Carpet installation is not always an easy do-it-yourself project. However, it can be done with the adequate time and know-how, as well as the correct carpet tools. You also need specialized carpet installation tools to accomplish the job of installing carpet with ease and efficiency. Also, you can always rent out some of the necessary carpet tools at a local rental store or even borrow from a friend.
Check out the tools you need below to ensure completion of a successful carpet installation project!
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Tack Strip Cutter
Source: Amazon
The first step when installing a carpet yourself is to place tack strips around the perimeter of the room to ensure that the carpet is held in place. To make sure that the new flooring is stretched evenly and looks its best, you will want to make sure that the tack strips are cut to the correct size and located around the edge of the room. These strips must be fairly heavy-duty, to ensure that you don’t have to worry about them detaching from the floor or getting damaged when attaching carpet to them.
Of course, the sturdiness of the tack strips means that you must use an equally sturdy and durable tool in order to cut the tack strips to the correct size for your carpet installation project. It’s best to have a tack strip cutter tool to do this, instead of using a different tool, such as scissors or even a handsaw. Tack strip cutters have very powerful jaws and cutting edges that can easily slice through tack strips without any hiccups.
Make sure that when buying tack strip cutter that you opt for one with ergonomic handles so that you don’t have to worry about hand cramps. You should also choose a tack strip cutter with an additional miter guide. A miter guide is a small tool attached to the tack strip cutter that shows the angle of the area where you are cutting the tack strip. This small guide makes it significantly easier to cut the correct angles, to cut straight edges, and also can spare you excessive frustration as you use it.
Carpet Stapler
A carpet stapler is similar to a regular stapler gun, but it uses bigger staples. This means that the gun must be bigger and more powerful than a regular staple gun or stapler is.
There are a few problems that can arise when using a this carpet installation tool. A few of them include the possibility that the carpet stapler can jam, leading the staples to get caught in the pile. The staples also may not go all of the way through the carpet into the flooring. Also, the staples may pop back out of place soon after completing the installation job. These issues are not only incredibly frustrating to run into when working, but also can be dangerous for those who live in a home after the job is completed. To avoid this, choose a carpet stapler that is designed to install the staples so that they last for a long time.
It’s ideal for a carpet stapler gun to have a very long nose so that you don’t have to worry about whether or not it will be able to reach through thick carpeting. Additionally, while many people love the ease of using a cordless stapler, a corded stapler typically has more power and consistency to complete the job of installing the carpet.
Another feature to consider when purchasing a carpet stapler whether or not to buy one with a nickel-plated magazine. A having a magazine that is nickel plated will prevent the magazine from accidentally collecting lint while working, and will prevent it from becoming jammed. Both of these situations can slow down your installation process. A heavier carpet stapler may seem like it will be harder to use all day long than a regular stapler, but will offer you more power than lighter ones will.
Top Cutter
Source: Amazon
A top cutter is a tool that is specifically designed to cut through either foam or carpets with a sponge back. Look for a cutter that is easy for you to hold in your hand so that you can quickly run it along the material that you are cutting without it snagging or producing a lot of resistance.
Top cutters generally come with blades that at a thirty degree angle. This angle makes it so that the top cutter will produce clean seams that are close together. When looking for a top cutter, choose one with a beveled bottom along the edge of the guide. This beveled bottom will help the top cutter to stay in a row so that you don’t accidentally cut the wrong area of the carpeting.
While you can use other tools to cut carpet, when you use a top cutter you will be able to move quickly and decisively. This quick and decisive movement is ideal when completing a large job, and if you don’t want to spend a lot of time agonizing over making a mistake.
Wall Trimmer
Source: Amazon
Trimming the carpet along the wall before tucking it down for a finished look is essential, but this is almost impossible to do without the right tool. That is why you need to invest in a wall trimmer for your next carpet installation project.
Wall trimmers, also known as carpet trimmers, usually have adjustable handles, which allow you to make sure that your hands will be in a comfortable position while using the tool. Thanks to its adjustable handles and low profile, wall trimmers aren’t just ideal for trimming carpet along a wall, but also for neatly trimming carpet underneath toe ticks, which would otherwise be almost impossible to accomplish.
Because it is very easy to dull the blades when cutting carpet, make sure that you can easily change the blades on your carpet trimmer. Otherwise, you may find that yourself becoming increasingly frustrated. Sharp blades ensure that the wall trimmer doesn’t snag on the carpet while you are using it, and prevent damage from occurring to the carpet.
Carpet Tucker
Without the right tool, it is impossible to tuck the edges of a carpet and achieve an attractive finish in your flooring. A carpet tucker allows its user to drive the carpet into gullies, push it down and set it into tack strips, or even crease the carpet neatly along a wall.
Carpet tuckers are quite lightweight. This allows them to be used for a long period of time without tiring the user’s hands. However, carpet tuckers are also incredibly durable, so you don’t have to worry about them breaking while using them. Look for one that has a square edge if the carpet needs to be tucked into corners, as most wall corners are ninety degree angles.
While some carpet tuckers can be used on stairs to achieve a finished look, there are other tools that are made specifically for this job and are therefore better suited to creating a tight fit around stair nosing. Make sure to choose a carpet tucker made from a material like durable and lightweight nylon, so you don’t have to worry about the carpet tucker marking or scarring the baseboard in a room.
Staple Hammer
Source: Amazon
Unlike a regular hammer, which is used to strike nails into surfaces or to knock pieces of wood or other material into place, when installing carpet, you need to make sure that you have invested in a staple hammer. This tool is also known as a “hammer tacker” and has uses other than simply installing carpet, including installing insulation and roofing paper. A staple hammer differs from a regular hammer in that when the head of a staple hammer strikes a hard surface, it will then immediately insert a staple into that surface. This makes it very easy to staple down the carpet pad or carpet backing without having to use both hands to hold a nail and operate a traditional hammer.
There are two common types of staple hammers. These are fixed driver hammers and mechanical driver hammers. Fixed driver hammers have a magazine track inside the body of the hammer and a spring that controls the action of the tool. It is the inertia of the body that will cause the hammer to release a staple into the surface it strikes. The spring will then cause the magazine to return to a neutral position so that the fixed driver hammer is ready to use again.
Mechanical driver hammers, on the other hand, use an actuator that drives the staple into a material. These tools generally appear larger than fixed driver hammers do, but are a similar weight. However, mechanical driver hammers are not nearly as well-balanced as their fixed driver counterparts. This is due to the majority of the weight being located in the head of the mechanical driver hammer. While these types of staple hammers can drive longer staples, they are often more difficult to use and can tire the user more quickly. This is an important facet to keep in mind if one is installing a large amount 0f carpet.
Knee Kicker
While there are some tools that are ideal for smaller rooms and others for larger rooms, to speed up the carpet installation process while still ensuring that the new carpet looks amazing, invest in knee kicker. These tools can be a little tricky to use at first, but they will make any carpet installation not only go incredibly quickly, but also quite easy to finish.
Knee kickers are carpet tools that are used to help push carpet into the correct place so that it will lock onto the tack strip below it and it will not move once the carpet installation is complete. Look for a knee kicker with a comfortable cushion on it, as you must use your knee to hit the kicker into place. Without a thick cushion, users may injure themselves using a knee kicker.
Position the kicker so that the teeth of the tool are about one inch from the wall and are gripping the carpet. Then, use the upper part of the knee to kick into the tool, pushing the carpet into place. While some people may try to install carpet without this carpet tool, this can and often does make the process much slower and more difficult. It’s an excellent idea to alternate between using a knee kicker and a carpet stretcher when installing your new carpet for the best possible results.
Measuring Tape
A measuring tape is a necessary tool if you want to be able to quickly and easily measure a carpet. It’s an excellent idea to buy a measuring tape that is as long as or longer than the length of the room where it will be used, so that you do not make any mistakes when measuring. There are a few features to look for in a measuring tape that will make this tool easier to use, especially if working on a carpet installation alone.
Make sure to buy a measuring tape that retracts automatically so that you don’t have to struggle with winding up the tape each time you are finished using it. Also, consider purchasing a measuring tape that will lock while the tape is extended, so you can measure and mark the space without worrying about how to hold onto the tape and keep it extended at the same time to get an accurate measurement.
Carpet Knife
A carpet knife makes the process of cutting carpet into shape both quick and easy. Depending on the quality of the carpet knife used and how well it is controlled, you may be able to use this knife to trim away the last edges of your carpet before using a carpet tucker along the perimeter of the room where you’re installing the carpet.
It’s important to choose a carpet knife that will make it as easy as possible to quickly change its blade, as the blade is likely to dull rather quickly when cutting through carpet. Also, look for a carpet knife with a solid body made from aluminum or other durable material, as you do not want to have to deal with a plastic knife cracking under the pressure and frequency of use.
An offset head on the carpet knife will allow plenty of room for the knuckles so that they are not in the way when cutting carpet. When you choose a carpet knife with a contoured handle, you will be able to hold and use the knife for a longer period of time without experiencing hand cramping or tiring as quickly.
Stair Tool
Source: Amazon
If you want to achieve a finished look on the edge of the stairs, then you may want to consider a Hollywood installation. When you opt for a Hollywood installation, rather than simply allowing the carpet to fall from stair to stair and then nailing it into place, the carpet will actually wrap around the stair nosing for a tight and finished look. This method of carpet installation can greatly improve the appearance of the stairs, but it is difficult to achieve without the right tool. This is especially true if you are working with incredibly thick carpet.
A stair tool makes it quite easy to stretch the carpet around the stair nosing, so you can create a tight and finished look on carpeted stairs. Stair tools have gripper teeth that grab onto the carpet without causing any damage to it. This allows you to pull the carpet tight against the stair and stretch it into place. At the same time, the bottom of the tool will tuck the carpet up and underneath the nosing for a tight fit. Look for a stair tool or “stair claw” that has recesses in the bottom of its edge. These recesses make stapling carpet in place much easier.
Gloves
Many people do not think about protecting their hands when they are installing carpet. However, when installing carpet, your hands are in danger of getting cut and burned. This is why you may want to invest in a quality pair of gloves before beginning a carpet installation project. It’s important that you can still move your fingers easily and will still have a strong and powerful grip while wearing the gloves. Otherwise, you might find that you are growing increasingly frustrated while attempting to complete the carpet installation.
Look for thinner gloves that fit tightly to your hands. This allows you to continue to freely move your fingers, but still to have an added layer of protection from the work being done and the tools being used to do it. It’s also a great idea to consider gloves that are unlined, as you do not want your hands to get too hot during installation.
Carpet Iron
When installing carpet in a home, it’s quite important that you are able to create a good carpet seam. Otherwise, the finished carpeting job will look subpar. It’s imperative to use a carpet seam iron. This carpet tool allows users to be able to easily and correctly bond two pieces of carpet together. Carpet seam irons get incredibly hot, which allows them to heat up bond tape quickly and evenly so that the carpet will be bonded to it without damaging the carpet itself.
Look for a carpet iron with a heat shield, so you don’t have to worry about the carpet backing becoming deformed, or the yarn on the face of the carpet melting. Both of these things can happen if you are not careful when using this carpet tool, or when using a lower-quality carpet iron.
It’s also a good idea to look for a carpet iron that has a base plate with a comb-shaped end. This makes it so that this carpet tool can create ridges in the adhesive. These ridges naturally cause the carpet seams to be much sturdier and to last longer. Also consider the length of the cord of the carpet iron, as it is necessary that the carpet iron can easily reach the entire seam of the carpet so that you don’t experience problems heating up the adhesive.
Seam Roller
After using a carpet iron to bond together pieces of carpet and to heat up the adhesive on the carpet seams, you will want to use a carpet seam roller to help you to seam thicker carpets. While seaming thinner carpets, or carpeting without deep and/or plush piles, it is easy to seam correctly without the help of an additional carpet tool. However, if you have carpeting with deep pile, or even a Berber carpet, then you will most likely need one of these carpet tools.
A carpet seam roller features star wheels. These wheels help improve the transfer of adhesive into the carpet itself to ensure that the carpet seams last a long time. Look for a carpet seam roller with a thick and comfortable handle, so you don’t have to worry about your hand tiring too quickly when using it. A carpet seam roller is also an ideal tool for making sure that the carpet has hooked correctly and firmly onto the tack strip.
Floor Roller
Source: Amazon
While many people only think about using a floor roller when installing vinyl in their homes, these tools are also ideal for use in ensuring that carpeting is pressed down evenly and tightly stretched across a room. Look for a floor roller that is extendable so you can easily adjust its height, or handle length, to be the perfect size to suit your needs. This makes it so you do not injure your back while using this tool.
If you choose a floor roller with a stirrup handle close to the head, you will be able to get down on the floor easily to press hard to ensure that the carpet is in place. Additionally, look for a floor roller that has inset axles, so you do not accidentally mark or scuff up the walls when working around the edges of a room.
Power Stretcher
Source: Amazon
A power stretcher is an incredibly important carpet tool if you want to install carpet without worrying about creating lumps or bumps in it, as without this tool it is almost impossible to get the carpet to rest completely flat against the floor. Power stretchers are also useful for those stretching out an older carpet that has become wrinkled. This can be an excellent option for those without the time and/or budget to completely replace the carpeting in a room.
Once you have hooked the carpet to the tack strips, you will be able to use the power stretcher to quickly and easily stretch the carpet across the room so that it is flat and smooth. Dig the teeth of the power stretcher into the carpet about half a foot from the wall, then press down on the lever to lock it into place so that the tool is ready to stretch.
Because you want to make sure that the carpet is flat and tight, it’s important to buy a quality carpet stretcher that will be able to complete the job and do it well. If working with particularly heavy or thick carpet, you will need to make sure that the stretcher you buy can easily handle the heavier material.
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