28
votes
How can carpet be installed in rooms wider than the width of the carpet roll?
Yes, you can install carpet in a room that is wider than the carpet roll. Installers use a seam sealing tape and a special iron to melt the glue in the tape. A good installer will know to keep the ...
- 8,646
23
votes
Accepted
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelf before or after carpet?
Before. I have done both and you can certainly do it either way but it is easier (and cheaper) more sturdy to fasten and shim the bottom to the floor without carpet in the way and because of the ...
- 50.1k
18
votes
Accepted
What is this white powder on my foundation?
Looks like effloresence to me, which itself is not harmful, but possibly a symptom, mainly of water movement; I would check perimeter walls for further signs of water infiltration, and make sure water ...
- 1,262
12
votes
Accepted
We have mold under carpeting, what should I do?
Chlorine bleach does not enter wood pores, only the water component of a bleach mixture will do so, so you end up not killing any mold spores inside the wood; only on the surface. Either use cleaning ...
11
votes
Accepted
Why are the areas (square footage) for carpet removal and for vinyl plank installation different?
There are two main reasons:
When you install planks there is a requirement that the ends of the plank must be within a certain distance of ends of other planks on adjacent rows. This means you ...
- 50.1k
9
votes
Moving into a home that had dogs, and I'm allergic... what should be on my to-do list?
If the previous owners are taking their furniture and a large area rug, that removes a large part of the problem. Any other rugs left that you are going to keep should be shampooed/cleaned by a ...
- 6,912
8
votes
What is this white powder on my foundation?
Efflorescence, salts rising to the surface due to presence of moisture. Common in cementitious materials where water is present.
You can wash it away with mild HCL solution but the stains will remain....
- 36.3k
8
votes
Accepted
Why does my kitten's urine clean my carpet?
Urine (human and animal) contains ammonia, paricularly if it's left for a while, e.g. if you didn't notice it at first. Ammonia is used in carpet-cleaning products. In fact it's been used for stain-...
- 7,276
7
votes
Accepted
Carpet badly burned, do I need to replace the whole thing?
It is possible to replace a section of carpet if you have a piece that is large enough. To tell the truth you will be able to see the section in most cases, to see other splices look at the doorways ...
- 103k
7
votes
Moving into a home that had dogs, and I'm allergic... what should be on my to-do list?
You'll need to wash/clean the walls either my doing it yourself or hiring it out. The floors will need to be inspected for damage under the area rug where urine could have seeped into the cracks ...
- 83.8k
6
votes
drill concrete for installing tack strips
The tackless carpet strips installed on masonry surfaces have short evenly-spaced concrete nails on every strip. They are set in position and with a well placed hammer strike the point of the nail ...
- 11.1k
6
votes
Which style transition/threshold do I need for carpeted stairs to meet floor boards?
My recommendation would be to terminate the carpet on the last riser. If you put in a threshold, yes you'll protect the end of the carpet, but you'll still have a lip for people to trip over and fall....
- 3,972
6
votes
Setting tack strip in concrete
I have used a combination of construction adhesive and concrete nails. Doing it by drilling and an insert or a concrete screw would be awesome but that is really going to take some time
- 103k
6
votes
Covered vent under carpet
There is no reason if you get on your hands and knees that you cannot feel the grates or empty space. I would check all walls from 8-16" and press down with my hand. But even if you find ...
- 50.1k
6
votes
Moving into a home that had dogs, and I'm allergic... what should be on my to-do list?
If you are strongly allergic to dogs, it would be in your best interest to hire a professional cleaning service.
Let them know about your allergies and get estimates based on the square footage and ...
- 38.2k
5
votes
Can I put hard flooring over berber carpet?
No, that's not a very good idea for a few reasons. One is that if water is spilled and leaks through the cracks in the hardwood floor then the carpet will soak it up and do lots of bad stuff do the ...
- 732
5
votes
Accepted
Can carpet scraps be used to repair existing carpet?
Yes, a skilled flooring installer can patch in carpet to repair damage. It needs to be oriented with respect to the "grain" and pattern-matched.
Chances are you won't want to do that more than once ...
- 144k
5
votes
Setting tack strip in concrete
Yes way too much labor.
Use powder actuated fasteners and loads specific for concrete. I've removed the tack strips from concrete and this is what held them down. The fasteners were maybe 1" long. ...
- 14.3k
5
votes
Setting tack strip in concrete
Tack strip for concrete, plus construction adhesive
They make tack strip with nails specifically for concrete. They're thicker and harder than what's in the usual stuff, but nowhere near as large as ...
- 144k
5
votes
Is a gradual 3/4 inch rise acceptable under carpet?
There are shims made for these situations. Have a look
These are made by traxx. Ask at your local carpet shop or order on line
If you take a look at the link you will see a variety of options ...
- 4,553
5
votes
Accepted
What is this yellow powder under my carpet?
Looks like degraded carpet glue.
Asbestos seems highly unlikely, but you can have it lab tested if you have asbestos-paranoia. If the house is less than 35-40 years old, it's exceedingly unlikely to ...
- 223k
5
votes
Nails in metal carpet trim won't hold
A new trim strip should be installed with the new nails at new locations--not aligned to the old ones.
Unless your subfloor is mushy, new nails in new locations should hold just fine. If they don't, ...
- 144k
4
votes
How can I effectively hide cables under my carpet or around the room?
Go up and over the door, and along the top of the wall. then down the wall to the computer. Use wiremold cable duct to make it neat. wiremold is a brand-name, I guess. Cable duct is more generic.
- 223k
4
votes
Accepted
How much extra carpet do installers need?
Carpet isn't paint. You can't infinitely cut and splice carpet and put a bunch of seams in it, and expect to have a surface that will wear well.
So you can't understand the problem until you know ...
4
votes
How can I repair a carpeted floor partly worn down by an office chair?
Possible, but unlikely.
It's not unusual for chairs used like this to create a ring of matted carpet where you usually sit, and the frequent pressure can damage the carpet's pad as well, giving the ...
- 4,788
4
votes
Accepted
How do I work out a rug curl?
Synthetics tend to soften nicely with a little heat. If you're in a warm climate, lay them face down on a clean surface in the sun for a while. They should become noticeably more limp. Bring them ...
- 144k
4
votes
Mysterious black dots appearing on carpet
Looks like grease. Check the door hinges and latch for dripping from over-lubrication.
Does not look like mold, and mold doesn't usually occur on top of carpet like that anyway.
- 144k
4
votes
Can I cut carpet tiles with a table saw?
As already noted in a comment, this is likely to end in quite a mess. And could be a bit dangerous too.
A quick search confirms my hunch about the right way: score the back and cut with a utility ...
4
votes
Can I cut carpet tiles with a table saw?
Can you? Sure, but as noted in the comments, it's probably not the best idea. Even with a zero clearance insert in your table saw, you're likely to get threads caught in a tooth, instead of being cut, ...
- 47.9k
4
votes
Can I cut carpet tiles with a table saw?
I feel your pain -- I hate cutting carpet tiles with a knife.
When I need to cut carpet tiles, I mark the backing with a Sharpie, then use a set of tin snips with straight blades. Works great, and you ...
- 12k
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