Installing carpets in your home is easier than you might think. It’s a great way to save money and renovate your family home on a budget. Plus, it’s a fun way to enhance your DIY skills!
As daunting as it might sound, anybody can lay a carpet with the right carpet installation equipment and a bit of patience. If you already have a carpet in place, you’ll need to remove it before you can lay down your new carpet but this shouldn’t take too long.
In this article, we’re going to break down the key steps that you need to take when fitting a new carpet down.
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How to Install a New Carpet in Your Home
Follow these steps to successfully install a new carpet by yourself at home.
Removing the Old Carpet
Before you can fit your new carpet, you’ll need to remove the old flooring as well as the sub-floor underneath. This is easy to do and won’t take long.
Firstly, remove the carpet from the tack strip and cut it into strips. Pull up the sub-floor, which may be a carpet pad. If necessary, remove the tack strips (if they’re in good condition, you can leave them in place and use them for your new carpet).
Fitting the Underlay
Next, you need to fit the carpet underlay. Place it down loosely, with the rubber side facing down. Using a craft knife, cut the underlay so that it is level with the grippers.
Butt the rows together and use carpet tape to join the edges together. Make sure they don’t overlap so that the surface is smooth and even.
Laying Down the New Carpet
Now you’ve properly prepared your flooring, you can lay down your new carpet by following the steps below.
- Lay your carpet down on the floor loosely in position.
- Stand in the corner of the room with one foot underneath the carpet and use your other foot to carefully smooth out the carpet and press it into place. Leave approximately 50 to 75 mm of space around the edge of the carpet.
- If there is any excess carpet, cut it down so that it fits the size of the room properly.
- Starting with the longest wall in the room, use a carpet tucker to make a crease in the carpet where it meets the skirting boards.
- Follow the crease with a sharp knife to cut the carpet along its edges.
- Use a carpet stretcher to anchor the carpet down. Place the stretcher around 25 mm away from the skirting board with the teeth facing toward the ground. Hook the carpet onto the gripper.
- Next, grab your carpet tucker and push down the excess material that is sitting between the skirting board and the carpet gripper.
- Repeat this process along the rest of the wall and continue with the remaining walls in the room.
