How To Pick Out Your Carpet

When I expand this to a whole page by itself, I will give you drawings of several possible snags you will come across if you measure enough. Like rock walls, thinking an entertainment center is the long wall, when actually you need to go to the back wall behind the entertainment center.

Also, it is actually easier, in my opinion, to make a drawing (doesn't have to be to scale) of your house plan. Or at least the area you are planning to carpet. This comes in handy for many reasons:

1. You can get an accurate and easy square foot count if you are buying from one of those warehouses, or it's easily converted to yardage as I will show you later.

2. You can enter individual area sizes and determine where you want your seams. When figuring seams always allow for less than 12 foot on your carpet, assuming you are using 12 foot material.

This is because on the rare occasion you actually do receive the entire 144 inches wide, you will still need to cut off a bare minimum of 1/2 inch if not as much as 2 inches, depending on the backing de-lamination and the "tip shear." Tip shear is when the level shear machine gets to the edge it is harder to control the shear height. This causes inconsistencies and at least will cause a darker line at your seam, that you will not be able to get out. Also, likewise, the lamination process of the primary and secondary backings will likely not have made a good solid bond at these edges causing the backing to have an area that is or will detach or de-laminate at some point right at your seam, which will make a very unsightly hole and will be next to impossible to repair correctly.

3. When you take your plan drawing with you, it makes it easier to do your cuts. Also, it comes in handy to figure angles and hard hallways, a drawing makes it easier to visualize what you need to do with your carpet to make it fit the area.

When you see my drawing above, the colors will show you what directions to measure. Blue is the width of your room. I added the green and red to illustrate a point. The red is needed if you run the carpet into the closets. If by some chance, you decide not to carpet the closets or if you don't mind seaming the carpets by making seams in areas like this you might save some yardage, run the measurements to the middle of the door as illustrated by the green arrow. If you are going to seam the closets in, make sure not to forget to measure them extra, just like they were their own room!

Now take your blue arrow measurement and multiply it by the green or red arrow measurement. For reasons I will explain, if you end up with more than 9 inches (double digits) round up to the nearest foot before you multiply. Your calculator can not distinguish one inch from eleven inches, and your equation will be wrong. You will be short on carpet! Unless of course you are one of the few left in our society who don't use a calculator.

Now this answer is your square footage. You will need this for your pad as well as your carpet. If you were using tile, laminate, or hard wood you would stop there.

Again, be sure the price you get is for square yardage so you can compare all prices equally. Here's the reason: You divide your square footage by 9 not 3 to get square yardage.

WIDTH X LENGTH = SQUARE FOOT / 9 = SQUARE YARD

Repeat for each room that you are going to carpet. Also, if you want to make sure you aren't going to be short, make sure to figure according to the width of the actual carpet, and another trick is to add 10% or multiply your square footage by 1.1, which is actually a good practice to get into anytime you are working on a construction project. There will always be waste!

To get an accurate tack strip measurement add all of your wall lengths together and divide by the length of the piece of tack strip, typically 4 foot. In other words, add the green arrow, the red arrow, the blue arrow twice, and the out cropping walls of your closet together, then break that down by 4 feet.

Reducing pile height loss and pile crushing, cushion can help keep a carpet "new" looking-and therefore stretch its usable life span.

In wear resistance tests done by Independent Textile Testing Service, a variety of cushion types added to the wear resistance of carpet. The most accepted benefits of carpet cushion are that it makes a carpet feel better and look better longer. While the luxury is a subjective quality and cannot be measured, cushion does achieve resiliency and resistance to pressure, which contribute to a carpet's luxuriousness.

Also a carpeted environment is quiet because the pile surface absorbs surface noise at the source. But a carpet installed with separate cushion can make the room even more quiet.

Yet another of the undisputed qualities of carpet cushion is that it improves the overall thermal insulation properties of a floor covering.

Please note that most stores should offer no pad thicker than 7/16" thick. This is because most carpet manufacturers specify nothing thicker than 7/16" to meet certain warranty criteria.

There are several options. Ranging from mobile home grade prime urethane to the awesome but pricey Leggett and Platt prime and rebond hybrid, which is also treated with a hypoallergenic and a mold reducer.

Oh, no, I'm not going to let you off that easy. Buying the proper padding can be as important as the carpet you choose.

One of the most important functions of carpet padding is to do what it says--be a padding for your feet. If you choose too thin of pad, all that money you spent on plush comfy carpet goes out the door because it'll feel like you're walking on cement. A medium- to high-density pad lasts longer, feels better on your feet, and even comes with odor-blocking enzymes and stain resistant technology. This last thing is important because the more liquid your pad prevents form getting to the floor underneath, the less likely you will have nasty odors or mold spores.

The amount of traffic an area receives should also be considered when buying carpet pad. Thin, low-density padding wears out too quickly for high-traffic areas. This means that you will have to replace it in a year or so, which isn't desirable if you have just finished living in your house during renovations. When it comes to stairs, a high-density thin pad is best. Thick pads cause rough trips and tumbles down the stairs, but a thinner, high-density option is long lasting for that high traffic area and gives you more stability when walking up and down.

When buying pad, ask questions of the salesperson and find out which pad is specifically engineered for your carpet. Some manufacturers will void your warranty if you do not follow the guidelines they set out, so be sure to ask questions before purchasing. A good salesperson will also ask you questions, such as whether you have pets, how heavy or light the traffic flow is in your house, and what your budget is. When choosing your padding, take your time, ask the right questions, and you'll be covered for years to come.

Another question I'm asked occasionally is upgrading to a pad with a double moisture barrier.

Tough question.

The Pro: having a carpet pad with a moisture barrier is fantastic if you have pets with bladder problems. It keeps the liquid up in the carpet where you can clean it rather than allowing it be absorbed into the pad itself where it's much more difficult to remove.

The possible Con: should you develop a crack in your sub floor, or have hydrostatic pressure it's possible that moisture could get underneath the pad. If you've got a moisture barrier on the pad, the moisture will be stuck underneath and not be able to evaporate through the regular 'breathing' process. In which case, the pad which could eventually lead to mold growing underneath your carpet.

Bear in mind that there are two schools of thought on this, and the verdict is still out. Remember this especially when the carpet salesman is trying to talk you into an upgraded pad with a moisture barrier.

There are a few steps to insure that an installation goes smoothly. First, is this a remodel? Are you going to be painting or moving walls? If so get that out of the way first! Sheetrock dust acts like sand paper to the fibers of a carpet. New carpet will be severely damaged by sheet rock dust.

Will your installers be removing and disposing of the carpet or are you?

Either way, Step One is to remove the furniture. Your installers will likely charge for it.

Also anything hanging over head such as drapes, blinds, shelving, and any breakable objects should be moved. The installers should have insurance, but why risk it? (By the way, you did make sure the installers had liability insurance right?)

Step Two is to remove the doors. It is sometimes a good idea to actually do this first to facilitate easy movement of the furniture. A good idea if you are doing your whole house or if there are lots of doors, to mark them on top. If you are going to paint them make sure to cover your marks with masking tape to prevent them being covered up with paint over spray.

Most hinges come apart easily by removing the pin with a nail set or an awl and a hammer, but some (mostly in older mobile homes) have to have the screws removed.

I would suggest vacuuming the carpet once more just to make sure that you have removed as much debris and dust as possible.

If you are paying the installers to remove the old flooring, you can typically call it a day until it is time to move the furniture back in, but if you are removing it yourself: Cut it into more manageable sizes unless your are planning on selling or giving it away. Pull it all loose from the tackstrip before trying to roll it up.

I would suggest that unless you have a strong back or two people for lifting, most rooms are better off cut in half. There will be a lot less paint damage or even less damage to the trim. Cut the door ways apart as well. Also, while cutting the doorways apart, remember to cut long. Cut way long! It's good to leave several inches, but if in doubt, I guarantee you that your flooring guys won't mind a foot left out in the room!

All too often I have had people cut the carpet in a doorway and didn't leave me anything to seam the new carpet to. Or worse when you close the door the new carpet is visible in the hallway. Remember, when in doubt -- leave it way long!

The Do's and Don'ts

Temperature and Humidity - The environment in which the carpet is to be installed must be controlled with the temperature between 65 degrees F and 95 degrees F and the relative humidity between 10% and 65%. If installing over concrete, the slab temperature should not be less than 65 degrees F. These conditions must be maintained for at least 48 hours before, during, and 48 hours after the installation. It is also preferred that the materials being used (though this is usually more for wood flooring (laminates, hardwoods, parquet, softwoods, and medallions), tile (vinyl and ceramic), resilient flooring and glue down products) are allowed to come to the room temperature (also called aclimation) for a minimum for 48 hours prior to installation.

Floor Preparation - Each subfloor shall be inspected to determine the special care required to make it a suitable foundation for carpet. All cracks 1/8 inch wide or protrusions over 1/32 inch should be filled or leveled.

Concrete - Concrete should be cured, clean, and dry. If the carpet is to be installed using an adhesive, the concrete shall be free of paint (see below), dirt, grease, oil, curing or parting agents, and other contaminants, including sealers, that may interfere with the bonding of the adhesive. Whenever a powdery or porous surface is encountered, a primer compatible with the adhesive shall be used to provide a suitable surface for the glue-down installation. Patching of cracks and depressions shall be made with an appropriate and compatible latex or polymer fortified patching compound. Do not exceed manufacturer's recommendations for patch thickness, as many patch compounds are only capable of filling areas thinner than 1/4" to 3/8". Large patched areas must be primed using a compatible latex or urethane primer. If an adhesive is to be used, most of the adhesives on the market today will likely soften any paint over spray causing an adhesion failure.

Wood - Wood subfloors shall be structurally sound and have a minimum 18 inch air space underneath with cross ventilation. Subflooring (plywood, hardwood, particleboard, oriented strandboard [OSB], or other) must be flooring grade installed to the manufacturer's specifications.

If the carpet is to be installed using an adhesive, joints should be filled, and the subfloor surface shall be smooth and free of dirt, grease, oil, wax, and other contaminants that may interfere with the bonding of the adhesive. It would also be recommended that new and/or sanded wood floors to be coated with a compatible primer to provide an adequate bonding surface.

Choosing your carpet is basically the same, only with near infinite choices. You will walk into a carpet store that is an "order only" or "designer" store or you will walk into a store that carries inventory. The latter is better in my opinion unless you are searching for something out of a magazine.

You can search online and there are good brokerages that can help, but you will either have to install the product yourself, or hire it locally, anyway. And a good online store-front will want you to get samples from a local store anyway, then tell them the product name, style number, and color number. And those are numbers that are always provided on the back of samples that are provided by distributors. If not, then keep looking, or these samples came from in-store stock, which will usually mean a better price point anyway!

Also your warranties will be exponentially harder to work out if you don't buy local. Warranties are hard enough to claim anyway, because carpet mills have a bad tendency to say that it was an installation error, even when it was something the homeowner did (tufts coming loose because Killer and Sparky love running circles in the living room with uncut nails, but it's my fault because I didn't use their little $600.00 widget when my $20.00 was spent on the same tool at Lowe's.)

Notice the tool really didn't have anything to do with the dogs having unkempt nails...

Anyway, now for the fun stuff!

The choices of carpet are near limitless but here I am going to try to break it down into bite sized pieces.

All carpet yarn is manufactured from either a Staple or Continuous Filament (BCF) fiber.

Staple fiber is a series of short, 6 to 7 inches in length, strings spun together to form one continuous filament. Several of these are twisted together to form a strand of yarn.

BCF fiber is a continuous filament manufactured as one long string. These are twisted and headset together to form a strand of yarn. Both of these processes create yarns that produce carpet products with distinctly different looks and characteristics.

Nylon -- The most frequently used carpet fiber, highly desirable due to its exceptional durability, versatility, and reasonable pricing. It can be dyed in an endless variety of colors and made into numerous styles and textures. Nylon is commonly used in residential and commercial applications.
Polyester -- Used in residential and a few commercial applications, polyester has good color clarity, colorfastness, and resistance to water-soluble stains. All of Mohawk's staple polyester yarn comes from our state-of-the-art plastic bottle recycling facility. This "food-grade" PET Polyester fiber might be considered to be better quality than "carpet-grade" polyester fiber.
Polypropylene -- Also known as Olefin, this fiber resists fading, generates low levels of static electricity, is favorably priced, and can be engineered in outdoor applications. Due to its manufacturing process, polypropylene inherently resists stains. When used in specific carpet constructions, this yarn will perform as well as most resilient fibers.
Wool -- The most expensive of the fibers listed here, it is a natural fiber with moderate soil and stain resistance. Durable, luxurious "hand", reduced visible soil due to fine, light-scattering characteristics.

Now that we have the types of fibers used, we can move on to the styles of weave and tuft:

Texture (Plush) -- Most decoratively versatile cut-pile carpet, Textured surface helps hide footprints and vacuum marks, Adds casual beauty to any room, Looks great between vacuuming, Preferred style for busy households, and just a great "whole-house" carpet. Textured (Plush) is also a cut pile, but isn't as densely tufted as a Saxony. Two-toned yarn and an uneven surface gives it a casual look suited for any room. Its tight-twist construction helps resist soil, so it's often a good choice for family rooms. This plush style is often referred to as 'trackless plush.'

Saxony (Plush) -- Refined cut-pile surface, Luxuriously smooth, soft finish, Beautiful with traditional interiors, Adds distinctive elegance to any room, Ideal for living and dining rooms, and also shows subtle highlights and accents. Saxony (Plush) is a popular carpet of dense, level-cut pile with loops clipped to about 1/2" high. The closely packed yarns give a soft smooth surface which is perfect in formal settings. A smooth- finished Saxony is almost always referred to as plush

Sculptured (cut loop) -- Accent colors spice up floor surfaces, Multicolor effects hide soil and stains, Looks great between vacuuming, Choose from soft tonals to bolder color combinations, and carved definition with cut-and-loop pile. Pattern: Go for dramatic, unique visuals with loops and cuts of varying heights.

Cut Berber -- A new Berber look with all the wonderful color and interest of traditional loop Berbers, The great plush "feel" of thick, cut pile carpet, Beautifully crafted and colored yarns add personality to any room, Very versatile decoratively, ideal for casual rooms, kids' rooms, etc, Subtle color flecks help hide soil that might appear between cleanings. In past incarnations the flooring industry has dubbed this style, Frieze (friz'ay) and in the deeper pile we are also now seeing revival of the shag carpet in this category.

Berber (zigzag loop) -- Traditionally named this because the zig zag looped weave was patterned after the great rug makers of the Middle and Far East. A wool-like look and rugged loop surface, Natural, hand-crafted appearance creates a warm, personal atmosphere, Tight loop texture helps hide footprints and vacuum marks, Subtle patterns fit a variety of room styles, Ideal choice for contemporary to country to cottage furnishings. Loop: Create texture with uneven loops, or choose uncut level loops for high-traffic areas.

Level Loop -- Versatile styles blend comfortably with any decor, Durable long-wearing surface pile engineered for high traffic areas, Intriguing color choices suitable for professional and practical installations, Textured surfaces provide subtle highlights. While normally saved for commercial carpet designs this style is also used in printed rugs, and kitchen carpets.

Okay.

You've carefully shopped, considered your options and chosen carpet as the flooring solution for the way you live.

Preparing for the installation of your beautiful new carpet will make the entire installation process go faster and more efficiently.

Being prepared will also be a lot less stressful on you -- and your home.

So check out the information below, be prepared and anticipate, then look forward with confidence to the day your new carpet arrives.

Work With The Pros -- Carpet installation is a skill that is developed through years of experience.

Understanding the basics of carpet installation will increase your knowledge of the process and enhance your confidence in the professionals working in your home. The installers should begin with the seaming diagram. This shows the overall layout of the carpet, the correct placement of seams and transitions, and assists them in the preparation and cutting of the carpet.

If you did your homework in measuring, you will have come up with this diagram on your own, but make sure that the installer understands why you want a seam a certain way, because: Seams separate do-it-yourself installers from the professionals. While seams are inevitable, it's the professionals who excel at minimizing and hiding seams. They call on years of experience and tried and true methods.

Case in point: they'll insure seams are placed away from areas subjected to pivoting traffic, and not run seams perpendicular to doorway openings. And some carpet styles can show the placement of the seam tape more than others. This is referred to as telegraphing, or peaking, and it is particularly noticeable in low cut pile and looped carpets. A seam may be excellent and considered 'tight' but can still be seen. Especially when adjacent to a heavy light area such as a living room picture window or a patio door.

You should keep in mind that, occasionally, additional carpet must be ordered to better match patterns at the seams. You should discuss this with your retailer and understand that this will add to the cost.

The pros typically minimize transitional ups and downs -- When two different flooring products meet; say, carpeting and a hardwood floor - it's called a transition. Your professional installers will usually try to match the surface heights of various flooring products to minimize transitions.

What to do before the day of installation -- Begin with your furniture.

Remove all furniture and other objects and materials from the areas to be carpeted. Some installers will move your furniture, but there may be an additional charge for doing so. If they are to move heavy objects like pianos, gun safes, money safes, organs and the like make sure this is known as it is nearly always an extra cost per item and they will have to allow for more than just a the typical two-man crew for installation.

Before moving, you'll also need to empty the contents of china cabinets, closets and the like.

Out with the old - remove your present floor covering -- Please consider how your old floor covering will be taken up and disposed of. This can be a time consuming task. We recommend that you check with your retailer about the cost and the method of disposal. In many places there are options for reselling or even recycling used carpet.

If you prefer to remove your present floor covering, do it at least one day prior to installation to allow for cleanup and floor preparation. If removing old carpet, (and I emphasize yet again) please leave tackstrips in place and pull the staples out of the floor from the original pad.

Don't be left out on a limb about your trim -- You should know that, in several cases, moldings and baseboards need to be removed for carpet installation. Your installer may do this but at an additional charge and they will probably not be responsible for damage or breakage due to dry or brittle wood. Also the installer might not be capable of reinstalling these items!

Painted baseboards, woodwork and paint may need retouching after the installation is complete. If necessary, this is your responsibility. Please don't assume that your installer takes care of this situation.

There's no substitute for subflooring -- Your existing subfloor may need to be prepared to receive the carpet, or a new subfloor may be required. We suggest you discuss this with your retailer and, if subfloor work is necessary, that it be done by qualified professionals.

Do this to insure an open door policy -- When carpeting is installed, there's always the possibility that the doors, especially closet doors, basement and bedroom doors, may not clear the new carpet and swing free.

Some installers will remove doors in order to install the carpet and re-hang them if possible. They probably won't shave or cut down doors to insure clearance. Most installers do not. You should check with your retailer/installer as to their policy and the cost. You may need to arrange for a qualified carpenter to provide this service after the installation of your new carpet.

Check-up on the clean-up -- Installing new carpet will produce waste. Usually these materials are collected by your installer and and disposed of for a set fee. Check with your retailer before the day of installation so you're clear about the clean up, if there are added costs, and ask about the plan for carpet remnants.

What to do during installation -- Install yourself at home on 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. Because it is difficult to estimate the length and circumstances of each job, some installers may not be able to give you an exact time of arrival.

I suggest being flexible and keeping in touch with your retailer/installer.

Your safety, first and last -- Your installers will use a variety of tools, fumes, and techniques that can make the work area very hazardous. Please make sure that your children and pets are kept out of the work area on installation day.

The walk-thru is your final step -- We recommend that, prior to the completion of the installation, you walk through the job with the chief installer. This will give you the opportunity to ask questions and be clear on any final details.

What to do after installation -- Give yourself breathing room.

If you are sensitive to odors, good ventilation should be established. Some of the chemicals used in the construction of carpet, as well as the adhesives or hot melt seaming tapes, can have an odor for as long as 48 to 72 hours after installation. So be prepared to provide the room with adequate ventilation.

Solving after-installation problems -- Shedding is a natural part of a new carpet. Frequent vacuuming for the first few days should remove any loose fibers from the carpet's surface.

Sprouting refers to small tufts or loops of carpet that become visible after the installation. Use a small pair of scissors to carefully trim the loose fibers flush with the surface of the carpet.

Finally, if wrinkles or ripples appear in the carpet, it may be necessary to re-stretch the carpet. We recommend contacting your retailer to have this done professionally.

Prepare today for tomorrow -- When it comes to your carpet installation, I want you to be as well prepared as possible. It will make installation day easier on you and your home and provide you with an enjoyable floor covering experience for years to come.

This will be a massive undertaking because I have so much to tell you and I will be providing drawings as well. I will be dividing all of these into two main categories for stretch in installation or a glue down or commercial type installation. Eventually, I will also draw up and write some special needs lenses like: how to do steps (waterfall, classic wrap, and upholstery), carpeting in bathrooms (getting proper stretch, installing around a toilet, using a toe-nailer). And there will be some stuff, I'm sure, that I will have to add to a general styled lens (cutting out your air register vents, cutting in to stone, using Z-bar to finish an edge, using clamp type gripper metal to finish an edge, trimming next to a glass sliding patio door)

But the main categories in this series of lenses will be: Tools, tacking and padding, layout, seaming, stretching, trimming and cleanup, and some final considerations like what to look for in a new vacuum cleaner. Be sure to ask me any questions that you may have!

This will probably be a well used lens when it is in it's entirety. I will show you all of the tips and tricks, such as the wrong way to use a rag to clean up spills. Don't rub the carpet!!! Clean up as much of the spill as you can (like food, big chunks of whatever), blot the spill (not scrub).

Pets are also a controversial issue. If you have indoor pets, they will do harm more than likely to nearly any kind of floor you have. More than once, I have had people tell me, "Tiny is house broke." Usually angrily... And I pull the carpet back with huge yellow stains in the backing. Typically the excuse is a hot water tank leak, a toilet back flow, the former owners pets, or the steam cleaning guy didn't do a good job. When it is painfully obvious with the cat hiding under the bed or the puppy dog eyes that they are guilty. Or seriously the pattern of the stains is nowhere near a bathroom, and a steam cleaner shouldn't leave a yellow stain, unless he actually didn't know what he was doing.

And while we're on the most common banter at the job site: Please don't tell the installer the canary joke... ;-)

Also, another good tip while you are waiting for me to expand this lens, vacuum at least once per week, make sure your vacuum isn't clogged, especially if it is a HEPA model, keep your filters and bag clean. A good rule of thumb for anything, whether be it your car or your house air conditioning, not just your vacuum always change your filters regularly, that is what they are there for, and they won't work properly or will cause it to quit completely if you don't and usually not doing so voids the warranty. If you should vacuum once per week, a HEPA filter will usually last for about three months, if you don't have pets or aren't a regular smoker.

Eventually this will be full of links to explore your options as far as new carpet and pad, and tools , and other specialty stuff.

For now some tools: A good place to start