Lots of people say that you can DIY a lot of things, but you should
always get a professional in for plastering and carpet laying.
Well, thanks to advice from this group I tried plastering, got the
knack and have saved myself a fortune. Now I expect you can see
where this is going!

Anone care to do a step-by-step guide to fitting carpets with tips
on how to do a really good job? Failing a complete guide (which I
can find on the web), any other tips would be gratefully received.
--
Selah

Stephen Gower wrote:
Lots of people say that you can DIY a lot of things, but you should
always get a professional in for plastering and carpet laying.
Well, thanks to advice from this group I tried plastering, got the
knack and have saved myself a fortune. Now I expect you can see
where this is going!

Anone care to do a step-by-step guide to fitting carpets with tips
on how to do a really good job? Failing a complete guide (which I
can find on the web), any other tips would be gratefully received.

Yip I did my own plastering too, and went as far as laying the underlay and
grippers, however as the cost was only £60-80 to lay carpet in 2 rooms and
on the stairs (which went round corner) n landing - I was happy to leave it
to the professionals

Jon

On 02 Mar 2005, Stephen Gower wrote

Lots of people say that you can DIY a lot of things, but you should
always get a professional in for plastering and carpet laying.
Well, thanks to advice from this group I tried plastering, got the
knack and have saved myself a fortune. Now I expect you can see
where this is going!

Anone care to do a step-by-step guide to fitting carpets with tips
on how to do a really good job? Failing a complete guide (which I
can find on the web), any other tips would be gratefully received.

I'll follow the responses to this one with interest....

(FWIW, I've tried it a couple of times over the years but have given
up: it's always turned out to be a bad idea for me, as I can't seem to
get the edge-trimming correct. Your mileage, as they say, may vary....)

--
Cheers,
Harvey

"Stephen Gower" wrote in message
...
Lots of people say that you can DIY a lot of things, but you should
always get a professional in for plastering and carpet laying.
Well, thanks to advice from this group I tried plastering, got the
knack and have saved myself a fortune. Now I expect you can see
where this is going!

Anone care to do a step-by-step guide to fitting carpets with tips
on how to do a really good job? Failing a complete guide (which I
can find on the web), any other tips would be gratefully received.
--
Selah

It is reasonably easy, but you should get a kicker and an edge tool,
watching a pro is the best. decent carpet is usually fitted free.

mrcheerful

mrcheerful . wrote:

It is reasonably easy, but you should get a kicker and an edge tool,
watching a pro is the best. decent carpet is usually fitted free.

If only we could afford decent carpet!

I like the idea of laying the underlay and gripper rods myself and
then getting the pro to do the last bit. I'll phone around those
listed in the Yellow Pages and see if they are up for this!
--
Selah

In message , Stephen Gower
writes
mrcheerful . wrote:

It is reasonably easy, but you should get a kicker and an edge tool,
watching a pro is the best. decent carpet is usually fitted free.

If only we could afford decent carpet!

I like the idea of laying the underlay and gripper rods myself and
then getting the pro to do the last bit. I'll phone around those
listed in the Yellow Pages and see if they are up for this!

I've laid carpets myself, when the fitting didn't come FOC with the
carpet. I found it quite tiring but not particularly difficult.

First fitted the gripper strip as per the instructions on the pack and a
carpet joining strip for under the door.

Then laid the underlay, tacked down with a staple gun.

For the actual carpet, first fitted the two adjoining simple walls i.e.
no doorways, alcoves etc., then fitted the fiddly walls with doorway
alcoves, then stretched it by jumping and pushing my feet forward as I
landed (not having a kicker) the result looked absolutely fine, no waves
and fitted perfectly to the wall. To cut away the excess carpet I used a
stanley knife pressing into the corner at 45 degrees to the floor, then
pushed it under the gripper strip with a bolster chisel.

To fit the corners I cut into the carpet at 45 degrees to the point
where the floor/corner would meet, so that the carpet would lie flat
then trimmed the excess. Doing the fiddly shapes round architrave etc.
is made easier if the gripper strip is a reasonable shape match to the
doorway, I just cut away the carpet by iteration.

Make sure you have lots of sharp blades and change them at the first
hint that the edge is dulling, this makes a /big/ difference.

If I do one again and I'm not as broke as I was when I laid the others
I'd probably invest in a kicker.

--
bof at bof dot me dot uk

Stephen Gower typed:

Lots of people say that you can DIY a lot of things, but you should
always get a professional in for plastering and carpet laying.
Well, thanks to advice from this group I tried plastering, got the
knack and have saved myself a fortune. Now I expect you can see
where this is going!

Anone care to do a step-by-step guide to fitting carpets with tips
on how to do a really good job? Failing a complete guide (which I
can find on the web), any other tips would be gratefully received.

My least favourite job,
if your having a whole house done, it can be cheaper to examine the price
including fitting.
For advice on doing one room try
http://www.discounted-carpet-underla.../fitting1.html
use a good Stanley knife for cutting and a pack of new blades, changed
regularly or re-sharpened.

--
Mark§

"Stephen Gower" wrote in message
...
Lots of people say that you can DIY a lot of things, but you should
always get a professional in for plastering and carpet laying.
Well, thanks to advice from this group I tried plastering, got the
knack and have saved myself a fortune. Now I expect you can see
where this is going!

Anone care to do a step-by-step guide to fitting carpets with tips
on how to do a really good job? Failing a complete guide (which I
can find on the web), any other tips would be gratefully received.
--
Selah

One important difference is that with plastering 90% of the cost is labour
and 10% materials, while carpeting the cost is 90% materials and 10% on
labour.

Toby

Stephen Gower wrote:

mrcheerful . wrote:

It is reasonably easy, but you should get a kicker and an edge tool,
watching a pro is the best. decent carpet is usually fitted free.


If only we could afford decent carpet!

I like the idea of laying the underlay and gripper rods myself and
then getting the pro to do the last bit. I'll phone around those
listed in the Yellow Pages and see if they are up for this!

That is what I just did... (although I did what Harvey suggested above
and watched closely what the fitter did!).

(Gripper and underlay from http://www.discounted-carpet-underlay.co.uk/)

The trick on trimming seemed to be to cut it slightly long and tuck it
into the gap behind the gripper with the edge tool, rather than trying
to get the cut size spot on.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"Stephen Gower" wrote in message
...
Lots of people say that you can DIY a lot of things, but you should
always get a professional in for plastering and carpet laying.
Well, thanks to advice from this group I tried plastering, got the
knack and have saved myself a fortune. Now I expect you can see
where this is going!

Yeah - unfortunately it's easier to 'adjust' plastering :-)

I did try laying carpet and my attempts were documented here. Some good
advice on tools and technique to use but from now on I'll get the pros to do
it.

On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 19:35:49 -0000, Mike wrote:

I did try laying carpet and my attempts were documented here. Some
good advice on tools and technique to use but from now on I'll get
the pros to do it.

I've had a go as well. My first attempt was (is) crap but I learnt.
Second go is much better, not as good as pro but not bad. I learn't
again from that so the third should be even better. The hardest part I
found was the trimming, it has to be straight and accurate (+/- a mm
at the most). I hired a proper knee kicker.

However I'll only consider fitting carpet again if it's cheap as in
free. We tend to buy decent carpet at over =A320/sq yd, I'm not prepared=

to fup up several hundred quid when you can get "free" fitting with
the carpet. I may have to negociate over that though as I have more
than enough gripper strip and now know how much you can get underlay
for without to much hassle...

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

It was somewhere outside Barstow when "Toby Sleigh"
wrote:

One important difference is that with plastering 90% of the cost is labour
and 10% materials, while carpeting the cost is 90% materials and 10% on
labour.

That's a very good point.

I'd lay carpets in a large empty room again - but I'm never doing any
more vinyl in a small kitchen !

"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
...
It was somewhere outside Barstow when "Toby Sleigh"
wrote:

One important difference is that with plastering 90% of the cost is labour
and 10% materials, while carpeting the cost is 90% materials and 10% on
labour.

That's a very good point.

It is. It's something we should think about more.

I'd lay carpets in a large empty room again - but I'm never doing any
more vinyl in a small kitchen !

That's why we're using paint!

Mary

Mike wrote:

I did try laying carpet and my attempts were documented here. Some good
advice on tools and technique to use but from now on I'll get the pros to do
it.

I have taken onboard the issues of getting it wrong with a few
hundred quids worth of carpet, rather than a few quids worth of
plaster - and will be getting a pro in!

Just for info, the only online carpet seller I could find was
http://www.ukcarpetsdirect.com/ but they have been very helpful
(and send free samples, so I do know what I'm getting!)
--
Selah

Stephen Gower wrote:
Mike wrote:

I did try laying carpet and my attempts were documented here. Some good
advice on tools and technique to use but from now on I'll get the pros to do
it.


I have taken onboard the issues of getting it wrong with a few
hundred quids worth of carpet, rather than a few quids worth of
plaster - and will be getting a pro in!

Just for info, the only online carpet seller I could find was
http://www.ukcarpetsdirect.com/ but they have been very helpful
(and send free samples, so I do know what I'm getting!)
I think you have made the right decision.
Carpet laying is one job I wouldn't tackle after seeing a real pro do it.
I've used the same carpet fitter for 20+ years, he also supplys my
carpets after I've decided what I want by looking in the usual suspects.
Just had lounge - through arch to dining room all done by him in one
carpet piece. He used carpet stretching tool that extended the full
required 30 feet. Where would an amateur get such a tool or know how to
use it? Without tool to make it tight it looks rubbish.

In article ,
Stephen Gower wrote:
I like the idea of laying the underlay and gripper rods myself and
then getting the pro to do the last bit. I'll phone around those
listed in the Yellow Pages and see if they are up for this!

My local carpet place uses self employed fitters. And these may well (are
in my experience) be open to a cash deal - especially if you've done the
underlay, etc. The trouble is that a mistake can ruin the carpet. Messing
up plastering, etc, only really costs your time.

--
*Is there another word for synonym?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Old Bill wrote:
Where would an amateur get such a tool or know how to use it? Without
tool to make it tight it looks rubbish.

Last time I looked, my local hire shop had them. Ask for a carpet kicker.

But I made one out of wood and nails. Mainly to re-lay carpets after
lifting for wiring, etc. But I'd still use a pro for a new carpet.

--
*If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

It was somewhere outside Barstow when "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

Last time I looked, my local hire shop had them. Ask for a carpet kicker.

But I made one out of wood and nails.

I'd never do this (again). If you compare it to a "real" carpet
knee-kicker, the genuine thing has far more, and thinner gripping
points. A pice of ply with nails in is very hard on the carpet,
doesn't grip well and will cause significant damage to cheap foam
backed carpets. It's worth hiring the real thing.

In article ,
Andy Dingley wrote:
I'd never do this (again). If you compare it to a "real" carpet
knee-kicker, the genuine thing has far more, and thinner gripping
points. A pice of ply with nails in is very hard on the carpet,
doesn't grip well and will cause significant damage to cheap foam
backed carpets. It's worth hiring the real thing.

Depends what nails you use and how many. Panel pins will do no more
'damage' than the real thing. Of course the real thing allows you to
adjust the length of the pins.

--
*If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.