With the summer rapidly approaching many home owners are making the time to do a lot of d.i.y home improvements. These d.i.y jobs traditionally include fresh coats of paint for the interior and exterior of the house, and other tidying jobs around the house. During this d.i.y phase there is one area that is often overlooked by homeowners as it is often viewed as being too difficult a task, which it can be but with good guidance most homeowners should be able to complete the job on their own. I am of course talking about laying new carpets around the home, as a carpet can instantly change the atmosphere in a room and they come in a range of colours and materials to help you transform your home. Homeowners often opt to have their carpets installed by professional carpet fitters because of the difficulty associated with the task. However this difficulty can be subverted by simply exercising some patience and following a few key guidelines. Outlined below are a few of the steps used by the professionals and if you follow them correctly you too should end up with a professional result at an unbeatable price!
• Use only the correct tools for the job. Carpets need to be cut in order to get them fitted, and where it is possible to cut them with any sharp knife to cut the carpet, it may not be possible to achieve a professional result. This is why it is important to use a carpet knife as they are specifically designed for the job and using them should reward you with a professional result.
• Ensure the area you are going to work in has a surface that is free from any obstructions. The surface should be smooth and level. If it’s not you will have to use filler material that is compatible with your work surface to get your surface as smooth and as level as possible. This is important because a rough and uneven surface will be very difficult to lay a new carpet on and you may end up having to start from the beginning as your carpet will not fit correctly and it will look very unprofessional.
• Measure your work area at least three times before attempting to lay your new carpet. This is very important as a wrong measurement will leave you with an incorrect sized carpet for the space, which may see you having to buy more carpet to redo the uncovered area. Good ways of avoiding this would be to place your carpet in the work area so that the underside is facing upwards, then you mark out the room measurements on the underside of the carpet. This way will give you the best measurement so that you can cut accordingly.
• Use a straight edge to cut the carpet as you do not want to end up with a crooked carpet that may not cover your entire floor space, meaning you will have to start over again. It would also be good to attempt your cutting on scrap pieces of carpet to master your cutting technique before you move unto cutting your new carpet.
• Put safety first. As with any d.i.y job your personal safety is paramount and you should use protective equipment to save you from injuring yourself whilst completing the task. For this job you should have a good pair of gloves and also some protective eyewear.
