When you move house, you might want to get yourself some new carpets and vinyl flooring. It is so much cheaper to buy the flooring and lay it yourself. There are some really easy ways to do this and as we go through the different flooring, we will give you some tips on buying it. As well as how to lay carpets in your home.
When you buy flooring, you need to think about the design and quality of the carpet. You want it to be a good quality carpet, one that will last the test of time. But you’ll also want a carpet that will fit in with different furnishings and decorations over the next few years. If possible, try and avoid patterns as they are harder to match with furnishings.
Foam Back Carpet
This is the easiest carpet to lay on your floor, it is also cheaper than woven carpet. Make sure you buy the right size for the room that you need. If you have the measurements, the carpet shop will cut it to size. Make sure you sweep the floor of any dust or debris, then hoover to get the last bits up. Otherwise, your carpet will not lay flat.
- Before you lay the carpet, you should put some cloth or paper underlay down. Some people use newspaper as an underlay and it seems to work with them.
- Put some double-sided tape around the edge of the room and peel the backing paper off as you lay the carpet.
- Lay the carpet across the room from one end to the other, this is easy if the room is square. When the carpet is laid, make sure it is attached to the tape so it doesn’t move.
- If the room is not square, you simply work around the room with the shape. Cut it with a sharp utility knife, so it is flush with the skirting board.
- Sometimes you might need to join two pieces of carpet together, especially in a large room or an odd shaped room. This is easily done by using some double sided tape on the floor to attach both parts. Then use a roller to help join them together and stick to the floor. If you do not have a wallpaper seam roller or anything suitable, you can use a kitchen rolling pin.
Laying Carpet Tiles
If you are laying carpet tiles, they are so easy to do. Sometimes having carpet tiles is better if you make a mess on your carpets. Especially if you have kids or you are laying the tiles in a workspace or shop. If any of the tiles get ruined, you can lift it and it can be replaced without the cost of doing the whole floor.
- To lay the tiles, make sure your floor is swept. Lay the tiles along the floor where you want them placed. When you are happy with the tiles, lift them up from one length of the room.
- Lay some double-sided tape and remove the backing paper. Lay the tiles on the tape and make sure they are secured in place.
- Then take the next length of tiles and do the same with the double-sided tape, until all of the tiles are secured to the floor.
- If you do need to cut the tiles to fit around pipes or door frames, it is easy enough to do. You need a sharp utility knife and a strong ruler for cutting straight edges. Then turn the tile upside down and cut it. When the tile is cut, you will need to tidy some of the edges by trimming them with scissors.
Laying A Woven Carpet
Woven carpets are usually better quality than foam carpets. But that shows in the price too, as these carpets are going to be more expensive to buy. Laying this type of carpet is harder than a foam carpet, but it can be done. You will need a utility knife, this carpet is harder to cut than the foam one. So you will need more patience as you lay it.
- Start by sweeping the floor of any debris, and lay some gripper rods on the floor. They need nailing in as close to the skirting board as possible. Then lay the underlay, taping it as you go. Cut the underlay to the edge of the gripper rod.
- Unroll the carpet and make the cuts that you need to do. Press the edge of the carpet into the gripper rods and use carpet fitters bolster to make sure the grips go into the carpet.
- Trim the edge of the carpet so it fits flush with the skirting board. You might need to make cuts in the carpets when you come to corners.
- Finally use the blade of the bolster to tuck the carpet into the skirting board.
