Carpet | Installation

Being knowledgeable and prepared for the big day when the new carpeting will transform your home is very important. Being ready for the installation of your carpet will make the entire process go faster and more efficiently. Knowing what to expect and being prepared will also be a lot less stressful on you, your family and your home.

Use a professional - some of these basics follow:

Seams

• seaming diagram is the installers' "blueprint" for overall layout, seam placement and transition
• professionals know how to deal with seams best
• seams are inevitable
• professionals excel at minimizing and hiding seams
• professionals insure seams are placed away from pivoting traffic, and not perpendicular to doorway openings
• some styles show seam tape more than others, called telegraphing or peaking
• peaking is seen more in low cut pile and looped carpets
• a tight seam can still be seen
• sometimes extra carpet is ordered to better match patterns at the seams

Transitions

• when two different flooring products meet like carpet to wood
• professional installers will try to match the surface heights to minimize transitions.

What to know and do before installation day

Furniture is step one

• remove all furniture
• additional charges occur for moving furniture
• empty the contents of china cabinets, closets

Know what to do with your present floor covering

• consider removal of old floor covering, sometimes messy and time consuming
• if you remove it, do it at least one day before for cleanup and floor preparation
• leave tack strips in place
• pull the staples out of the floor from the original pad
• painted baseboards, woodwork and paint may need retouching; this is your responsibility

Subflooring

• may need preparation for new carpet - leave this to the pros

Doors

• doors may not clear the new carpet and swing freely
• a professional can remove doors and re-hang, if possible
• they will shave or cut down to insure clearance at an additional cost

Clean-up

• installing new carpet will produce waste
• materials are usually collected by your installer and left at your trash collection site
• hauling away is usually an additional cost

What to know and do during installation day

Installation day

Be prepared to be at home the day of installation and be available in case the installation crew has questions. Your presence will insure that the correct carpet is installed in the right areas.

• some installers may not be able to give you an exact time of arrival
• be flexible and keep in touch with your retailer/installer

Safety

• installers use tools and techniques that can make the work area hazardous
• make sure that children and pets are kept out of the work area

The walk-through

• prior to the completion of the installation, walk-through the job with the chief installer
• this gives you the opportunity to ask questions about final details

What to know and do after installation day

• for odor sensitivity, good ventilation is important
• some of the chemicals and adhesives in carpet can smell for 48 to 72 hours
• be prepared to provide the room with adequate ventilation

Fixing post-installation problems

• shedding is a natural part of a new carpet
• frequent vacuuming for the first few days should help
• sprouting is the small tufts or loops that are visible afterwards
• use small scissors to trim the loose fibers flush with the carpet's surface
• for wrinkles or ripples, a re-stretch maybe needed