How to Cut a Carpet Pad

New carpet can be a major expense in your home, and you probably put time into the selection of the style, material, and color. The warranty on your carpet may have a stipulation that it be properly installed with the correct padding to be valid. Read the warranty. Just as there are many types of carpet to choose from, there are different kinds of padding. They come in differing thicknesses, densities, and materials. Rebond is the most common, but not necessarily the right one for your carpet. Question your carpet representative about the padding just as much as you did about the carpet.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• correct carpet pad
• tape measure
• carpet knife or utility knife, with extra blades
• carpet glue or duct tape

1. 
    
   Rebond padding.

   We will assume you have already cleaned the floor completely. No nails or staples, bits of trash, or lumps of glue are left on the floor. Repairs have been made for such things as squeeks or loose nails. The tack strip around the perimeter of the room has been checked. Every piece is firmly nailed to the floor with the nails slanted toward the wall. You are ready for the pad.

2. 
    
   Rubber padding.

   Generally, padding comes in six foot rolls. Roll it out to the length of the room cutting it a bit long with the knife. Roll out the next piece the same way. If any small areas are left, cut the necessary pieces to fill them. Be sure electrical floor plugs and vent openings are not covered, and all the pad has the vapor barrier on top. Staple the pad in place and tape the edges together. If the floor is concrete you will use glue on the floor under the butting edges and around vents and electrical boxes.

3. 
    
   Trimming pad edge.

   Now you can work around the room cutting the edge of the pad just inside the tack strip. You don't want the pad to ride up over the tack strip when the carpet is laid. The tack points must dig into the carpet backing, not the pad. You will probably use a number of blades in the knife as the floor and padding dulls the blade quickly. Once you have cut the excess away all around the edge of the room, remove all the little pieces from the room. Finish stapling or gluing the edge of the pad to the floor. If there are any doorways with metal transition edge in them the pad is cut short of the edge. Only the carpet will go inside the edge.

4. Check one last time around the room to clean up any debris and make sure you are done with carpet pad installation. Then bring in the carpet.

Tips & Warnings

• Some carpet types require a specific kind of pad.
• Be careful with the tack strips. Though the tacks are small, a poke by one really hurts. It's not the puncture, like that of a sliver, but the rust preventive coating on them containing a poison which makes it so painful.
• The knife is a RAZOR BLADE. Need I say more?

[gahazeleyes]

on 6/8/2009 Very good information. Thanks

[AllFYB]

on 6/7/2009 Great Article on cutting carpet pad. Thanks