How to Install Carpet Padding

Installing carpet padding or underlay is vital if you are going to get the most durability and performance from your investment in new carpet. Every time you step on a carpet you exert 100 pounds of pressure per square inch on it. If the carpet is laid directly onto a hard surface that pressure will wear it out much more quickly than if it's resting on a soft padded surface that helps absorb pressure.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gloves
• Pliers
• Solvent
• Utility knife or carpet knife
• Tackless strips
• Nails
• Stapler
• Hammer

Removing Old Underlay

1. Collect the following: hammer, nails, gloves, tackless strips, utility knife or carpet knife, stapler and pliers.

2. Start at an edge and pull up old carpet underlay and discard it.

3. Use pliers to pull up all the staples that held the underlay to the floor. (Any staples left behind will create bumps in the new underlay and carpet.)

4. Remove glued underlay. This will require pulling up by hand as much old underlay as you can, and then applying a solvent (such as a citrus stripper) to soften the glue and scraping the remaining underlay off the floor.

Installing Carpet Padding

5. Fill any holes in the subfloor surface and fasten any loose floor boards or panels to eliminate creaking floors.

6. Install tackless strips 1/2" from the wall, around the perimeter of your room (but not in front of doorways). Ensure the tacks point towards the wall and the strips meet at all corners.

7. Cut the underlay in strips that will run the length of the room, long enough to cover the tackless strips.

8. Install the underlay strips from one end to another. Put staples every 6-8 inches running from the inside of the tackless strip at one end of the room to the other.

9. Lay the underlay strips parallel to each other with their edges butting against each other (but not overlapping).

10. Trim away the excess underlay at the inside edge of the tackless strips all around the room.

11. Cover the seams with carpet or duct tape.

Tips & Warnings

• Carpet underlay or padding is basically made from three types of material, foam, rubber and fiber. Some types will be better suited for different applications (i.e. high traffic area, low traffic area). Check with your carpet retailer to determine which is the best material for your needs.
• Carpet padding will not only give your floors a soft cushioned feel, it will help with sound absorption, energy savings, and help your carpets last longer.
• Tackless strips are sharp. Always wear gloves when handling them.

[projectmgr]

on 8/22/2008 If you are replacing exising carpet and underpadding,depending on the age, you can probably re-use the existing tackless strips.