Securing down carpet, particularly wall-to-wall installations, commonly involves the use of tack strips around the perimeter of the room.
Using Tack Strips for Carpet Installation
Tack strips are thin pieces of wood or plastic with sharp pins angled towards the wall. When the carpet is stretched over these strips, the pins grip the carpet backing, holding it taut and in place.
Here's how to install tack strips based on common practices and the provided information:
- Placement: Position the tack strips around the entire perimeter of the room.
- Spacing: Keep a space equal to about two-thirds the thickness of the carpet between the walls and the tack strips. This gap allows the carpet edge to be tucked into the space between the strip and the wall for a clean finish. Use a scrap piece of carpet as a guide for this spacing.
- Fastening to Subfloor: The method for attaching tack strips depends on the type of subfloor:
- Wooden Subfloor: Nail the tack strips to the wooden subfloor. The strips typically have pre-drilled holes for nails.
- Concrete Subfloor: If you're installing carpet over concrete, use masonry tacks or an epoxy adhesive to attach the strips to the floor. Masonry nails are hardened nails specifically designed for concrete, while epoxy adhesive provides a strong bond for situations where nailing isn't feasible or preferred.
Once the tack strips are securely installed, the carpet is laid, trimmed, stretched using a knee kicker or power stretcher, and hooked onto the pins of the tack strips. The edge is then tucked into the gap between the tack strip and the wall.
