Carpet: Before Installation
Knowing what to do and how to prepare for a carpet installation is very important. You may be unsure of the steps that you need to take before and after the installation and be a little hesitant to get a new carpet because of that. Well, in order to prepare you, reduce stress, and make the whole process go faster, we are going to inform you of what to do and know when you install a carpet.
USE A PROFESSIONAL
Hiring a professional to install your carpet will make the whole process go easier. Tricky parts of installing carpets such as dealing with the seams, and transitioning from one kind of flooring to another, will be easier if the person installing it already knows how to handle the problems that will come up.
THINGS YOU SHOULD DO AND KNOW ABOUT THE INSTALLATION DAY:
1. Remove your current furniture.
2. Empty the contents of china cabinets and closets.
3. Know what to do with your current flooring.
Remove your current floor covering. Doing this step before the installation day can not only save you a lot of time, it can also keep the mess down as well. If you do remove your flooring, pull the staples out of the floor and leave tack strips in place. If painted baseboards, woodwork, and paint need retouching, you will need to do it. This is your responsibility.
4. Leave the Subflooring to the professionals.
5. Know about your doors.
- Know that your doors may not swing freely anymore because they do not clear the carpet.
- A professional can remove doors and re-hang if possible.
- A professional can shave or cut down your door in order to insure clearance, but it will be at an additional cost.
6. Know about the cleanup.
- The new installation will produce waste.
- Hauling away waste may be an additional cost.
- Materials are usually collected by your installer and left at your trash collection site.
THINGS YOU SHOULD DO AND KNOW ABOUT THE INSTALLATION DAY:
1. Be home on the day of the installation.
Your presence at home will ensure that your carpet is installed the way that you want it to be.
2. Be flexible.
Things may not go exactly as planned, so be flexible and ready for changes. One things that you should be aware of is that your installers may not be able to give you an exact time of arrival.
3. Be safe.
Since installers use tools and techniques that can make the work area hazardous, be prepared to keep your children and pets out of the work area.
4. Be prepared to have a walkthrough.
Before the carpet installation, be prepared to walk through the job with the chief installer, this will give you the opportunity to ask questions about the final details.
THINGS TO DO AND KNOW ABOUT AFTER THE INSTALLATION DAY:
1. Have good ventilation.
Your new carpet will have a strong odor for up to 72 hours after it is installed, so it is important to have a good ventilation system.
2. Be prepared for problems.
- One thing that you will run into is your new carpet shedding, this is natural and frequent vacuuming should help.
- Sprouting is the small tufts or loops that are visible afterwards.
- Use small scissors to trim the loose fibers flush with the carpet’s surface.
- In order to get rid of wrinkles or ripples, a re-stretch may be needed.
