installer will go back and trim off the excess carpet sticking up against the wall leaving about a half inch over the tack strip. A putty knife is used to push the half inch of carpet down between the tack strip and the wall. The final step is placing the trim between the rooms. This is put over the edge of the carpet from one room to the flooring in the adjoining room.
