Before Your Carpet Arrives
Being prepared for the installation of your carpet will make the entire process go faster and more efficiently. You should always use a professional and talk with them thoroughly to make sure you understand the process. Below are a few starting points.
Seams
- the seaming diagram is the installers’ “blueprint” for overall layout, seam placement and transition
- seams are inevitable, and professionals know to deal with them best
- 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
- sometimes extra carpet is ordered to better match patterns at the seams
Transitions
- where two different flooring products, like carpet and wood, meet
- professional installers will try to match the surface heights to minimize transitions
What to know and do before installation day
- remove all furniture; additional charges occur for moving furniture
- empty the contents of china cabinets and closets
- 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 and 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
What to know and do during installation day
- be at home the day of installation in case the installation crew has questions
- some installers may not be able to give you an exact time of arrival
- be flexible and keep in touch with your retailer/installer
- keep children and pets out of the work area
- prior to the completion of the installation, walk through the job with the chief installer
Clean-up
- 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 after installation day
- be prepared to provide the room with adequate ventilation
Fixing post-installation problems
- be aware that 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 may be needed