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Carpet fitting

Going to fit a new carpet tomorrow. Any hints or tips? I have : The carpet, gripper rods, stretcher and tucker. not sure I have the courage to start cutting !

Reply to
sleepingtiger
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Its easy actually, once you've chosen a easy method

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Reply to
meow2222

Hmm.. IMHO you're missing just one component - the carpet fitter! David

Reply to
Lobster

Something to cut it with? Need the hooked blade in a Stanley handle.

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rough cutting 6" or so oversize is easy. It's getting the fine cut so that the fit is correct over the gripper that I had trouble with. Having watched a proper fitter there is knack but I haven't quite worked out what it is yet.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

You are probably right but there is no turning back now. Perhaps a couple of whiskies will do the tick.

Reply to
sleepingtiger

Yes that's the worry. Funny thing I have purchased some hooked blades but the knife that came with the fitting kit had straight blades.

Reply to
sleepingtiger

Yup! Get a carpet fitter! Sorry to urinate on your French fries :-(

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

If I was doing this job for the first time, I would make a start on a straight wall and make sure that the backing threads were parallel to that wall, other wise the pattern will drift off as you move to the wall opposite. Also be aware the the shop that sold you the carpet will most certainly have cut the ends at an angle, the only edges you can trust are the selve edges AS you get part way there, you will find that you have to make cuts to go into any doorways on the sides. trim these so you have plenty of carpet bits and then pick one out to use as a trial piece to see how much carpet you need to tuck it into and behind the gripper. Usually up to the skirting plus a bit more. I can't say how much (try 5 mm) more as,

1 It has been quite some time since I laid a carpet. 2 Every carpet differs in thickness. This will affect how much longer than up to the skirting it has to be cut. Always cut too long, you can always trim a bit more if you need to. Cut it short and you are buggered. :-(

My way of marking the carpet for cutting, once I had found out how much longer it had to be was fold it over so it was pattern to pattern and count back the right number of backing threads, or distance from the wall and mark it every 12 inches, or 300 mm if you want it in French inches and cut to that line. This where the carpet scrap will guide you though this step before you commit to the final cut of the main carpet. Pro fitters have this info in their minds as soon as they feel the carpet.

Good luck and if the typing is as bad as I think it is, I have just had major surgery on one of my eyes and I can not see the screen too well.

Dave

When you come to stretch the carpet , do not over stretch it, but just enough to prevent any wrinkles. Now start on one of the sides and before you know it, the carpet will be down

Reply to
Dave

I've watched several carpet fitters at work and they only used straight ones. One even sharpened the blade on a stone every so often. ;-)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Lose the stretcher, its not appropriate for most domestic carpets. Sticking the carpet into the grip rod puts enough tension on it as long as its already laid flat. Seriously, its an easy job with grip rod.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

They often used the hooked ones on vinyl rather than carpet.

IME the cutting does not need to be too accurate if you do it a tad long. The free edge can then be tucked into the gap behind the gripper with a stair tool.

Reply to
John Rumm

Do some vinyl first. Carpet's easy compared with **@@#!$ vinyl!

Seriously, don't rush it, get carpet oversize and as flat as possible before trimming, cut just slightly long rather than short, use a bolster chisel to ram edges and measure twice/three times, think, then measure again then cut round door frames. Get one edge done then jump forward to pull carpet flat before doing second and repeat. If there is a bare bit of edge somewhere, a bit of glue and carpet scrap does wonders if the carpet has a pile!

Reply to
Bob Mannix

How do they avoid marking the skirting? Maybe they had a different technique to the guys I watched who used hooked blades and simply (ha!) stretched the carpet onto the gripper pushed it up against the skirting and ran the knife along the fold. A handheld bolster chisel then pushed the just right (grrr..) excess into the skirting/gripper gap.

It does need to be properly sharp, carpet soon takes the edge off.

You can pack some excess into the gap under the skirting/between the gripper and skirting but not all that much. Evenness of excess is probably as important as the actual position of the cut.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

OK well here goes.

Will probably spend the next couple of hours sitting looking at it. I will then probably move the carpet and look at it for another hour. when it gets dark and I can't see what I am doing I will have a large scotch or two and make the first cut ))

Reply to
sleepingtiger

It's already been mentioned "measure twice, cut once". The only problem I had was the fine cutting on the first carpet I fitted, the second I did one is *much* better.

It could be well worth playing with any offcuts from the main "rough to size cutting" to get at least a feel for the fine cutting before doing it on bits that matter.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

I find a wide paint scraper is easiest. No need to hammer it or anything, just whack it down and it puts the carpet in behind the grip rod in no time.

Dont cut the edge of the carpet on the opposite side until you've put the first side in the grip rod - that way you wont need to resort to the dreaded glue bodge.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

Job done.

Now I appreciate the need to buy a good quality carpet wit canvas backing, something that will last forever and looks good. Unfortunately I was working with a bit of shit carpet that fell apart as I was cutting it. However the result is ok for a first attempt. Why did no one warn me about the revenge of the gripper rod. I inadvertently put my hand on one and started to spurt blood like a watering can. Next time I will have more to drink first. Then I wont feel the pain))

Reply to
sleepingtiger

I'll bet all DIYers have done that in their lifetime. :-(

Dave

Reply to
Dave

I really hate gripper rod. Horrible nasty bastard stuff.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

Well I did warn you to employ a fitter! ;-)

David

Reply to
Lobster

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