Installing Carpet

[crokett™]

I've got some carpet to install, it will be 12'x10'. It's a rectangle and will be one piece of carpet. I've put carpet down before. I don't recall what, if anything we did to finish the edges under the baseboard. There will also be one edge that will transition to some other flooring so how would I handle that edge? I think I need a tool to turn the cut edge under so it fits against the edging. that will be a cleaner look than a transition strip.

[K. L. McReynolds]

Power stretcher(rentable) to stretch tightly. You can do it without one, but normal wear will stretch it and it can bubble if not power stretched.

Straight edge and a utility knife for the transition. Cut it two inches long and fold the edge under, nail(finish nails) in place.

[Robert Adams]

There is a transition strip that folds the carpet over. It has little teeth etc. Not sure what it's called. It's allot better than the aluminum transition strips. I can't stand hose because they are painful on the feet if you step on them.

Harborfreight sells the stretchers which is often cheaper than renting one. Pawnshops and craigslist are also good sources.

[Phil Thien]

The installers I've watched used this tool for tucking:

http://www.harborfreight.com/carpet-stai...95600.html

You can use a kicker for stretching a little onto tack strips:

http://www.harborfreight.com/knee-kicker...47337.html

But they don't stretch much, and a power stretcher is the better solution:

http://www.harborfreight.com/adjustable-...93152.html

The power stretcher from HF doesn't have great reviews. I doubt it is long enough. The ones a pro uses will extend the full width of a 15" roll.

[Cooler]

My only suggestion relates to carpeting over hardwood.

If you are carpeting over hardwood, then definitely use felt padding. Felt padding is heavy and therefore more difficult to lay down, but it does not require stapling. The foam carpet padding requires a lot of staples.

Anyone who has ripped up old carpeting will tell you that removing the staples is a chore and makes refinishing the floor more difficult than it needs to be.