How to prepare your home for a new carpet installation

Getting a new carpet fitted is a pleasing moment for any homeowner. The furnishings that we have in our homes say something important about us as people, but also help to create the atmosphere and feel that we want for each room. You can have your carpet fitted by professionals with years of experience within the flooring trade, but even then, there is some preparatory work that you will need to do ahead of the installation.

This is designed to ensure that fitting it is a smooth process and that the best results are achieved. Read on to learn how to prepare your home for a new carpet.

Look at the paperwork

Most people get their carpeting fitted by the same flooring company that they bought the carpet from, and that means you should have paperwork related to the purchase and installation. This should tell you when they are coming to fit it, how long it is likely to take and whether they will handle any furniture moving. Reading it ahead of time will give you an idea of what tasks you need to handle yourself.

The paperwork should also list any more specific fitting needs. For example, in some cases the floor moulding has to be removed for the carpet to be fitted properly. Therefore, it is worth studying it ahead of time.

Get rid of the old carpet

Having your brand new carpet installed will be a much quicker and easier process if you get rid of the old one before time. However, before lifting the carpet up, you should remember to give it a thorough going over with a vacuum cleaner. That is because all carpets that have been laid for any length of time pick up a lot of dust and dirt and you want to clear away as much of it as possible before actually taking the carpet up.

Let some air in

Opening the doors and windows in the room where the carpet is to be fitted is another important step. Firstly, it will help to clear any remaining dust and dirt that is stirred up when you lift your old carpet. Secondly, it will help the professionals who are fitting your new one, because a good flow of air in and out of the room always helps when laying a carpet.

Clear the room

In some cases, the people who are fitting the carpet will deal with moving heavier items of furniture within the room, but that is not always the case. It is best to make sure of the situation before the fitting day arrives in case you need to hire someone to help get larger items of furniture in and out of the room. Every area that will be carpeted needs to be clear of any furniture and you will certainly be responsible for moving lighter pieces like vases or lamps. It is also important to make sure that all electrical appliances have been both disconnected and taken out of the room before the workmen arrive to fit your new carpet.

Lift the underlay

Every carpet has an underlay that is put down as part of the fitting process. You may be thinking that you can just leave the existing one in place when taking up your old carpet, but that will probably not be the case. The chances are that it will be rather worn and in a generally poor state of repair, making it barely worth trying to save a small sum by leaving it. It will make more sense to get a new one installed as part of the carpet fitting.

The underlay is generally either stapled or glued into place around the edge. A scraper and adhesive remover will work best if it has been stuck down, whereas a screwdriver and pliers will be better if it is stapled into place. After the glue or staples are removed, just cut it up and lift it from the edges.

Create a path

It can be helpful and timesaving to work out what routes the workers who be installing your new carpet will take in and out of the room and around it. They are going to need to move from their truck to the room where it is being fitted and back again and will be wearing shoes that could be covered in mud.

You can avoid that leading to dirt on the floor by putting down anything from newspaper to pieces of cardboard or drop cloths on the main routes. It is also a good idea to remove any pieces of furniture that are in your hallway and that might slow the workers down or make things difficult when they are carrying items that are weighty.

Follow these steps to ensure a quick and smooth carpet installation process.