Wall to wall carpet installation isn’t a job everybody wants to take on. It can be hard on both your knees and your back, and if you don’t get it right, everybody can see where you messed up. However, installing carpet isn’t “rocket science,” and by using some specialized tools (available at most tool rental outlets) and being prepared to take your time, installing carpet is a job you can do yourself.

Getting ready

1. Your first step is to get rid of the old carpet. Start by removing the moldings around the floor and take the door off the entrance, so you can get the old carpet out and the new carpet in easier. Give the old carpet a good vacuuming so you won’t be breathing in dust, and then use a utility knife to cut the carpet into strips about 3 to 4 ft wide (most cities require that for pick up)
2. Start at one end and pull the carpet off the tackless strips and roll it up in sections. Some people feel that you can reuse the existing underlay, but in most cases it will be worn out just like the carpet, so you’re better off getting rid of it as well.
3. DO NOT REMOVE THE TACKSTRIPS and make sure the floor is clean and dry. This is a good time to check your subfloor and securely fasten any floorboards that may be loose so they won’t squeak under the new carpet (use 1 1/2″ screws into the underlying floor joists).
4. Install new tackless strips if it is new construction or you are going over hardwood floor or vinyl around the perimeter of the room, but not in front of doorways. Leave a space of about 1/2″ between the strips and the wall, and be sure the pins or tacks face towards the wall. (They’re called tackless strips even though they have two or three rows or very sharp tacks, because using these “tackless strips” means you don’t need to “tack” carpet down.) At corners, make sure the tackless strips are butted tightly against each other.

Attaching the carpet

1. Use a knee kicker to attach the carpet along one edge. A knee kicker is a solid metal tool about 18″ long with “teeth” that will grip the carpet on one end, and a heavily padded “butt” on the other. Place the toothed end of the kicker about 3″ from the wall and drive your knee forcefully into the padded end of the tool. This will stretch the carpet over the tackless strip where the tacks will grab it and hold it firmly in place.
2. A carpet stretcher will finish attaching the carpet. A carpet stretcher is similar to knee kicker, but much longer. Put one end of the carpet stretcher against the wall where the carpet is already attached and place the other end about 6 inches from the far wall. The carpet stretcher also has teeth to grip the carpet, and when you push on the activation lever, it will stretch the carpet over the tackless strip near the far wall.
3. Work your way around the room stretching the carpet over the tackless strips, and trim the carper near the wall with a utility knife or a wall trimmer.

Finishing up

1. Using a stair tool, tuck the carpet down into the gap between the tackless strips and the wall. At the doorway, trim the carpet so the edge is centered under the closed door and install a door edge strip. Finally, cut any vent openings and install the molding on the baseboards.
2. That’s it. Stretch your back, check to see if your knees still work, and then take some time to admire what all your hard work has accomplished.

For the do-it-yourself carpet installation you can use the following as a basic guide to the tools you will want in preparation to installing carpet.

What you’ll need:

• Tackless strips
• Stapler
• Hammer
• Utility knife
• Chalk line
• Measuring tape
• Rolling pin (or rental seam roller)
• Work gloves
• Safety glasses
• Knee pads

Rental tools:

• Knee kicker
• Power stretcher
• Seam cutter
• Seaming iron
• Seam tape
• Wall trimmer
• Strip cutter
• Seam roller

Subfloor construction
The subfloor provides the strength of a floor. Many floors have no separate floor covering on top. The subfloor may also provide services like underfloor heating or ducts for air conditioning.

A ground-level floor can be an earthen floor made of soil, or be solid ground floors made of concrete slab. Floors above may be built on beams or joists or use structures like hollow core slabs.

Ground floor construction
Ground-level slab floors are prepared for pouring by grading the base material so that it is flat, and then spreading a layer of sand and gravel. A grid of rebar is usually added to reinforce the concrete, especially if it will be used structurally, i.e. to support part of the building.

Upper floor construction
Floors in woodframe homes are usually constructed with joists that are centered no more than 16 inches or 40 centimeters apart, according to most building codes.[citation needed] Heavy floors, such as those made of stone, are more closely-spaced. If the span between load-bearing walls is too long for joists to safely support, then a heavy crossbeam (thick or laminated wood, or a metal I-beam or H-beam) may have to be used. A ’subfloor’ of plywood or waferboard is then laid over the joists.