Whether doing it for aesthetic reasons or warming a cold room, carpeting concrete floors is something most people can do in just a day or two. Why pay someone else to do it? By learning how to prepare a room for carpeting and using the right materials, you'll ensure the job goes smoothly and quickly. See Step 1 for further instructions.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Buying Carpet
Step 1. Measure the area to be carpeted
Take the measurements to your carpet dealer to make sure you get enough carpet. Make sure you tell them that you will be coating the concrete as this requires slightly different equipment than coating a wooden surface.
Step 2. Take a sample of the color or embellishment to a carpet dealer to compare them
If you've already painted the walls or are planning on installing other decorations in the room, bring along some color samples so you can get some input at the carpet store.
Step 3. Be prepared for carpet salesman questions
Usually, you will be asked some basic questions about your space and its intended use. These questions are designed to help you choose the most suitable rug, after all, these are questions you should be asking yourself. Think ahead of time so you don't make hasty decisions. A carpet salesman might ask these questions:
- Will the traffic in the room be busy or not?
- Do you have children or pets?
- Is there direct access from outside?
- How big is the room?
- Carpet dealers will usually also try to sell Stainmaster, Teflon, and Anti-Static technology at various price levels. Remember, the decision is yours. Buy something that suits your purpose, but don't be pressured into buying expensive options you don't want.
Step 4. Choose a carpet that will match the concrete
Make sure the entire rug is made from synthetic products only. Some carpets have burlap behind them, which is too absorbent to use on concrete. If you're not going to be carpeting your floors, make sure you choose a rug with some kind of fiber that can stand in the gaps between the concrete to absorb the humidity in the room.
Consider a rug made of olefin facial fibers. This chemical-resistant fiber will withstand aggressive carpet cleaning fluids such as bleach. These fibers may not be the softest or most attractive, but they will last a long time
Step 5. Make a choice between lighter and darker rugs
Usually, the rule of thumb for rugs is that a light rug can create more space in a small room, while a darker rug can add coziness to a large room. On the general color scheme you want for your room, choose something that will enhance the space and work to achieve the image of the room you want in your home.
Part 2 of 3: Preparing the Room
Step 1. Empty the room completely
Step 2. Check the room for humidity problems
Any indoor watering issues that you want to carpet should be resolved beforehand. Ignoring this issue now can result in cost overruns for the project later on, especially if you experience a dangerous mold attack and end up having to remove the carpet and redo all your hard work.
You should do this at least a week before the carpet installation day, to allow time for the waterproofing finish to adhere to the room
Step 3. Dry the carpet before installation
Carpet installation will involve a lot of chemicals.
Step 4. Remove all doors for easy installation
You may have to sand the underside of the door and adjust the frame to ensure a perfect seal after carpeting.
Step 5. Lift all the boards that are on the floor
Step 6. Clean the concrete thoroughly, using an appropriate cleaner for any stains you find
Wash with bacteria and mildew-killing liquid in a ratio of 1 part bleach to every 15 parts water. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
Step 7. Fill in any cracks or defects on the concrete surface
Before the surface dries, fill in any holes or cracks, making sure the top of the floor is in line with the concrete surface. Minor cracks can be repaired using a cement-based waterproof filler (eg Armstrong 501).
Step 8. Use a leveling product to level all the low spots on the floor slab
Step 9. Control the air temperature in the room
For approximately 48 hours before and after carpet installation, the room temperature should be maintained between 18°C and 35° and the humidity between 10 and 65%. By observing these conditions, your carpet installation should go smoothly.
Part 3 of 3: Installing the Carpet
Step 1. Install the tack strip
Cut a layer of tack strip along one wall, and attach it to the floor with mason's nails. The tack points must face the wall. Leave a space as thick as a pile of carpet between the holder strip and the wall. This section will be where you attach the carpet edges during installation.
Tack strips are also known as gripper rods (in the UK), carpet gripper, smooth edge (can), tack strip, and gripper edge
Step 2. Extend the padding strips
Cut the length of the room, and lay them side by side along the length of the room. Let the rows overlap, and cover the hem with masking tape. Cut off any excess with an all-purpose knife.
Step 3. Cut the carpet to size, leaving the excess on each side at least 15.2 cm
The patterns should match the length to hide the hem. Glue the seam tape, glued over the top, where it borders the rest of the pieces. Use a steam iron to activate the glue and hold the pieces together.
Step 4. Extend the rug and use a rented knee kicker to push the rug into the far corner
Using a power stretcher, stretch the rug across the room against the opposite wall. Attach the rug to the tack strip. Continue doing this until the carpet is smooth and even.
- Usually, you will work on the carpet installation from the center of each new wall towards the corners.
- As a beginner, you may want to avoid using a power stretcher, as they can stretch or even tear the carpet. This thing is hydraulic, heavy, and very expensive.
Step 5. Finish the edges
Trim any excess rug, and push the rug behind the tack strip, using a wide caulk if needed. Cover the edges of the carpet in the door space with metal door frames and replace the doors. Finish with the board of your choice.
Step 6. Use transition strips as needed
Tips
- When you hem your rug, make sure the pile is in the same direction on all the sheets before applying hem glue/tape.
- Wear heavy duty gloves when you attach the tack strip.
Warning
- Always cut the carpet from the back with a sharp carpet knife and a straight metal edge to ensure an even cut.
- Wear eye protection when hammering mason nails (for masonry) into the concrete.
- Do not glue the carpet, as most glues will melt the latex foam on a standard carpet finish.
- Do not coat the floor with a primer, unless the primer is of good quality. If moisture gets in between the concrete and the carpet, all types of primer will evaporate and form bubbles.
