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Before laying a new carpet you need to make sure your floor is in good condition. This will not only make fitting easier it will prolong the life of your carpet. The method you use to prepare your floor will depend on what type of floor it is and whether you have had carpet down previously. Preparing a previously carpeted floor 1. After removing the old carpet you will probably be left with the underlay, which you may choose to replace or you may not. Alternatively you might be left with sections of foam backing stuck to the floor if underlay wasn’t previously used. This foam needs to be removed and the easiest way to do this is with help of a wallpaper scraper or something similar. 2. Next remove the tack strips that held the old carpet down. By inserting the claw end of a claw hammer gently under each tack strip you can easily pry them off. The nails should come out of the floor at the same time. If any nails do get left behind simply pull them out with a pair of pliers or your claw hammer. 3. Remove the staples that were holding the underlay in place if there are any. If you’re keeping the underlay you already have then leave the staples and replace any that are missing or broken. 4. Give your floor a good sweep with both a hard broom and a soft broom. This will ensure nothing is left on the floor that shouldn’t be there and that the vast majority of dust and debris is removed. You might even want to vacuum the floor to make sure. Preparing a wooden floor 1. Wooden floors need to be free from damage before a carpet is fitted so the first job is to fill any major cracks or depressions with a latex filler. Your repaired areas then need to be sanded down until level with the rest of the floor. 2. Pre-glossed wooden floors need to be rough sanded to ensure a good bond with the carpet glue while new or un-glossed wooden floors need to have a primer added. This will not only ensure a good bond, it will make the wood impenetrable to any liquid spilled on the carpet at a later date. 3. Carefully vacuum the entire floor making sure the area is completely free from dust and debris. Then lightly wash the floor to remove any remaining dust, oil or waxy residues. Preparing a concrete floor 1. First check the floor for nails and pull these out. Then fill any holes, indents and other areas of damage with a latex patching filler so that the floor is as smooth as can be. 2. Next lightly wash the floor if the surface isn’t too powdery. If it is then you need to prime the floor before washing. If you are using carpet design and fitting services then check to see your primer is compatible with their choice of carpet glue. 3. Once dry, thoroughly clean the entire floor to remove any dust remaining. Leave the floor to dry completely before putting your carpet down. Alternatively… If the steps mentioned above seem a bit time consuming for your busy life then you might want to consider hiring experts in carpet design and fitting services to do all the hard work for you.
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