carpet fitting

[Jim Walsh]

Just had a carpet fitted in a house that I rent out. I couldn't be there during the job and was surprised to find all the trimmings strewn on the floor when I returned. I am not talking about the decent sized off-cuts (which were left as well), but all the little scraps. I am wondering whether this is standard practice, or whether the fitters wanted to finish early and piss off down the pub because it's Friday. Advice/ comments welcome to help me decide whether to kick up a fuss and withhold a small sum from the payment.

One other thing; is there a standard way of fixing carpets around stair noses? Are they usually tacked in place, or held by a grip strip as per the edges of a room?

Thanks in advance, Jim.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

If they have done a good job? then forget about it.

Normally its tacked, but untacked it makes hoovering a tad easier to clean providing its taught.

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[Dave Plowman (News)]

They *should* have cleared up. They usually put all the scraps in the plastic bags the underlay comes on.

Normal way is a gripper at the back of the tread and bottom of the facing bit. This will work for either a runner or individual bits. Of course where there is a bottom step which is bigger because of the newel post etc, or where it turns a corner, there might be some tacks used.

[Rob Morley]

Taught what? :-)

[Rob Morley]

You need to go over a newly laid carpet with a vacuum cleaner anyway, so what's the big deal?

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

pmsl, Taut. :-P

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[Chip]

On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 16:34:50 +0100,it is alleged that Jim Walsh spake thusly in uk.d-i-y:

From when I was a fitter's assistant (Underlay and Gripper and all the dull bits ), all I can say is they didn't do anything _wrong_ per se, but they probably aren't expecting any future work, that was just rude of them not to at least pile it up neatly if they didn't have a bag.

Usually the straight bits of the stairs are held by opposing grippers on the back of the tread/bottom of the riser, and the actual bullnose stairs (curved ones at the bottom) are often tacked on the curves and held by gripper on the straight bits. This varies a lot between fitters though, basically if it *looks* good, then they did it right.

On a side note, ideally hold onto a couple of the larger offcuts to redo the bottom stair if you have a rounded one, as if it needs to come off, reusing it is usually distinctly suboptimal.

[80/20]

Pure laziness - if you bought from a shop that included the installation you should make them aware of the problem. Good shops are always looking for more business and one the best ways to lose it is by word of mouth! If you bought the carpet separately and then brought in self employed fitters deal with them direct I'm sure that if you paid them less than expected, by deducting the clearing up cost, they would soon complain.

With regard to the stair nosing they should have installed a piece of gripper nearly at the back of the tread and a piece nearly at the bottom of the riser, the carpet is they bolstered tight into the gap. This would leave a taut finish.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

[sucks breath through teeth]

At one time you were told not to hoover a new carpet for a few weeks. ;-)

[Dave Liquorice]

The trimmings would clog a normal domestic vac... I suspect we aren't talking about a few stray bits of fluff and hesian thread but long strips anything from 1/2" wide to a inch or two. Then you have all the little bits that will be shed from the cut edges.

IMHO it's "unprofessional", I don't expect a tradesman to leave the place spotless but I *do* expect them to clear up any mess they create. It's not as if carpet fitters wouldn't know there would be trimings, they should have bought their own bag(s) and tidied up.

Talk to who ever you have the contract with, the fitters if you employed them direct or the shop you bought the carpet from if they supplied the fitting service.

[Chris Bacon]

Normally a piece of gripper is tacked to the bach of the tread, and the botton of the riser. The carpet is pushed into the angle formed, and secured. It isn't tacked to the nose of the tread at all. The bottom step may be tacked on, especially to form the carpet around, for a neat job.

[Richard Faulkner]

In message , Jim Walsh writes

Standard practice in my experience.

Gripperrods on the part you step on, and tacked around the nose and riser.

[Rob Morley]

I wasn't expecting to be able to vacuum the bits, just pointing out that you might expect to do a bit of clearing up anyway.

It's hardly a big deal though is it?

[Rob Morley]

I don't remember that - when was it? :-)

[80/20]

Whilst the "odd" tack is OK this method does not allow for the natural movement of the carpet, and may lead to slackness, which may cause a trip hazard.

Unless the carpet is wholly synthetic some movement has to be allowed for, the only way to prevent this is to glue the carpet into position: a method that is used in large installations.

[Terry]

Not sure how you could teach it?

But maybe 'taut' would make carpet vacuuming easier?

Sorry; but had to ask!

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

And if you would have read the rest of the post you would have seen my reply to Mr morley. :-P

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[Dave]

A long time ago. I would imagine that Dave is talking about the fifties or sixties here.

Dave

[Rob Morley]

I can remember the sixties, so it must have been the fifties :-)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That's because you must have been a kid. ;-) Twenty somethings in the 60's have no recollection.

Think it was something to do with the fibres not being glued to the backing as is the case these days. Or possibly to let the fitter get well away before complaints.