doorway carpet bars across the same carpet?

[Jim]

Hi-

we've finally got to the point that we're getting fitted carpet throughout upstairs and the stairway next week (after 5 years of bare floorboards...), and the wife, who organized it has dropped in that she's asked for brass carpet strips across all the bedroom doorways.

I was a bit surprised, since I always thought these were something required when transitioning between surfaces (eg tile to carpet, or wood flooring to carpet), or, in doorways when transitioning between different carpets.

However, she seems to want them. I'd rather not.

So, I thought I'd ask this group. What are your thoughts? Is this an inane idea, or do other people do this?

Personally, I'd have thought when you spend a big wodge of money for a single fitted carpet across a hallway and several rooms, you don't want to emphasise distinct areas with carpet strips.

But is that just me?

Thanks for comments. Might end up showing the wife this thread.

[Phil L]

As carpet only comes in certain sizes, it's pretty obvious that it will need to be jointed somewhere, so it gets jointed in the doorway.

"do other people do this?" - have you never been inside anyone elses house? - FWIW, I've never been in one that doesn't have carpet strips.

If you don't want them, the carpet fitters, depending on the type and quality of the carpet, may be able to stitch them together from the back, but expect to pay a lot of money for this, or you could just do what everyone else in the world does, and have carpet strips

ar 2008

[Jim]

I should add - this is a classic Edwardian house (~1905), and we are trying to go with a period look within reason (fitted carpets an exception!).

[Jim]

fine - thanks for your comments. So, being completely naive about carpet fitting (and never having knowingly even noticed carpet strips in doorways...), I guess maybe I'm being a bit irrational over this. I'll have to sleep on it and see if there are any other comments.

[Cash]

To add to that, the metal carpet strips make things a damn site easier if you have to lift the carpet in a particular room for any reason (repairing leaking c/h pipes etc).

Cash

[The Natural Philosopher]

Shrug. worth risking a marriage over?

Got them here. because it made the task of laying the carpet CHEAPER. Less offcuts. And needed them to transit to one tiled bathroom anyway.so put them in everywhere.

Really such a non issue...

Shrug. Your money, your choice. Dont expect style guidance from me. I think stripped pine is the Victorian equivalent to bare MDF.

You will be pleased to consider that we may need a new carpet for te stairs landing and corridor where the cats and dogs and the endless coffee cups dripping have ruined it. Brass will be needed to replace it anyway..as what we used wasn't man enough for those heavily trafficked areas...

[The Natural Philosopher]

No, they dont stitch together. They abut over a viciously sticky tape. It works.

BUT when going from a long thin corridor in one direction to a room where a carpet width fits one way but not the other, you may need a change of direction and the strip sorts that. If your carpet is, like ours, a corded type.

[Owain]

Let her choose. She'll be the one vacuuming them.

And they're quite handy for running thin cables under.

Just make sure the screwheads are smooth and countersunked properly or you will shred your feet when walking around barefoot.

Owain

[Archie]

I don't like the brass or aluminium strips and prefer to fit hardwood under the door and have the carpet fitted up to the wood. I already have hardwood skirtings and doors so it looks much better that metal strips.

Archie

[Man at B&Q]

We don't between lounge and dining room that have the same carpet with bifold doors between them.

They glue them. Invisible join unless you know it's there and go looking for it. You need to make sure the pile is the same orientation in both rooms.

MBQ

[tim....]

They glue them. Invisible join unless you know it's there and go looking for it. You need to make sure the pile is the same orientation in both rooms.

MBQ

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The one in my place isn't invisible. I noticed it and I wasn't looking for it

tim

[John MacLeod]

[e-mail]...

Heat seaming can be very, very good -- with a very, very good fitter. However it's unusual to go that way with doorways.

Who's fitting the carpet? Have you seen their work elsewhere? The fitter's the all-important dimension in the equation. Indeed a good fitter can halve the cost of carpet by economical laying.

Not much use to the OP, but some relatively small carpet suppliers can give tremendous prices on the floor if you're prepared to buy from a range that they use for commercial flooring and keep in stock. They're always willing to estimate on the basis of a properly-drawn scale plan with proper details of floor materials etc. -- or sometimes even willing to come out to estimate. Commercial ranges of carpet will usually join well and anyone used to laying carpet in commercial areas will normally be expert at joining and have the best equipment for the job.

The issue isn't so much one of "can you see the join" but "Is it necessary to protect the join to prevent damage to the edge of the carpet.

John

John