Carpets N More

Homeowners will need to understand that almost all medium to larger rooms will have a seam. Standard carpets come twelve-foot-wide sizes, so some seams are inevitable. Seaming is a task that takes a keen eye and extreme level of scrutinizing. No seam will be invisible, but creating the perfect seam should make it very hard to see in a glance. Today, we are going to focus on seaming and how it do it yourself. Let’s take a look!

Seaming

If your space is over twelve feet wide, you will need to create a seam on your carpet.  First, measure your room and make your excess cuts.  You will most likely be having cross seams as well to complete your room.  Your carpet must all lay the same direction, so pay attention to how you unroll it before cutting!  Use your row finder to run a row down the carpet with-the-grain.  Using your top cutter blade, cut along your row on both pieces of carpet to create a perfectly straight edge.  Your top cutter can put the blade closer or further from the carpet, so make sure you put the correct distance before cutting.   Create your rowed cuts.  

For your cross seams, you should flip your carpet over and cut from the back.  Using the cut edge, you just created, use your right angle and straight edge to make a perfect 90-degree cut.  Repeat this process for all your cross-seams.  

Once you have made all your seam cuts, roll your seam tape out underneath all the areas you will be seaming.  Your seam tape may have a line down the middle to help keep you perfectly aligned.  Allow this line to run directly down your seam.  Plug in your seam iron into your extension cord and allow it to heat up for seaming.   Pull back your seam and put your iron directly on seam tape and let it heat. Start with all your cross seams and then move into your big seam. Have your carpet kicker nearby with the teeth out and ready to use.  

As you heat your seam tape move down the carpet and meticulously line your carpet’s backing up to begin seaming.  Keep your carpet’s fibers away from the hot seam tape as you go.  Using your carpet tracker and seam weight, follow behind yourself and track the seam and apply weight – this must be a strict procedure, or it will show in the finished product!  If your carpet shifts, use your kicker to move it back in place, carefully!

Seaming carpet takes practice and can be challenging, depending on the design of each carpet. Patterns, textures, backing, and even pile loop can play a significant role in how visible a seam will be. If you missed the rest of our series, be sure to check them out here.

Installing anything in your own home can be very rewarding.  It is always a great feeling after you paint your own walls or install your own light fixture in a room.  While do-it-yourself projects are great for saving money, there are several reasons why you should probably consider saving your carpet installations for the professionals.  Today, we are going to focus on four reasons that you may want to decide to hire a professional. Let’s take a look! 

Time-Consuming 

Installing your own carpet can be a very time-consuming process, especially if you do not do it daily.  You should consider the amount of time it would take you to complete the project and decide if it is worth your time invested.  While you may be willing to sacrifice a day for installing your carpet, you need to make sure you are confident that you are able to finish the task.  It can be very tricky to hire an installer after the carpet has been tinkered with or half-installed as well. 

Tools 

So you may not be as concerned with time, but you should consider the amount of money you will spend on tools.  Carpet installation has many tools precisely for installation.  These tools can be quite expensive for one-time use.  Installers have already made these investments because they are in this for the long haul.  It may be best to rent these tools if you do not plan on installing a lot in the future. 

Experience 

Consider your experience versus a professional installer as well.    Most installers have been doing this for quite some time.  With this time, comes experience for different dilemmas that may come up during installation.  Carpet installation is an art and a skill.  Every room can come with its own sets of challenges and difficulties.  While you may be comfortable installing it in an easy room, be ready for unexpected challenges.  Troubleshooting these challenges comes with experience and are essential if you want to install your carpet correctly. 

Warranty 

If you install your carpet incorrectly, you will probably void all warranties.  Carpet is an investment which should stay with your home for some time.  You do not need to install your carpet incorrectly and not be able to make a claim if something goes wrong like bubbling or fraying.   

As flooring experts, we recommend leaving it to the professionals unless you feel like you have the skillset, time, and tools to complete the job. We definitely want to encourage all of the do-it-yourself go-getters out there, but we also want homeowners to be cautious and make the best choice for their investment. If you would like to speak to one of our expert sales staff about installation, please do not hesitate to call or visit us. 

Congratulations! You have made an excellent decision and bought brand new floors from Carpets N More. This is a fantastic step forward in the design process, and we are excited to a part of this journey with you. But before your installation, there are a few things that we recommend preparing. To help you get ready for the big day, we have created a guide with four easy steps to assist you. Let’s take a look!

Preparing for Your Flooring Installation:

1. More Furniture.

First, you will want to take all of the furniture out of the room where the flooring is being installed. It is a good idea to also remove all fragile items from the room. You will want to remove your wiring from electronics and store it in a different place. Also, you may find it to be a good idea to remove all of your bedding from your bedroom. This will help to ensure no dust and dirt gets inside of your clean sheets.

2. Vacuum Carpet/Clean Hardwood.

Next, you will want to vacuum your old carpet or clean off your hardwood floors before your installers come. By doing so, you will cut back on the amount of airborne dust and particles.

3. Hardwood/Laminate/Vinyl Installation.

You want your hard surface flooring to acclimate to your space; therefore, you want it to be delivered 48 hours in advance. You will want to set aside time and a space for the delivery as well as following the temperature and humidity guidelines for your flooring.

4. Be Available.

If any unforeseen circumstances arise, it is good to be available over the phone. We are not saying that these events are common, but in case we need you, we recommend turning on your cell phone during the installation.

We look forward to your installation day, and we are excited to show you your brand new floors. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us or visit us. We want to make sure that you are 100% satisfied and happy with your purchase.

Do you find that choosing clothes out of your cluttered closet is a source of anxiety? Did you buy some of those hangars that are supposed to save space only to find that your clutter just moved down a few feet? If so, it’s time for drastic measures. Follow these few steps to closet control.

1. Empty your closet completely. Yes, all of it! Now promise yourself that nothing but the best will go back in your closet. In other words, if you wouldn’t buy it – full price – today, it’s leaving your life forever.
2. Sort your clothes and accessories into three piles: keep, lose, or maybe. Take the lose items off the good hangers and put them in trash bags for donating. If you want to take a tax deduction, write down every item as you go (no details, 3 skirts, 5 blouses, etc. is fine). Put the lose bags outside your bedroom door and promise yourself you will not open them again.
3. Take your keep items and check for any washing or repair needs before you put them back in the closet (on your good hangers). As you refill the closet, determine an organizational system that you think might work for you. For example, by season or by purpose (such as work vs. play).
4. Now it’s time to address your maybes. The best way to evaluate them is by trying everything on in front of a full-length mirror. If you really don’t want to try something on, then it’s a goner. If you look at yourself and realize you don’t want to be seen in it, put it in discard. Keep only those things that you would buy again. Put the rest in bags with the other donations.
5. Finally, take a look at your newly-arranged closet. And remember our fundamental rule as flooring people – always keep your clothes hung up, not covering your beautiful floor!

Reader Question:

What is the appropriate size grout joint width for rectified tiles?

Answer:

This question was submitted by Stuart Harris in the Las Vegas Craig Showroom and answered with support from Dal Tile.

Rectified tiles continue to increase in popularity, particularly in the commercial arena. For years, the
industry and Dal-Tile have recommended that Rectified tiles can be installed with a 1/16” grout joint.
However, installations have become more time consuming and difficult to ensure compliant installations when attempting to install a Rectified tile with a 1/16” grout
joint. In response, the new TCNA (Tile Council of North America) Handbook addresses this issue by
stating that “the actual grout joint size shall be at least 3 times the actual variation of
facial dimensions of the tile.” To simplify: Rectified tiles, regardless of size, shall have a grout joint
width no less than 1/8”.

Thanks, Stuart and Dal Tile!