Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - Cutting Section from Existing Carpet -- Any Tips?
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Ricketty Rabbit
01-19-06, 12:32 PM
We're converting a carpeted basement room to a two-row dedicated home theatre. We plan to add a platform to raise the floor on most, but not all, of the back of the room so shorter viewers have an unobstructed view from the back row. The riser will cover most, but not all of the back of the room since we must leave space for an inward opening door.
The floor is currently carpeted with berber (2 years old) and we want to leave the carpet in place, except we want to cut out the carpet where the riser will go, and to use the cut-out section to carpet the riser.
I am concerned that re-stretching and fastening the carpet on the existing floor at the bottom edges of the riser will be an awkward job. Since the riser won't cover the entire back of the room, the carpet left on the existing floor will be like a fat "L" with the outside edges all still fastened, but the inside edges loose. I'll put tack strips in place and re-stretch and re-fasten the carpet along the two cut edges.
Does anyone have any tips about how to re-fasten the carpet to the existing floor along the cut edges? What should I do to make sure the carpet on the lower level doesn't end up looking wrinkled or slack along these new edges? Where do I start fastening the carpet -- at the wall, moving out along the front or side of the riser? Or??
This project will also require installing the cut-out rectangle of carpet on top of the riser. Again, where do I start in fastening a carpet to the tack strips? Do I start in the middle of the long side and fasten one whole side first, or do I do the middle of one side, then the middle of the opposite side, working towards the ends?
I've never given this a second thought when walking into a newly carpeted room, but I'll bet it's easy to screw up!
Thanks.
Ricketty
The floor is currently carpeted with berber (2 years old) and we want to leave the carpet in place, except we want to cut out the carpet where the riser will go, and to use the cut-out section to carpet the riser.
I am concerned that re-stretching and fastening the carpet on the existing floor at the bottom edges of the riser will be an awkward job. Since the riser won't cover the entire back of the room, the carpet left on the existing floor will be like a fat "L" with the outside edges all still fastened, but the inside edges loose. I'll put tack strips in place and re-stretch and re-fasten the carpet along the two cut edges.
Does anyone have any tips about how to re-fasten the carpet to the existing floor along the cut edges? What should I do to make sure the carpet on the lower level doesn't end up looking wrinkled or slack along these new edges? Where do I start fastening the carpet -- at the wall, moving out along the front or side of the riser? Or??
This project will also require installing the cut-out rectangle of carpet on top of the riser. Again, where do I start in fastening a carpet to the tack strips? Do I start in the middle of the long side and fasten one whole side first, or do I do the middle of one side, then the middle of the opposite side, working towards the ends?
I've never given this a second thought when walking into a newly carpeted room, but I'll bet it's easy to screw up!
Thanks.
Ricketty
majakdragon
01-19-06, 12:53 PM
I don't know anything about installing carpet but I know a lot about work. Seems you are going to be doing a lot of it. I would be looking for a remnant to use on the riser. If you ever sell the house or decide to remove the home theater, you wouldn't be out looking for a fix then. Good luck and watch this post for answers on how you are currently wanting to do this.