Whether doing it for aesthetic reasons or to help warm up a cold room, carpeting concrete floors is something most people can do in a day or two. Why pay someone else to do it? By learning to prep the room for carpeting and using the right materials, you'll ensure that the job will go quickly and smoothly. See Step 1 for more instructions.
Steps
Buying Carpet
- Measure the room to be carpeted. Take these measurements to your carpet dealer to make sure you get an ample amount of carpet for your job. Be sure to tell them that you are carpeting over concrete since that requires slightly different tools than carpeting over wooden surfaces.
- Bring any drape or paint samples to the carpet dealer for comparison. If you've already painted the walls or planned for any other decorating in the room, take in some samples of the colors so you can make an informed choice at the store.
- Prepare for the dealer's questions. Typically, you'll be asked some basic questions about the room and your intended use for the room. These questions are designed to help you pick the most appropriate carpet, and are good questions to ask yourself anyway. It helps to give some thought beforehand so you don't have to make a hasty decision.[1] A dealer may ask:
- Will there be heavy or light traffic in the room?
- Do you have kids or pets?
- Is there direct access from outside?
- How large is the room?
- Dealers will also typically try and sell you on Stainmaster, Teflon, and Anti-Static technology at various levels of expense to you. Remember, the decision's up to you. Get something that'll serve your purpose, but don't get pushed around into expensive options you don't want.
- Select a carpet that will stand up to the concrete. Make sure the entire carpet is constructed of synthetic products only. Some carpet is backed with jute, which is too absorbent to use on concrete. If you're not going to install your carpet on a subfloor, you'll need to make sure that you're picking a kind of fiber that will stand up to concrete's tendency to collect moisture.
- Consider carpet made from olefin face fiber. A chemical-resistant fiber that will stand up to aggressive cleaning solutions like bleach, this might not be the softest or most attractive carpet, but it will last.[2]
- Decide between lighter and darker carpet. Typically, the carpet rule of thumb is that light carpet can seem to create more space in a smaller room, while a darker shade of carpet can add coziness to a bigger space. Within the general color scheme that you want for the room, select something that will enhance the space and work for the kind of room you want in your home.
Prepping the Room
- Check the room for moisture problems. Any drainage issues in the room you're planning to carpet need to be addressed before carpeting. Ignoring the problem now could result in a costly and expensive project down the road, especially if you end up with harmful mold and end up having to tear out the carpet and repeat all your hard work.
- You should do this a week or more prior to carpet installation day to allow plenty of time for the waterproofing to be done.
- Remove any doors for ease of installation. You might have to sand down the bottom of the doors to ensure smooth closing after the carpet installation.
- Clean the concrete thoroughly, using the appropriate cleaner for the stains you find. Follow the washing with a mold and bacteria killing solution of 1 part household bleach to 15 parts water. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
- Fill in any cracks or imperfections in the surface. Before the surface dries, fill in any holes or cracks, making sure the top of the repair is level with the rest of the concrete surface.
- Small cracks and fractures can be fixed using a product like Gray Concrete Crack Seal, a thick liquid that can be poured directly into cracks. Concrete Repair Caulk is a textured sealant that can be applied to cracks you can smooth out before working over.[3]
- Control the temperature in the room. For about 48 hours prior to and after installation, the temperature should stay between 65°F and 95°F (18°C and 35°C) and humidity between 10% and 65%. By observing these conditions, your carpet installation should go smoothly.
Laying Carpet
- Coat the floor with primer. You'll want to pick something that will work with the carpet adhesive you will be using. Consult the personnel at the store where you purchase your carpet to ensure you have the correct product for your type of carpeting.
- The primer can be applied with an extended handle paint roller or using a paint brush. Be sure that the room is well ventilated, especially if using an oil based primer.
- Lay gripper strip. Cut a piece of tackless gripper strip the length of 1 wall with a utility knife, and attach it to the floor with masonry nails. The tack points should be facing the wall. Leave a gap the thickness of the carpet's pile between the gripper strip and the wall. This is where you will tuck the edges of the carpet during installation.
- Lay padding strips. Cut padding strips the length of the room, and place them side by side across the room. Glue the padding, waffled side up, with a carpet glue. Keep your rows abutted, and cover seams with duct tape. Trim any excess with a utility knife.
- Cut carpet to size, allowing approximately 6 inches (15.2 cm) excess all around. Place seam tape, adhesive side up, where pieces abut. Use a steam iron to activate the adhesive and join the pieces together.
- Lay carpet out and use a rented knee kicker to force the carpet into the far corner. Using the power stretcher, stretch the carpet across the room to the opposite wall. Hook the carpet onto the tackless strip. Continue this until the carpeting is smooth and flat.[4]
- Generally, you'll work from the "far" corner of the room (farthest from the door) and work backward, out of the room.
- Finish the edges. Cut off excess carpet, and push carpet behind tackless strip, using a wide blade putty knife if necessary. Cover edge of carpeting at doorways with metal door jambs and replace doors. Finish off with baseboards of your choice.
Video
Tips
- When you seam your carpet, make sure the pile runs in the same direction on all pieces before activating the seam tape adhesive.
- Wear heavy duty gloves when working with tackless strips.
Warnings
- Always trim carpet from the back using a sharp utility knife and a metal straight edge to ensure even cuts.
- Wear eye protection when hammering masonry nails into the concrete.
Things You'll Need
- Carpet
- Padding
- Adhesive
- Utility knife
- Duct tape
- Straight edge
- Tackless strip
- Masonry nails
- Hammer
- Carpet stretcher
- Knee kicker
- Seaming tape
- Iron
- Putty knife
- Metal door jamb
Sources and Citations
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from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/1k6PZJj
