Is it time for you to throw out your old carpet and get new flooring installation? If so, this article is for you. Old, worn-out floors can completely ruin the look of a room. But to ensure that your new floors look absolutely amazing, there are a few steps that you need to take first.
In this guide, we’ll explain what to do before installing flooring and give brief tips on how to install flooring. Read on to find out more.
How to Prep for Flooring Installation
There are a number of things that you need to do in order to get ready for when the flooring installation service comes to sort out your new floor. It’s important to have everything moved out of the way and prepped so that the process goes smoothly.
Here’s what you need to do:
Put Away Precious Items
First, get rid of all of the objects that are fragile. Before you move anything else, find a safe place to store your ceramic bowls, glass fixtures, and lighting fixtures. Also, take down any artwork, family photos, or decor from the wall.
Although you’re only working on the floors, anything can happen that could potentially ruin these items. So get them out of the way!
Move the Furniture
Next, you want to move the furniture out of the way. Obviously, you can’t work on the floors if there’s a couch and table sitting on top of it. Therefore, you want to completely remove the furniture out of the way—not just transfer it to a different section of the room.
Whether you’re installing the floors or you’re hiring professional installers, it’ll be a big hassle to try and move things as the flooring installation is taking place.
Take Down the Door Trim
Remove any case moldings or stop moldings from around the doorways. If you don’t, they can really mess up the flooring installation.
Most of the time, installers will just cut the molding at the bottom and put the new floor underneath it. However, doing this gives the area an uneven look.
Not only that, but removing the door trim allows the floor installation to go down firmly beneath the door frame. Doing this step might seem like a hassle, but it’ll ensure that the overall outcome is nice and there are no cosmetic flaws after installation.
Clean the Floor
Before floor installation begins, it’s a good idea to get rid of mold, dust, and allergens. Also, examine the subfloor to make sure there is no water damage that could cause issues during installation. Doing this step gives you time to address any major problems before the new floors are put down.
Furthermore, cleaning the floors and getting rid of dust helps to prep the floor for installation and improves the indoor air quality.
Prep the Sub Floor
Before getting new floors installed, it’s important to make sure that the subfloor is in good condition. It must be a flat surface with no flaws or dips in it.
When a subfloor isn’t up to par, it prevents the flooring install from being smooth and even. If you find that the subfloor isn’t in good condition, you can always install a new subfloor.
But if you don’t want to do that, then apply a thin plywood underlay to help even out the damaged areas of the subfloor.
How to Install Carpet
Now that you’ve prepared your floor, it’s time to put down some fresh carpet. Here’s what you need to do:
Install Tack Strips
After you’ve prepared the subfloor, find some small hand saw strips to cut the carpet tack strips around the perimeter of the room. Arrange the strips with the tack strips facing the wall.
Next, nail the strips to the wooden subfloor. If the floor isn’t wooden, use epoxy adhesive or masonry tacks to get the job done.
Put Down Carpet Padding
After the strips are down, it’s time for the carpet padding. Lay it down so that the seams are at the right angles to match the seams of the carpet. Using a utility knife, cut the padding to the length of the room.
Hammer down the carpet padding against the edges of the tack strips and cut off any excess padding. Lastly, staple the carpet underlay around the seams.
To find the best carpet underlay for your floors, follow the highlighted link.
Measure and Cut the Carpet
Measure the room first via the longest wall. Next, roll out the proper amount of carpet to match the measurements. Cut a slit into the carpet using a utility knife at the proper length. Then, use chalk to draw a line across the back of the carpet and use a knife to cut along the chalk line.
Lay Down the Carpet
Place the carpet down with the backside facing down on top of the padding. Use a heat-activated seaming tape to adhere the carpets together. Then, put a flat, heavy object on top of it to help the adhesive stick.
Once the carpet is done, you’ll want to anchor it to the floor using a cut edge under the baseboard to make sure that the carpet lays flat. Once that’s done, stretch the carpet along the wall to make sure that is even.
To finish off the flooring installation, put down carpet transition strips along the threshold where the carpet meets other floorings like hardwood.
Beautiful Flooring Installation Results
When it comes to achieving gorgeous flooring installation results, you must do the prep work first. It’s not always an easy task, but it’s worth it. As long as you follow the steps listed above, everything should go smoothly and your new floors will look great.
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