Trimming edge of cut carpet

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot]

In a few days I will be removing the wall-to-wall carpet that the previous owner installed in the upstairs bathroom. (Who in their right mind puts carpeting in a bathroom - especially around the toilet in a house where men live?) Anyway, that was off-topic. We will be installing a nice laminate in that bathroom.

The carpeting presently extends out of the bathroom and down the hall. Near as I can tell it is of one piece, or at least a seam is not visible between the bathroom and the hall. I can take a utility knife, I suppose, and cut the carpet in a straight line at the doorway . . . would that be a good approach? And how about a nice-looking way to dress the cut edge at the doorway? We're leaving the carpet in the hall for the time being. The flooring is wood.

[Robert Allison]

You will want to cut the carpet at the doorway long, so that you can cut it exact after the flooring is installed. Once the flooring is in, you can cut it to the length you need for whatever transition you will need to do. Generally, I would use "Z" strips in this situation, but you may need to have a transition strip that covers the wood flooring at the doorway. You would do well to spend a little time at a flooring retailer to see what all you have to choose from and what you need for your particular application.

[Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot]

Thanks, Robert! Just knowing the phrase "transition strip" is helpful!

[George E. Cawthon]

It most likely is seamed at the doorway. Pull up the bathroom carpet and you will be able to find where the tape was applied. Personally, I liked the way our carpet layer transitioned from a heavy carpet to kitchen carpet. He just bent the carpet under (no pad at the transition) and stapled it. I tried the same thing from the bedroom to the master bath when we changed the bath from carpet to vinyl and it worked like a charm. You might think that the carpet would wear heavily at the transition but it doesn't with good carpet; transition from heavy carpet to kitchen carpet shows no wear after 14 years although traffic patterns have developed in a couple of places and we will be changing those areas.