Change Your Carpet, Change Your Life
Written by: Admin | Date: Thursday, 18th November 2010

Chances are you’ve put off replacing your carpeting thinking it’s a big job. Sure enough, you will have to remove clutter and move the furniture.  As for laying the carpeting itself, an expert installer will have the job completed in no time.

 To help you take action and move closer to having the carpets of your dreams, have a look at this overview of steps to get there:

1.  Select Carpet Material and Style

In order to choose the right carpet, you should consult with carpeting professionals.  They will outline the differences between the hundreds of samples you will see in their stores.  Let them know why you want to replace the carpeting.  You might want a budget-minded carpet if you are about to sell your home.  If you are re-carpeting for your own pleasure, let them know your style preferences.  You might want to mention whether allergies or other areas are of concern. 

Tell them what area you want to redo and how the area will be used. A family with small children may benefit from a different carpet in their family room than those with no children. You may want a thicker, cosier carpet for a recreation room to make floor sitting more comfortable. You might want a more durable and stain-resistant product for heavy traffic areas.  A softer more elegant pile may suit a living room or bedroom. Of course, the carpet choices should flow through the home according to the floor plan, and blend in with the other finishes in your home.   

Don’t be afraid to ask about the popularity of certain patterns, textures or pile lengths. A knowledgeable clerk will know the top sellers and new trends. 

If you’re interested in a pattern, ask about pattern matching.  Properly matched patterns require more carpeting, which of course means a greater cost. 

2. Choose a Colour

You’ll get a better visual result if the carpet you choose blends well with your home’s existing finishes.  Take remnants that you may have available to the store with you.  For instance, you may have a few pieces of ceramic tile from your hallway flooring, a sample of your fireplace mantel material, left over pieces of vinyl flooring, and so forth.  If you’ve chosen a paint colour, take the colour chip in as well.  If you’d rather unify your carpet with existing furniture, draperies, or bedding, take in a fabric swatch, drapery panel, or pillow sham for colour matching.   

Once you’ve narrowed down the style of carpet and the family of colour, take samples home.   The samples will look somewhat different under the lighting in your home.  Lay the samples in various areas to see how they look in daylight and evening light and how well they blend with other finishes.  Walk across them to get an idea of how they feel underfoot.

3. Get a Carpet Estimate

You can most likely get a “ballpark” figure from a sales clerk if you know the square footage of your rooms, but don’t forget to add in the price of an under pad, labour and any other hidden costs. To get a true quote, an agent will need to go to your house to measure and you will need to know what the quote includes.

While some companies give a lump sum figure, others break down their fees.  When comparing quotes, make sure you’ve asked about fees for the following:

* Measuring and estimating

* Removing and/or reinstalling baseboards

* Moving furniture

* Tearing out an old under pad and carpet

* Installing the new under pad and carpet

* Price per stair

* Transference of old material to a dump site

4. Choose Your Supplier

Make a well-informed choice of the supplier you wish to work with.  For good quality carpeting and professional installation, choose a company with a good reputation.  Choose the company you felt had the best customer service and follow-through.  Be wary of companies that offer to cut corners in order to save you money.  You might end up with mismatched dye lots, seams where you don’t want them, an inferior product, or shoddy workmanship. 

Order as early as you can and book installers for the dates you need them.  Many suppliers can proceed from ten days to two weeks after the estimate, while big box stores take up to six weeks.   In many cases, the supplier has to order your product and wait its arrival.  They'll put your measurements into a computer to establish cut lines.  They will pre-cut the carpet at their shop and bring it in pieces, unroll it and tack it into place.

5.  Save Money

It may be helpful to get a quote from the company that installed your original carpet.  You can save money if they still have your measurements, cut line drawings and details of ideal seam locations on file. 

Depending on why you’re changing the carpet, you may be able to reuse the existing under pad saving you several hundred dollars.  Most warranties only apply to carpeting placed on new under pad, but if you’re moving, that won’t matter.

If you can remove the existing carpet or at least the baseboards yourself, you will bring down the cost.

You may also be able to save if you move the furniture yourself ahead of time, or if you can dispose of the old carpet as many companies tack on a transporting and dump fee.

6.  Prepare for the Installation

Your estimator should be able to tell you if the baseboards need removing.  Removing them yourself lowers the cost. Most installers refuse to be liable for damage if asked to remove the baseboards for you.  In most cases, removing them isn’t as difficult as one might expect.  There is a specially designed tool for removing baseboards available at a hardware store. 

De-clutter the rooms and remove your electronics.  If the rooms need a fresh coat of paint, paint after removing the clutter, baseboards and before laying the carpet.

Confirm the work crew’s time of arrival a day or two before installation.  Before they arrive, move remaining furniture into uncarpeted rooms or into a rented storage unit. 

7.  Installation Day

Your installers understand you need your bedrooms to sleep in and that you’ll want them set up again before they leave, so don’t worry about moving beds. They will move your dressers, beds and sofas as they move from room to room, and put them back when finished.

The installers will move quickly, so make sure you are well prepared.  Let them know if you plan to keep any of the existing carpet, so they can cut it to your desired size rather than chopping it up vicariously.

Make sure they vacuum debris from the tear-out, preferably with their shop vac, before they lay the new carpet.

Removing and re-carpeting several rooms and stairs might take as little as four hours, depending on the size of the job and the number of workers.   

8. Final Touches

When the installers announce the job is complete, inspect the area for ripples, visible seams, improper cut lines around the baseboard area, etc.  Make sure they’ve reinstalled closet and entry doors and that the doors open with ease. Have the workers address any problems before they leave, including the placement of your furniture. 

The installers may vacuum the finished carpet before leaving. Vacuuming will fluff up the pile.

You may want to add a fresh coat of paint or varnish to the baseboards before reinstalling them. The baseboards may have been nailed on previously with a gun and thin nails. Remove the old nails and reinstall the baseboards using stronger baseboard nails and a hammer.

File your receipt and warranty in a safe place, and enjoy the new look and soft feel.

Carpeting is still a popular choice if not for the entire home, for selected rooms.  It helps absorb sound, is warm underfoot, and gives a room a cozy feeling.  It can also help with drafts and act as an insulator. 

Freshly painted walls, new carpet and cleaned up baseboards will update your home and give it that brand new look. While it may seem like a big undertaking, when left to the professionals, installing new carpeting is a cinch.