Preparing Your Home
Get ready for when it's time for the carpet to arrive:
- Make arrangements for the take up and disposal of your old carpet.
- Shift your furniture out of the way to allow the carpet to be installed.
- Ensure that you can provide the easy access for your carpet delivery.
- If the outside area is muddy, it's a great idea to provide an area for cleaning off shoes.
- If you are laying carpet in a new house check that it is ready to go i.e. the power is on, the floor is clean, painted surfaces are dry, tiling is complete etc.
Putting the Carpet In
The big day is here. The carpet has arrived, and it is ready to transform your home. How do you make sure it is installed correctly?
1. Check the underlay, trims, colour and style are what you have purchased before the installer starts.
2. Now for the skills and artistry of the carpet layer:
- All carpets should be power stretched, otherwise bubbling and wrinkling will occur.
- Seam adhesive must be used for all seams.
- Carpet pile should run in the same direction throughout the house, sweeping towards the main entrance.
- Generally seams should run in the same direction as most foot traffic.
- On stairways the pile should sweep down.
- Extra, hidden carpet should be folded back at the top and bottom of stairs so that as the edges of the tread are worn, the carpet can be moved to hide the wear.
3. Once the carpet layer has finished, check it over though, just to be sure. Before the carpet layer leaves your property inspect the laid carpet for faults and check that no damage has been caused during installation.
After Laying
After your carpet is laid, vacuum lightly and frequently in the first week to remove surface lint dust and fluff.
Don’t forget to check out the carpet care recommendations in the Redbook Simply Great Carpet Guide to get the most from your carpet for years to come.
