Summary: Learn how to lay carpet, fit carpet with integral underlay and fit a carpet with a separate underlay.
There are two types of carpet: carpet with an integral rubber or foam-backed underlay and carpet that requires a separate underlay. Remember that good quality carpet is expensive and any mistakes can be extremely costly. The fee charged by a professional carpet fitter will be far less than the cost of replacing a new carpet ruined by poor cutting. However, there is no reason why you should not attempt laying carpet in small rooms or laying second hand carpet that has already been stretched.
You can use a staple gun or double-sided tape to secure the paper underlay to the floor.
Overlap the edges of the carpet.
Form a crease in the carpet where the bottom of the skirting board meets the floor and carefully cut away the excess.
If you are laying a carpet that requires a separate underlay you will need to fix gripper rods around the perimeter of the room. Gripper rods normally come in 1.5m lengths.
Fix gripper rods around the room perimeter with the teeth pointing towards the wall.
Metal threshold strips can be cut to size and should be fitted in every doorway.
Use a staple gun or floor tacks to fix the underlay to the floor. For concrete floors use double-sided tape.
After securing the carpet at one corner, use a knee-kicker carpet stretcher to stretch the carpet along an adjacent wall.
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