7 tips for installing your new carpet yourself and saving some money

It’s January, you’ve bought new carpet and now all you want to do is save some money. January is notoriously a difficult month for people to look after their finances, having usually been paid before Christmas. Now, you are likely to want to save some money on installing carpet, and you can, if you have the right tools. First of all, you will want stain-resistant carpets if you’re spending a lot more time indoors and cooking more healthy foods, leading to more stains.  

Before we start, we do need to make sure you have the right tools so that you are prepared for fitting your carpet. There’s no point in getting started if you can’t do any of the work! Below is a list of what you may need when you first start installing your carpet:

You’ll be cutting and measuring on your knees, so knee pads will be a necessity, along with with a tape a measure and a pencil to keep the notes of your measurements. Your new carpet needs to be perfect, and this starts with getting the measurements right. A hammer and masking tape are other essentials, as are gloves and carpet tape. As you’ve probably guessed, a lot of these are more about keeping you safe if you are fitting your new carpet itself. Similar to vinyl flooring, a Stanley Knife is also required, along with carpet stretcher, carpet tucker and a vacuum cleaner. The good news is that all of this is listed in our installing carpet guide as well!

Penny-pinching on your carpet

If you have purchased carpet online but now want to save some pennies and install the carpet yourself, here is what you need to do. You may not want to follow this guide exactly, and we offer a more in-depth and probably suitable carpet fitting guide for you. However, if simplicity is your name this blog will certainly help you.

1. You could do with laying the carpet loosely in position around the room. Just walk around without your shoes on the loose carpet and work it into the corners and perimeter. Before trimming to size remember to leave a little for overspill, it’s always best to leave some excess.
2. In corners cut the carpet straight up vertically and then fold it into place.
3. Always work backwards when cutting and it’s a good idea to start with
   the longest perimeter first.
4. Using your carpet knife, run the cut just about the carpet line and be precise. Take your time here, this really is the endgame!
5. Using the carpet stretcher; push the edges of the carpet up to and just
   beyond the carpet gripper rods.
6. Use a thin tool or something like a carpet tucker to run the edges of the carpet under the skirting board.
7. In doorways use a door bar to fasten down the carpet in line with the
   flooring in the next room.

Now, your carpet is fitted

So it’s in, it’s fitted?! Honestly, well done! It’s a big job and it’s not to be taken lightly. But if you have made it to this point, there’s only one thing left to consider – the adjustment period.

Most new carpets shed a few fibres in the days following fitting. It’s best to just get to know your carpet a little better by giving it regular vacuuming for the first 48 hours. If you’ve gone for a loop pile carpet then bear that in mind when vacuuming and maybe leave off the roller/beater bar. If you’ve gone with a cut pile carpet the bleater bar is highly recommended. There’s always that new carpet smell that lingers for a week, enjoy this because it’ll soon be gone.

Remember, here at Flooring Direct all of our flooring is hand-picked by our team of inspired design professionals. It’s the highest quality flooring and we want our customers to have the right information available. Always ask us, contact us, don’t be afraid we don’t bite and we’d really enjoy helping you find the flooring best suited to your home and tastes.

We have one of the very best selections of carpets and all types of flooring available in the UK. Simply, we won’t be beaten on price or quality.