How to Lay Carpet Tiles In A Room

Laying carpet tiles in a room is easy.

Laying carpet tiles in a room is an easy do-it-yourself home improvement project. Carpet tiles are easily replaced if they become damaged or soiled. In fact, interlocking floor tiles are a wonderful choice for areas that get heavy traffic in your home - for example, near the front and back doors or in a kid's room. Floor carpet tiles can be positioned and locked in place without having to secure them with adhesive. Carpet stores usually have many different colors, styles and square sizes ranging from 12 to 22 inches, so it's easy to find the right carpet tile for any room. Of course you can hire a carpet installer to lay carpet tile for you, but it's much cheaper to just do it yourself. Here's how to lay carpet tiles in a room:

Things You'll Need

• carpet knife
• straight edge
• vacuum
• pry bar
• measuring tape
• knee pads
• pencil

Instructions

1. 

   Measure the room you want to install carpet tiles in.

2. 

   Buy carpet tiles at a local home improvement store, carpet store or carpet dealer. Be sure to ask for discount tiles if you're on a tight budget. Carpet sales staff often receive commission for each sale, so don't be afraid to negotiate pricing. You will not need carpet padding, so don't buy it.

3. 

   Remove everything from the room before you install carpet tiles. If you cannot move the furniture out of the room, move everything to one side, lay carpet tiles on the other side, then put the furniture back in place.

4. 

   Use a pry bar to remove tack strips and/or molding from the floor.

5. 

   Clean the floor and make sure it's flat, dry and dust free before you begin carpet tile installation.

6. 

   Start laying floor carpet tiles in one corner of the room, then work your way across.

7. 

   Make sure each carpet tile edge fits tightly against the other. Once the interlocking floor tiles are in place, brush your hand across the seams to blend them together.

8. 

   Use a carpet knife to cut the tiles and fit them into corners and edges in the room. Measure, mark and cut on back of the carpet tiles to help fit them correctly around fireplaces and heating vents.

9. 

   Vacuum the carpet tiles.

10. 

    Put the furniture back in place on top of the carpet tile.

11. Enjoy your new floor covering!

Tips & Warnings

• Always install carpet tile on a flat surface (not existing carpeting).

• Use knee pads to prevent knee injuries.

Resources

• Carpet Tiles For Any Room
• Carpet Knives
• How to Get Rid of a Mildew Odor in Carpet
• How to Stop a Linoleum Floor From Being Slippery
• How to Finish Wood Floors
• How to Install Bathroom Flooring
• How to Pick Bathroom Tile
• How to Install Bathroom Tiles
• How to Lay Bathroom Floor Tile
• Complete Flooring (Stanley Complete)
• Dream Floors: Hundreds of Design Ideas for Every Kind of Floor
• Black & Decker Flooring 101: 25 Projects You Really Can Do Yourself
• 1001 Ideas for Floors: The Ultimate Sourcebook
• Flooring 1-2-3: Expert Advice on Design, Installation, and Repair
• How to Install A Wood Laminate Floor