How to Install Wall-To-Wall Carpeting

In this video, This Old House host Kevin O’Connor explains how to install wall-to-wall carpet, including how to handle seams.

Steps:

1 Remove old carpet and padding from room; vacuum the subfloor clean.
2 Nail down an extra tack strip alongside the original tack strips.
3 Spread padding adhesive onto floor along the walls and at all seams.
4 Set padding down on subfloor and secure seams with duct tape.
5 Roll carpeting across the room.
6 Cut carpeting to fit around wall corners.
7 When seaming two pieces of carpeting, use a cushion-back cutter to trim the carpeting edges.
8 Apply latex seam sealer to carpet edges, let dry.
9 Align the seams between carpeting pieces, then slip piece of seam tape underneath.
10 Activate the adhesive tape with a seaming iron.
11 Use knee kicker to hook edge of carpeting onto the tack strips.
12 Force carpeting down onto tack strip with stair chisel.
13 Trim excess carpeting along wall with double-blade wall trimmer.
14 Use knee kicker and stair chisel to force rough-cut carpet edge into space between tack strip and baseb
ard.
15 Employ a power stretcher to pull carpet tight across floor; stretch carpeting toward each wall.
16 Secure the carpeting at doorways with transition molding.