Carpet fitting

[SS]

I recently move house and to save costs decided to `carpet fit` 2 of the bedrooms myself. Quite pleased with the finished job on the first one but have to say thank goodness I got it done in one day. My knee wouldnt have taken 2 days of knee kicking, how do people who do this for a living keep going, or is there some super duper tools that do the knee kicking for you? Even with the knee kicker padded I just know I am going to suffer for a day or two. Dont need to do the 2nd one for a few weeks, thank goodness.

[NT]

IMLE kicking usually isnt needed.

NT

[Dave Liquorice]

Whacking it too hard. B-) I've not done much carpet fitting(*) but I think there is confusion over the words used. Fitters and How To... sites use the word "stretch" which implies you physically make the carpet bigger by some measureable amount. I think the word "tension" would better, you just pull the carpet flat onto the grippers rather than actually try and make it bigger first.

(*) The bit I have trouble with is the trimming, getting the cut in just the right place so there is just the right amount of carpet to tuck into the gap between gripper and skirting.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Me too. Yet watching a skilled fitter makes it look all so easy.

[Chris J Dixon]

Sometimes this apparent ease disguises the fact that they are using the skirting board as a cutting block, leaving a neat line cut through the (often fresh) paint, about 6 mm from the bottom.

Chris

[mike]

They don't:

Even with the knee kicker padded I just know I am going to

[stuart noble]

Which is why I prefer to watch them do it. Also, they're not that expensive compared top other trades.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Depends. Their cost is often concealed in a fitting charge which includes underlay etc. Often of a poor quality. It isn't so cheap if you try and get one to do things labour only, I've found.

FWIW, I tend to go for good quality carpets. I'm not the sort who wants to change things every couple of years just to be in fashion, or whatever. And have found cheap underlay disintegrates long before the carpet is worn out.

[Roger Mills]

You have to trim it in situ. You start with it a couple of inches oversize. Use the kicker to stretch it gently onto the spikes, and use a blunt bolster chisel to push it into the gap - with the surplus standing up against the skirting board. Then you cut along the fold with a sharp Stanley knife, and finally use the kicker again to stretch it fully onto the spikes.