Laying a carpet

[sweetheart]

Can someone give me a really simple guide to laying a carpet?

The carpet is felt backed. Not expensive - it cost me £271 for two rooms which I thought was reasonable.

The one room is oblong and doesn't seem to have any recesses except for a couple of inches into each window. (12x20ft) The other room is 12 x 10.5 ins and I have bought 12x13.1 ft to make sure I have enough because there is a step from the room to the sitting room ( which is at right angles to it).

Now do I attack the step?

Other half has refused to help. I needed a carpet , old is thread bear and even ripped in places. Its got an underlay and gripper rods all round in both rooms. I had planned on leaving old underlay down and putting carpet on top just for ease and cost cutting.

Any help would be gratefully received.

[Tabby]

youre using underlay wih it, griprods are the method of choice.

NT

[John Rumm]

Felt back will work to an extent on gripper - but most fitters will also use glue[1] to aid it staying in place.

Usually with gripper rod fitted at the back of the tread, and also at the bottom of the riser, with the nails pointing into the corner. The carpet can then be pushed into the corner with a stair tool (blunt bolster chisel type affair).

With felt carpet on a solid floor, then cut sections can be glued in place.

Generally with gripper, start by positioning the carpet before you start cutting. Check the pattern runs where you want, and does not appear "crooked" against walls etc. Usually working from the centre out with the carpet folded back on itself in the middle - positioning one end of the room while you can do it without having to stand on the new carpet, and then the other (where it becomes harder to shift it about). Once in place you cut it in, but leaving the edges a bit long (i.e. to the wall plus another cm or so). The edges are then tucked in between the gripper and the wall with a stair tool. When cutting a good supply of sharp stanley blades is essential. Don't be afraid to change the blade after every few meters of cutting if required - its much better to work with moderate force on a sharp blade, than straining against a dull one, and half a dozen blades are cheaper than the carpet or replacement fingers!

[1] The contact adhesive sprays - you give a light coat to both floor and carpet at the edges and then lay it down once the glue has dried to "tacky".

[Dave Liquorice]

And use the hooked blades not the normal pointy ones. Far easier and you have less risk of cutting into the skirting or what ever is behind the carpet (fingers etc...).

[S Viemeister]

Seconded! The hooked ones are much easier/safer to use. More control, and easier to see exactly what you're doing.

[sweetheart]

Thank you all for the advice. I will be attempting to put the carpet down this weekend. (it was delivered on Thursday).