Foam Carpet Flooring

2023 Author: Douglas Hoggarth | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:23

The simplest and cleanest way to attach the carpet to the floor is to glue it around the room with double-sided tape at least 50 mm wide. The traditional method of gluing carpet over the entire surface of the room is now mainly used in office spaces, where the carpet has to withstand heavy traffic and heavy furniture. The third option - laying carpet without gluing - is acceptable only in small rooms where people rarely go.

Both tape and threshold strips for attaching carpet edges at the door can be purchased from a carpet store. Threshold strips for installation in doorways between carpet and hard floors, for example, covered with ceramic tiles, are equipped with a flange that presses the edge of the carpet; for doorways between carpeted rooms, select a metal strip with a separate U-strip that attaches to the strip after you carp. Before you start cutting the carpet, spread it in an empty room or outside the house, spreading old newspapers on it, and let it straighten. Then carefully measure and cut the carpet into pieces of the required size according to the prepared plan, adding 75 mm around each piece for later cutting. Loop carpets are cut face up,in order not to touch the loops. All other carpets are cut face down.

The individual pieces of carpet are then rolled up and brought into the flooring room, starting with the longest piece along the wall. After the floor is completely covered, the carpet is rolled up again in order to lay and attach the non-woven backing. Due to the low strength of nonwovens, they can be easily ripped or moved if laid before the carpet. The carpet should then be spread out and left to straighten for about a week. For even laying of the carpet in the corners and around round objects, cuts are made; the joints between adjacent pieces are cut and secured with adhesive tape. The installation process is completed by trimming the carpet against the walls, attaching the edges with double-sided tape and installing and securing flanges or attaching U-planks to metal strips.

Floor preparation

Sticking double-sided adhesive tape. Start in one corner of the room and unwind the tape, pressing it firmly against the floor about 7 mm from the wall along the length of the room. Cut the tape in the corner of the room and repeat the procedure on the rest of the walls until you have pasted over the entire perimeter of the room. Cut short pieces of tape and stick them around obstacles such as built-in furniture. Do not remove the tape's top protective cover.

Installation of threshold strips in doorways. Install the threshold strip so that the metal flange that will hide the edge of the carpet is under the door when it is closed. Depending on the width and design of the sill strip, you may need to trim the corners with a hacksaw so that it does not interfere with the details of the door frame or the fold of the jamb. Attach the threshold strip with nails or screws, which insert into the holes in the strip. If the floor is tiled with hard tiles, the strip can be glued or screwed into the corks installed in the floor. In threshold strips with a flange, do not fold it over before laying the carpet.

Pre-cut carpet

Cut in a straight line. Measure the required length along both edges of the carpet, add 150mm for a cut and cut both edges. If the carpet is tufted, fold the edge upside down and chalk a line along the notches. Cut the carpet along a line with a linoleum knife, using a metal ruler to guide the blade. The blade must be extended long enough for the base to be cut. A piece of plywood can be placed between the two layers of carpet to protect the underside of the carpet from being cut. If the carpet has uncut loops (cut-in), pull the string between the notches on the face of the carpet, then draw a cut line with a thin piece of chalk used by tailors and a metal ruler. Remove the twine and cut the carpet with scissors.

Laying carpet and lining

Moving the carpet into place. Unroll each piece of carpet in the planned spot on the floor so that the edges are about 75 mm against the wall. To move each piece of carpet to the desired position, lift the edge of the carpet, step over it, and tap the carpet with your foot. Caution: Do not hit the carpet with a sharp heel, as you may tear it.

Laying a layer of non-woven fabric. Fold one edge of the carpet halfway down the room, folding each corner like an envelope. Then spread the first non-woven sheet between the wall and the carpet so that its edges do not reach 25 mm of the adhesive tape. Place the next non-woven sheet on the previous one with an overlap of 10 mm. When you have covered the entire floor to the folded carpet, spread the carpet and repeat this process on the other half of the room.

Cut in corners and around obstacles

Cut to outside corners. Unroll the rug to a corner that protrudes into the room, fold and press firmly into the corner formed by the floor and wall. Use a linoleum knife to cut parallel to the floor line and 50mm above the floor. Stop cutting before reaching the corner 50 mm. Make a diagonal cut from the corner to this point. Unroll the rug around a corner and lay it flat on the floor, smoothing out wrinkles. Cut the carpet about 50mm above the floor.

Carpet trimming in the inner corner. Press the rug firmly into the corner, using a thick metal ruler to press the rug into the corners between the floor and walls. While holding the rug in a corner with one hand, cut from the corner up to the edge of the rug. The rug will now sit easily in the corner and can be smoothed out before trimming the edges. Do not cut the carpet deeper than it will be cut during the cut.

Cut to pipes and radiators. Fold the carpet over the obstacle and cut a straight cut from the obstacle to the edge of the carpet. Then make a transverse cut long enough so that the carpet lies flat around the obstacle until the final cut. When laying carpet near the radiator, several cuts may be required to bend around all radiator feet and associated pipes. The corners can also be folded under the rug for a cleaner look.

Cutting at the base of the toilet or sink. Unroll the rug to the base of the toilet or sink, press firmly to create a crease, then unfold and cut a straight cut from the center point of the base at floor level to the edge of the rug (left). Make cuts around the base so that the carpet lies flat around it (center). When the cut edges come together behind the base, the carpet around it will resemble a crown. Press the carpet firmly into the corner between the floor and the base with the blunt side of the knife blade, then hold the blade horizontally and cut the teeth of the crown along the bend line (right). Thread down the loose threads with a screwdriver. Secure joint by base with double-sided tape in the same way as a straight joint.

Sealing joints

1. Edge trimming. For joints between carpet sections, overlap at least 50 mm, then press the linoleum knife blade at several points so that the knife cuts through both layers along the marked joint line. Fold up one piece of carpet; Using a metal ruler and felt-tip pen, draw a line connecting all the cuts, then cut the carpet along that line. Repeat the cut for the second piece of carpet, then press both edges to the floor to check that they are perfectly matched.

2. Sticking tape to the floor. Unscrew one piece of carpet and press down with a load. Mark a line on the floor along the second edge, then fold the edge of the second piece and also press down with the weight. Place double-sided tape on the floor with the center of the tape on the marked line, then peel off the backing from the top of the tape. Unfold the edge of one piece of carpet by flattening it and pressing it against the tape so that an edge at least 25 mm wide adheres to it. Attention: if the carpet touches the tape, it can no longer be torn off without damaging the backing. If you are wrong, do not try to tear off the carpet; peel the tape off the floor, leaving it glued to the carpet, and cut the tape off the edge of the carpet. Then glue another tape to the floor and follow the same steps.

3. Completion of work. Unroll the second piece of carpet and hold it over the tape. Align the two bases by slightly curving the edge of the carpet; then press the rug against the tape in the center of the seam and gradually work towards the edge of the rug. Smooth the carpet at the seam and remove loose threads with scissors. If the carpet is fraying along the seam, apply a thin bead of carpet glue to the backing before adhering the edge to the tape. Do not allow the tape to stick to the carpet fibers; Immediately clean any glue on the carpet with carbon tetrachloride and a piece of white absorbent cloth.

Edging the walls

1. Cutting the carpet. Use the blunt side of a knife to press the loose edges of the carpet against the corners between the floor and walls. Test the sharpness of the linoleum knife, then tilt the knife at a 45 degree angle and hold a ruler firmly and cut the edges along the floor line.

2. Attaching the carpet to the floor. Fold back the edge of the carpet, starting from the long wall, to expose the tape. If the edges of the carpet are frayed, apply a thin layer of glue to the backing, being careful not to get caught in the carpet fibers. Remove the protective covering from the tape, unfold the carpet and press the cut ends against the tape.

3. Securing the carpet in the threshold strip. Cut the carpet so that it fits under the threshold strip flange. Tuck it under the flange and with light hammer blows on the pad wrapped in a piece of carpet, press the flange against the carpet. Press down the flange gradually, moving the block after each hammer blow.