When my kids moved out I re-carpeted their bedrooms, a hall and stairs myself. The larger tools were rented, including a seam steamer. The carpet I bought was removed from a new home by the buyer, who preferred wood floors. Lessons learned: since it was a plush carpet I had to rely on the underside directional arrows to lay it correctly. Being widely spaced, these arrows were frequently missing on precut sections. And even though I rented a carpet stretcher, I didn't have the upper body strength to do a perfect job (female, over 60). My seams could have been better, but I got tired and just wanted it to be over. No regrets -- the whole job cost about $150 and still looks okay after 5 years, but next time I'll leave it to the pros.
He makes a good point on how hard and physical carpet install is. I did flooring ( mostly carpet) in 20s for a few years. Its was brutal work when I was in my early 20s and mistakes are much harder to fix. Also our master floor guy always said " you don't look at the carpet everyday, but you do feel the pad every day"
All flooring is pretty brutal work, same with roofing. Finish carpentry and painting are the easiest trades to get into I think, I did painting for a long time.
Bout the best point he makes imo. Laying and kicking carpet were the toughest flooring jobs i had. Laying carpet is absolutely still in DIY territory though.
Excellent tips. After working with carpet for many years, it was very rare to see a homeowner interested in prep work, let alone a simple cleaning of the floors. Most of things you said carpet installers don't do, we do. Just keep in mind he's talking about the installers you get from one stop shops, like home depot, lowes, etc. They go for quantity, not quality. Don't be afraid to take a chance on a smaller outfit, one where quality matters.
When my father had his flooring business, he also did the installation of the sold flooring. I used to help him and he took great pride in doing a quality job. My father, myself and another skilled installer got to be quite efficient at installing flooring in homes and particularly, mobile homes. We could install flooring in an entire mobile home, carpet and vinyl flooring in less than one day. Everyone in our area and surrounding counties appreciated my father's quality work and he had many repeat customers over the years.
@@tomzicare I haven't looked at any of the prices in years and it would depend on a number of factors, since flooring can have different prices, as well as, the cost of labor can vary.
I was a floor layer for over 30 years, I layed carpet, carpet tiles, sheet vinyl, vinyl planks, floating timber floors, and commercial flooring as well. I'm talking about commercial flooring, jobs that were 5,000 m2 a job and bigger. I wish we had more customers like you Jeff, making sure that the smallest of things on a residential carpet job were done. I would easily say over the thousands and thousands of carpet jobs I've done over my 30+years. Lucky if we had 3% maybe 4% of jobs that were ready to lay as soon as we walked through the door. We in Australia call that wishful thinking.
I'm an apprentice Floor layer studying all ones mentioned above, my boss is a cunt but we do a fucking good job, in and out in no time. I'm yet to damage any carpet but i can agree with you on the small things almost every job theres something that goes wrong, doors are a major pain in our ass.
@@Justin-uc8sc I can’t believe this Chris guy really thinks he knows carpet. You sound so cocky. I’m 7 years old and can run circles around you while laying carpet. I’m not saying I can do carpet better I’m saying I could literally run in circles around you while you lay carpet
I've fitted quite a few carpets in my home myself, in my experience it's not as hard as you make it out to be. In the homes I've had there is a small gap under the skirting board and you just cut the carpet slightly longer than the room and tuck it under with something like a blunt wallpaper scraper and you get a perfect finish.
Have been a self employed floor layer for 25 years in England. I always took care of the door trimming, uneven floor boards, patching holes and even moving some wiring. I explained it would cost a little extra for time but the customers were always happy to pay. Also never rushed the jobs. There are a lot of things I see these guys doing things that I wouldn't do but everyone does the job a little differently. I find it annoying when someone's says "you shouldn't do it like that" or "that's wrong. They don't know what they're doing!" If you are doing a job well, safely and it leaves a good finish that lasts then it is the right way. My biggest gripe tho was arriving and finding the customer had painted the wooden skirting with gloss the night before! Telling them they have to wait three days was frustrating but most people understood when you explained it.
Just had carpet installed a few weeks ago… this video is spot on! I took some extra time to prep the space and you can tell how much the installers appreciated it. Translates to a better job.
I did it for a while, very bursty work. Only break you get is driving to collect carpets in the morning and then again after the job is done. You're spot on, worst thing is when a house is claimed to be empty of furniture, and we find grand pianos and all sorts of stuff.
I love your advice!! I called in a pro to tile and make a custom shower pan for me, and I am so grateful. I did everything else, they knocked it out in 3 days and did such a beautiful job. Way faster, and wayyyy better than had I attempted it myself.
I used to install carpet and learned from my father who installed for nearly 50 years. The "waterfall" over the stairs you speak of is what we always consider standard step installation. "Wraping the steep" was what we called a "cap" or upholstered step. We also used a power stretcher which is something that is missing in your video. It makes all the difference in installation. Your knee can only "stretch" the carpet so far. Power Stretching will last twenty years, the life of the carpet or so long as you don't slide a piano or other heavy object across the carpet. This tight application keeps the carept from wearing as fast when exposed to heavy foot traffic. Just as if you have loose fitting boots and they rub against your foot will cause a blister and or wear a hole in your socks. Same principle. The other is a powerful enough vacuum that agitates the carpet to get the dirt and sand out of the carpet. This reduces the friction and carpet properly cleaned and installed can last 20 years. Oh, knee kickers were only ever meant to be used in closets and small applications and or perhaps stairs. In any case kicking carpet will leave you with torn menisus later in life. Most installers aren't over 40. My father made it to 70 before he retired. The reason he lasted so long other the being a tough guy who survived Pearl Harbor on Dec 7th 1941 was that he didn't kick the carpet especially in large rooms. Though he did have a very powerful knee. Later he would end up having both knees replaced. Any way I just wanted to comment on my old trade. Still have my tools and practice from time to time. Thanks for the video, took me back in time.
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY Thanks for your response. Cool knowing that you read all the comments. I follow your work and impressed with what you do. Am flattered that you took the time to respond. Thanks!
Spot on Russell. I'm a residential carpet installer in New Hampshire. 25 years experience. I'm 45 and power stretch everything. All my co workers just kick and blows my mind why they put there bodies through that trauma. Carrying the carpet from the van up to the 2nd floor is hard enough. Kicker is a positioning tool and should be treated as such. I sleep well knowing my installs are flat forever.
I carpeted my whole house - made a real good job including the open tread stairs. No cuts around the stair runners - I winched the stairs up and slid the carpet underneath - cannot imagine a carpet fitter doing that!
I don't have carpet; I don't want carpet, but I just watched this entire video anyway because you always do such a great job explaining things. I shared your paint prep videos with my friends and now they lovingly call you "Spackle Dad" 😂 Thanks for this great info!
My wife is European and she really doesn't understand wall to wall carpeting. We bought a house with it and the first thing she asked me was 'how are you supposed to clean this thing?' I said you vacuum it and every so often you give it a shampoo. She looked at me like I had three heads and said but if you don't nail it down you can just take it outside and clean it.
My bedroom has a hardwood floor just like this, and I had hired a crew to install carpet due last week. It got postponed til later this month due to understaffing of some sort. Initially I was upset at this because I have been waiting patiently for this install to finally happen, but I am so glad I just came across this video! Otherwise, I would have had a bad carpet install and have to live with it for many years. Also, good to know that installing carpet isn't the best DIY, because I felt bad thinking I might have been able to save more money doing it myself rather than hiring. Thank you for the perfect timing video and everything else on this channel :)
Excellent video! We had 1850 sqft of carpet put down last week. We had the rooms empty, floor swept and free of staples. The guys do appreciate it. We have used this company on three properties.
I love the respect he gives these guys. The way he talks about the skill it takes to do this job. I can tell you I have a lot of respect for people who lay carpet now.
This now explains why I haven't found any tips from Jeff on installing carpet. When it doesn't involve a license such as HVAC, I have a hard time not doing a job myself. Learning new skills is an asset in my opinion. Unfortunately some of the best ways to learn is when you screw something up.
@@mercnation1442 absolutely agree. That's why I said some of the best ways and not THE Best way. We don't always have access to a personal mentor in all fields though. But if you do a lot of the tips and tricks he passes down is probably because he, or his mentors before him, screwed something up and learned from it.
Thanks for another great video. More years ago than I want to remember I worked for a carpet installer. I got decent at it but it is a pain and not for the faint of heart. He was a big boy, 270 plus, and would knee kick in rooms that I had a hard time with power stretching. Also, some carpet has a direction of nap, or it used to. If you don't match the lay on a seam it literally looks like two different pieces of carpet.
Wow thank you for making this! It's funny, in the past 2 years, my husband & I have learned about & installed multiple types of flooring in multiple rooms of our house- porcelain was definitely a learning experience & not as easy as it would seem. Now we are finished with everything except the living room, which is partially tiled, coming from the kitchen, but the rest we plan to carpet - tile seems a little cold for a living room. I went to my local carpet store & the owner was super nice & knowledgeable - I told him we were tiling, been doing flooring throughout the house & lastly we want to do a little carpet. I'll never forget, he said "is your husband experienced in carpet installation? It might be a lot more to take on than he expects if not. I've installed porcelain, vinyl, laminate type flooring myself too, but the ONE job I wouldn't do myself is carpet. " I wondered why, and wondered if he was just trying to get me to use his people since carpet was his industry most specifically. After this video, now I think we might be best off to hire like the owner suggested!
I can confirm every single word you said about carpet installation. The crew has to have the floor prepped, they come in, they do their job and they get out. They did all steps as you explained in the video and I am happy with the outcome. The crew must have seen the video before coming to me as they were doing exactly what you said, and they were super fast and intense - my house was shaking for 3 hours. Keep up with the videos. I learnt a lot myself from them renovating the house. But for carpeting, I also decided to have it done for me by pro's. It is not really a dyi job.
Thanks so much for this video, Jeff! I was watching DIY carpet videos, and then saw this one, and now I'm convinced I'll just take care to prep the room - yes, just one bedroom, as it'll be rented out, and I want it to be "nice" - and then have some professionals come do the rest. I'll be removing the baseboards, too, since I want to put new, more modern ones in, anyway. And I'll leave them off. I'm excited. I always trust and value your videos more than just about anyone else on RUclips. Thanks!
I have completed the complete refurbishment of my house and learnt a lot from your video as I started as a very capable DIY but lacking knowledge and this is where I don't totally agree with your video. I have installed carpet in all my room upstairs and in the stairs. I initially intended to hire professional but as I intended to buy the carpet online, none of them were interested in doing the job and kept on trying to sale me the carpet as well as the installation. As such, I decided the do the job myself and bought a carpet installation kit and went on to do the job. The end result is that it certainly took me more time than a professional but the end results is much better than most professional and I was able to put the money into good carpet and underlay as I did not have to pay silly money for carpet and installation. It is certainly hard word but my patience and watching a lot of videos it is a much easier job than when I redo the complete bathroom for example. Therefore, if you live in the UK like me and you have fairly standard bedroom which means you can buy the right size of carpet and avoid a seamer, don't let this video put you off and go for it. The most challenging in terms of cutting was the stairs and hallway and I took the old carpet as template to make the installation easier which also allowed me to avoid any seams.
I installed stairs and railings, including re-caps, for several years. I've "undid" a lot of carpet installs on stairways. LOL To your point about making the job as easy for your installers as possible; there are too many self-contractors that schedule things too tightly and often backwards. Imagine having ceramic tile installed in your front foyer and have your stairs installed on the same day. The tile guys always have to come back again when they schedule like this. I've thought about writing a book; "Self-Contracting for Dummies" but although I have a lot of experience that is wide ranging, I don't have a lot of expertise such as you have. You're my go-to-guy when it comes to expertise.
the last minute of advice at the end is 100% true. I am not in the carpet business, but I do work in an industry that goes to people's houses to do work. I have to work around your mess, and if that means taking short cuts to make it work, then that's what I do. If you want it neat, keep your house clean and make space for people to do their work!
Was first introduced to construction out of high school by helping a 70 yr. old retired contractor remodel his home. The two of us did almost all of the work ourselves except major framing such as moving a load bearing wall and reenforcing a beam. One of the only other things we didn’t do ourselves was the carpet. He and his wife bought the carpet at Home Depot and they installed it for free. I asked him why we didn’t do it ourselves (I was eager to learn) and he said they could do it cheaper than doing it ourselves. I mean, I wasn’t paid that much, but it would have been an two day job for the 700 sq/ft we had, so $200 plus the price of the carpet. And they had it done within 2 hrs for the price of the carpet. It really is pointless to not just get those guys to do it.
For sure, I watched a video here on YT on replacing my bathroom sink, and I actually thought that I could. It did not go well, but luckily I found a honest and helpful plumber... lessons learned the hard way!
I live in a house with thirty year old carpeting/padding. It is quality stuff and still looks good. Cleans up nicely and carpet cleaning guys always compliment it. I plan to remove it this year though to see the hardwood floors underneath and I know the age of the carpet and padding mean it must have deterioration despite its appearance.. If the floors look awful, I plan to get new carpet installed. I plan to do the carpet removal myself but wouldn't install myself due to the process + stairs + walki-in closets. Thanks for videotaping the installation. It was interesting to watch.
Jeff, I have NO IDEA that you had to prep the room! The same for vinyl flooring in a few rooms and the hallway. It was quite worrisome when he arrived and told me then said...no worries I will work around it...well.....you are right JEFF, he did some interesting cuts. I fixed it up afterwards after the shock of not being warned. I also have since bought an oscillating tool....I had NO idea about this gem of a tool either! Thanks for this vid Jeff....so great of you!💯👍💚🇨🇦
Depends on the installer. We had flooring put in the kitchen/laundry room this year. I was going to do a lot more prep than I ended up doing because the installer came right out and told me what they were going to do. They scraped, swept, and vacuumed the floor before the install. They also removed what little bit of 1/4 round that was still there from the 2 cabinets we hadn't replaced yet. When we can afford to have the rest of the 1st floor living space done, I will be asking specifically about the 1/4 round all around all 3 rooms. So I know if I have to remove, or if they will be.
I don’t know down here in Texas. I’m getting my carpet installed. I always use the same guy. He is great. He cleans up. He prepares he does everything he needs to do and he charges me really nice price which I’m happy with some jobs you just have to source out good video
Have you done one of these on why HVAC is not a DYI job? If not, could you put it on the to-do list in the same format? (with the same backdrop of the pros doing it / you explaining what they're doing)?
Right, the license is from the EPA. The refrigerant used can only be sold to a licenced person. I am a mechanic, licensed to purchase automotive refrigerant. Some warranty companies require the tech doing the work to have not only something similar to my license, (EPA 609), but also the ASE cert in HVAC. DIY? sure, for me.... or you, after you pass some tests, but you won't without a lot of studying and experience.
I would only add if you do install base boards after carpet, don't cram them down tight on top of the new carpet. When it comes time to replace it and they start ripping out the old those moldings will probably come with it
One of the first DIY jobs I ever did was carpeting a couple of rooms. It came out like a professional job. It can be done. I bought a cheap kicker and tucking tool and didn't have a special knife, so probably just used a Stanley knife or something to cut the carpet. The seams weren't steamed - from memory it was just some sort of special tape that just stuck to the under-side of the two bits of carpet.
Very impressed, good advice, never realised how hard it looks to fit carpet, pays to buy the right tools!!!!!!!!Thank You so much best video ive watched on you tube 😁👌👌
Based in Australia , not much of a DIYer but worked as fit-out supervisor and purchaser for building company. You are 100 percent right when it comes to carpet about hiring a professional. Installing rates is cheap compare to other trades, work is incredibly fast if the floor is prepared to acceptable tolerance, and you do spent most money on purchasing underlay and carpet. Also carpet purchasing is calculated based on liner metres as size of the role instead of you working out the square metre on the plan. I always emphasis to my subcontractor the requirements on joints in a single room in advance so they know the amount of extra material they will have to purchase.
So true Jeff on creating a good environment for them to do their best work. I always treat the crew like they are guests in my home cause they really are guests and I want to treat them as such. Whether roofing or doing foundation work. Make them feel welcome and want to come back!
I've been installing carpet for 15 years and you CAN use an Olfa knife I do it all the time it's perfect for cutting and tucking. I have a gunlach too and the razors are nice for some cuts i guess but the blades are expensive and don't last Olfa is perfect.
I was considering DIY, but I outsourced for other reasons. I didn’t know it doesn’t worth to DIY. But seeing how efficient these guys are, in and out in an hour, 2 rooms, I was happy I didn’t do it myself. And it wasn’t even expensive.
Thank you so much for this info. I am really close to this spot of my project. I thought you had to have base board down first. I am glade to know that I can do it after. Great tip.
I basically watch all your videos. Just now I was like hm I wonder if Jeff has carpet videos, I need to install carpet downstairs. I log onto your channel and this is the first thing I see. HAHA thanks for everything you do!!
Laying carpet is a DIY job I haven't done, but I never really considered the skill and graft involved. Thanks for making this video and highlighting the challenges they face, I'll definitely be contracting it when I get it done next!
If you do your research and plan it out you can definitely do this DIY. I learned to carpet on the job working for a contractor. It isnt as though you cant buy the tools you need for the most part.
I did one room of carpet DIY once. Rented the tools and all. It came out great. Took me a good 12 hours and was completely worn out. Knees and thighs hurt for a week using that kicker. I will say it came out good, and it was a good experience to make you appreciate paying someone else to do it next time. I put the baseboards on later and painted separately just like he said. Made a good clean job and so much easier.
Perfect timing for this video. I am going to be replacing carpet in my place in the next few months. Gives me a great idea of what to prep for the installers! Thanks!
We've been redoing our house close to year now because of the dreaded year we can't even find anyone to do the work so we're doing it ourselves SLOWLY unfortunately but EVERYTHING we've done so far is ALL from your video's.. You are amazing and can't thank you enough..My brothers a carpenter unfortunately out of town or he'd be doing it and sent him your video's and said That's how do it.. listen to everything this guy tells you.... So thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to do these videos and sharing them with us... It is very very much appreciated Looking forward to the next project with you 😁 Have a very blessed Holiday season 🎄
on a positive note, sugesting the home owner cleans up the house and get doors fixed before the layers come in is great, its always a hastle having to explain why the doors wont close if we put them back on. i carry a planer and skill saw for the odd job where the customer will pay for the service. and your tip for better underlay to average carpet is solid advice too
Just like any trade, there are good installers and poor installers. The quality professional installers will follow CRI guidelines.. that means we will clean and prep the subfloor properly, properly secure transitions, properly seal seams and most importantly we will power stretch the carpet. Any installer who kicks a carpet in has already voided the warranty on the carpet. We also perform the first vacuum as well. There are many high quality flooring mechanics in the trade all over the world that take great pride in our work everyday. Please don’t lump us all as taking shortcuts and trying to rush through the job.
My carpet-to-tile transitions don’t have any protecting covering. It goes right from carpet bedrooms onto tile floors. They’re flush but should I install those transition covers he did? It’s a new build and I’m a new homeowner.
John it depends on the quality of the carpet. A better quality carpet when transitioned this way will hold up for the life if the carpet. A thinner carpet will start to fray with traffic over the years. In these situations a flat metal transition can be used to protect the transition.
While I am 100% sure you are correct, because what you say is true for every profession, there's a huge difficulty in the average homeowner finding the quality installers. I would guess that most homeowners only have carpet installed a handful of times over their entire lives, if even that much. I think most will just use whomever the carpet store suggests. How do you suggest finding a quality installer from a homeowner perspective, where they likely won't have the necessary contacts and experience to weed out the hacks?
@@watcherofwatchers How would you go about finding any quality professional? References are always important but also ask what industry training or certifications they have. Ask them if they are familiar with the CRI 105 standards for residential carpet installation. Require the use of a power stretcher for all stretched in installations. These all will help. Most importantly find a locally owned flooring store who has been around and will stand behind the installation and the warranty of the carpet. As you pointed out, most homeowners won’t or don’t want to be replacing carpet that often. So it makes sense to invest in a better carpet and install when you do so you aren’t replacing every 5-10 years or having wrinkles after 2 or 3 years. A quality installer will work hand in hand with a quality flooring store to insure a proper installation that will last as long as the carpet is designed to last. With carpet you really do get what you pay for.
i do handyman work of all sorts. tile, roofing, drywall, plumbing, doors, windows, flooring, you name it. i will never touch carpet though. this just helped confirm it. gotta say, the host of this channel is off the charts talented and smart as heck, too.
I learned the drill through the carpet mistake on a commercial job that had really low nap carpet. It peeled about 2' of carpet fiber before I knew what happened. Whups. I carefully glued it bit by bit back in place with a clear glue. Can't remember which kind. Haven't made that mistake again.....yet...
I have carpeted a few houses is my day. First one I worked with a guy who started laying carpet as a way to pay for college. That was on new construction, and It was pretty sweet. I later took on a few projects for a friend who owned old houses and rented them out. Perfect practice space, right? lol. Long story shorter.. even though I eneded up doing a decent job...I don't tell anyone I have ever touched carpet. This video though, awesome advice. Sometimes the pros really are that much better. There is a difference between people who have a side gig vs doing it all day every day. All of this stuff is for sure going to make your pros happy to work for you. Thanks for the vid!!
What most DIY people fail to understand is the sheer amount of specialized tools required to make installations last well into the future. My dad had a lifetime warranty for many years on all of his jobs. You know how many people actually had him come back to fix or re-strech something? Less than ~10 people... A carpet installation should last until you decide you're ready for a different look if installed per CRI standards.
I just found your channel a few weeks ago and have probably watched & *rewatched* about 10-15 videos thus far …. And I just need to ask…. *Is there anything that you don’t know how to do!?* 😃 Seriously tho, *thank you* for these videos🤘🏼
I agree in a way that it may not be a DIY job to lay your own carpet but as you know sometimes you have to do what you have to do to save money. I learned many things the hard way as my ex-wife and I built our own house from the ground up. But I had experience In many things before we began the house project, so we got it done even though I wasn’t a professional at any of the trades at that time in my life. A house doesn’t have to be perfect to be a home as the goal is sometimes to just have a nice place for your family to live; it’s not always about resale value.
This was odd to watch I guess things are different in other parts of the world. I've been an installer for 15 years in New Zealand and we fit in completely finished rooms and use pole stretchers (power stretcher) for all stretching. Knee kickers are only an assist tool these days, manufacturers won't warranty carpet that's only been kicked out. You did have a couple good points though, like taking doors off and having certain things ready so we can spend more time installing is good advice. It's not a big secret that carpet installers won't muck around with a floor to much but here if we are asked to do prep work for you we will do, it just changes the cost and time allowed for the job is all. The mention of having a good underlay and a slightly cheaper carpet is pretty good aswell because higher quality underlay is usually a higher density and can contribute to the feel of comfort more that the carpet will sometimes.
I’m 21 been carpeting for 2 years now and a power stretcher is how I was taught and I don’t use kickers for much other than the tight spaces. Also after seeing homes that were kicked I don’t feel the carpet is as tight and the carpet begins to have waves in it after so long.
@@youngjanski8237 yea man that's why the manufacturers here often won't warranty the product if a power stretcher isn't used, it's in our national standards to use one aswell.
The padding is SO WORTH the splurge! A cheap one breaks down so quickly (my new house obv had cheap padding put in), vs a higher quality one (I had installed in my last house, 4 years old, no wear can be felt at all).
Dang, wish I knew this before getting my bedroom re-carpeted. The rug pad they used was really thin, must've been the most basic stuff you can get. I should've said something but wasn't confident I knew anything. Oh well, now I know for next time!
I'm just going to ask it here - Jeff, can you share some of your ideas on fixing/replacing laminate floor but only the one that is damaged (either the end where it connects to the other piece) or somewhere in the middle , i.e when one of your kids drops a 5 kg sharp item ? Asking for a friend :) P.s. your channel is really great and your storytelling is really something we all admire... Keep up the good work, RUclips community is here to support you!
I would like to tell you sir your channel is very very informative and realistic to the DIY person or a weekend warrior type person very very informative thank you very much.
Can you make the video of how to install trim after carpet is down? I need to replace the trim in my living room but the new carpet was laid about year and a half ago not real sure on how to pull off trim and reinstall trim back over the installed carpet.
The waterfall as you call it is standard way in the UK, I prefer as we call it the American way much neater finish, but it’s a lot slower, great vid btw it’s good to see someone respect the trade.! 👍🏻
I'm developing my basement, and was planning to install baseboard before carpet (like builders like to do, including spray-painting everything in place), so that all my cutting is done and the material is out of my way, and the space can be thoroughly vacuumed/cleaned. I like the idea of installing baseboard afterwards, and I guess that's good if you have the luxury of space (both for storing the material and then later cutting it after carpet is installed). And I imagine pre-cutting (but not installing) all baseboard would be a nightmare for proper fitment and keeping track of what goes where.
I’m starting to question is channel I put in my own carpet many years ago and it was one of the easiest things I ever did when it comes to DIY projects
I like what you said of don't be afraid of hiring a professional to get professional work. I do that with roofs, big electrical and HVAC. My house, I hired an electrician to get rid of the knob and tube wiring, they didn't do any of the drywall repair though because I know I can do it well from what you've taught me. But if I tried doing all the electrical, it would take 2 or 3 times as long to do, and from buying all the tools, being wasteful with materials, I don't think I could have done it cheaper or anywhere close to as good myself. If it was just replacing an outlet, running a new ceiling fan or light fixture, maybe, but I not the whole house or new circuit panel.
Small tidbit for removing door pins. Spring punches make awesome door pin removers. Especially on the bottom ones that are sometimes too close to the floor. Sends the pin flying on the first smack usually.
Thanks for this, I was kinda dreading dealing with replacing carpet in basement. Now taking OUT carpet to replace with hardwood, engineered wood, or LVP, that is doable (and I did that in a basement room).
Haha, I knew I don't want to do carpet diy but now I don't want it even more when I saw how they are doing it 🤣 I agree with you - carpet and roofing is better left to pros - they are more efficient and it's worth it. Imagine doing 10 guys work on the roof, fighting with the weather...
As a DIYer the first thing I do for a project is a lot of research (RUclips). And one of the main questions I ask myself is, "how easily can errors be remedied?" Like, if I'm an amateur and I screw up laying patio stones, I can lift them and try again until I get good. And I did this and my patio is amazing and will last 50 years. But looking at the upstairs carpet, I immediately identified, "getting these seams perfectly hidden is an _art_ that you develop over a lot of hours of practice. This is well outside DIY range for the quality I want." (And FWIW: this is a valuable question in all domains. "How easy is it to correct mistakes?")
Jeff, do you have a video on how to install baseboards and door casing over existing carpet? I've been researching installing baseboards and casing before or after carpet. It seems to be a big argument online on which one should be done first.
Not sure if he mentioned this but one more thing you might consider before they get there is checking for loose sub floor. The carpet was installed before we moved into our most recent house and there are creaks EVERYWHERE. Would have been much easier to fix before it was installed.
Not carpet related but I swear in a past video there was a laser level recommendation and I cannot find it. Looking to get a new one for an upcoming kitchen remodel.
There are a number of things that I am bold enough to take on myself but carpeting is NOT one of them. It is fascinating how efficient and technical a good carpet installer is.
Glad I'm not the only one who still appreciates carpeted floors in some rooms! I stayed in a house for a time that had nothing but cold hardwood throughout, and in the winter especially it wasn't comfortable at all. I still have hard flooring in some rooms, but I like having at least one room where I can sit or lay on the floor without getting bruises.
@@maryriha This is how I do it, even better, you can get rug pads underneath, and it can feel even softer and more plush than carpet. When they go bad or a kid spills kool aid on them, just get a new area rug. Carpet sucks having to replace with too much furniture.
We had some old hard wearing carpet that my parents wanted to lay as temporary measure, I had been as assistant for a couple weeks fitting carpets so I fit it. That was 14 years ago and it still haven't been changed
I've done a couple of carpets. Not my trade, I'm a roofer but, did a pretty decent job. It's not that hard and the tools are pretty cheap. You'll get a kicker and tucker for like £50. I've never needed a seamer though and you can make do without the edge trimmer and do that with a knife. Obviously you won't be as fast as someone who does it every day but it's definitely doable.
Always enjoy your videos. Do you have a video describing underpads choices and what type of underpads to get for basements on concrete slabs vs other rooms that have wood floors?
Did I see them repairing with a patch in that brand new carpet? Wow that sucks, my theory when working and I always tell my guys that "The faster you work, the longer it will take" When working to fast mistakes happen and repairing takes time.
As a flooring contractor, I would have walked in a ripped the saw blade patch up and added blocking, added flooring and used Floor leveler to do it right! Saw blade method is a hack job! Jeff you have no clue what a good flooring contractor does. Every room I do is shop vacuumed and lighted dust mopped. Between myself and father we have 80 years experience! And anyone who knee kicks a room in with no power stretching is asking for a call back. A good qualified flooring contractor would have done all he’s doing with only a minor up charge! You talking about A Lowe’s or Home Depot flooring job! Please avoid them at all costs!
Glad to see I wasn't the only one loosing my mind when he was talking that garbage. Installer for 25+ years and wow, he made us all sound like the worst tradesmen on a job site.
I'm only 25 and when I saw the kicker come out for the actual room install it blew my mind. This whole video looked like a Lowes/Home Depot install for sure. (excuse my french) The whole thing was half assed!!
So I heard you said keep the trim off until after they install. Now how about other flooring? Like only the living room is getting carpet and the hallway is getting flooring. Should I install before or after the carpet job or does it not matter?
For that kind of carpet I would have used the mini stretcher not just the kicker, it saves a lot of kicks, reinforce the tack strips with a couple more nails and double tack strip on both corners and one in the middle, you give it 3 pulls and you won’t have to kick that much, saved my knees a lot of work!
I install carpet myself and you should really look into requesting your installers to use a power stretcher. When rooms are just kicked in they tend to wrinkle in a couple years
Wrap and cap on the stairs is my fav, & we also call it “Cadillac” style; as back in the day…..waterfall was the more traditional when doing houses as was cheaper, faster, and was “the in thing”. The Cadillac (wrap n cap) style was more expensive as more labor and time, but it’s also better looking and wears so much better. The worst thing for stairs is having the carpet pad(Underlayment) bunch up or tear and then you have your carpet start “walking” away in ya. Happens more on waterfall style imo, than Cadillac. Nowadays the wrap n cap is the “IN THING” and waterfall is pretty much “out of style”. A very IMPORTANT TIP FOR PPL. Do not cheap out on CARPET PAD, as it makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE AND can turn a cheap carpet into a medium “carpet”. Cheers✌🏻
When my kids moved out I re-carpeted their bedrooms, a hall and stairs myself. The larger tools were rented, including a seam steamer. The carpet I bought was removed from a new home by the buyer, who preferred wood floors. Lessons learned: since it was a plush carpet I had to rely on the underside directional arrows to lay it correctly. Being widely spaced, these arrows were frequently missing on precut sections. And even though I rented a carpet stretcher, I didn't have the upper body strength to do a perfect job (female, over 60). My seams could have been better, but I got tired and just wanted it to be over. No regrets -- the whole job cost about $150 and still looks okay after 5 years, but next time I'll leave it to the pros.
That was brave. Cheers!
Atleast you had a go tho :)
My respects, ma'am!
361, You Are Amazing !!
He makes a good point on how hard and physical carpet install is. I did flooring ( mostly carpet) in 20s for a few years. Its was brutal work when I was in my early 20s and mistakes are much harder to fix. Also our master floor guy always said " you don't look at the carpet everyday, but you do feel the pad every day"
All flooring is pretty brutal work, same with roofing. Finish carpentry and painting are the easiest trades to get into I think, I did painting for a long time.
Bout the best point he makes imo. Laying and kicking carpet were the toughest flooring jobs i had.
Laying carpet is absolutely still in DIY territory though.
@@forposterity4031 painting isn't bad but our joints still pay a price, and the chemicals are no joke
your master floor guy was a level 80 monk.
not if you want it to last@@i_commission_dspriscilla_a7486
Excellent tips. After working with carpet for many years, it was very rare to see a homeowner interested in prep work, let alone a simple cleaning of the floors. Most of things you said carpet installers don't do, we do. Just keep in mind he's talking about the installers you get from one stop shops, like home depot, lowes, etc. They go for quantity, not quality. Don't be afraid to take a chance on a smaller outfit, one where quality matters.
I am a smaller installer and I agree 110%
💯💯💯
When my father had his flooring business, he also did the installation of the sold flooring. I used to help him and he took great pride in doing a quality job. My father, myself and another skilled installer got to be quite efficient at installing flooring in homes and particularly, mobile homes. We could install flooring in an entire mobile home, carpet and vinyl flooring in less than one day. Everyone in our area and surrounding counties appreciated my father's quality work and he had many repeat customers over the years.
How much did it cost to do for example, a room, a single floor or an entire house?
@@tomzicare I haven't looked at any of the prices in years and it would depend on a number of factors, since flooring can have different prices, as well as, the cost of labor can vary.
Now my only thing is isn't all of that a single day project ?
@@jamesholland7268 You know he is quality because he didnt even give a number despite the fact he is no longer in the business😝
Congratulations.
I was a floor layer for over 30 years, I layed carpet, carpet tiles, sheet vinyl, vinyl planks, floating timber floors, and commercial flooring as well. I'm talking about commercial flooring, jobs that were 5,000 m2 a job and bigger. I wish we had more customers like you Jeff, making sure that the smallest of things on a residential carpet job were done. I would easily say over the thousands and thousands of carpet jobs I've done over my 30+years. Lucky if we had 3% maybe 4% of jobs that were ready to lay as soon as we walked through the door. We in Australia call that wishful thinking.
Ok Chris.
I'm an apprentice Floor layer studying all ones mentioned above, my boss is a cunt but we do a fucking good job, in and out in no time. I'm yet to damage any carpet but i can agree with you on the small things almost every job theres something that goes wrong, doors are a major pain in our ass.
@@Justin-uc8sc I can’t believe this Chris guy really thinks he knows carpet. You sound so cocky. I’m 7 years old and can run circles around you while laying carpet. I’m not saying I can do carpet better I’m saying I could literally run in circles around you while you lay carpet
@@Wakaflockaflank lmaooo
@@Wakaflockaflank bro 😹
I've fitted quite a few carpets in my home myself, in my experience it's not as hard as you make it out to be. In the homes I've had there is a small gap under the skirting board and you just cut the carpet slightly longer than the room and tuck it under with something like a blunt wallpaper scraper and you get a perfect finish.
Have been a self employed floor layer for 25 years in England. I always took care of the door trimming, uneven floor boards, patching holes and even moving some wiring. I explained it would cost a little extra for time but the customers were always happy to pay. Also never rushed the jobs. There are a lot of things I see these guys doing things that I wouldn't do but everyone does the job a little differently. I find it annoying when someone's says "you shouldn't do it like that" or "that's wrong. They don't know what they're doing!" If you are doing a job well, safely and it leaves a good finish that lasts then it is the right way. My biggest gripe tho was arriving and finding the customer had painted the wooden skirting with gloss the night before! Telling them they have to wait three days was frustrating but most people understood when you explained it.
Just had carpet installed a few weeks ago… this video is spot on! I took some extra time to prep the space and you can tell how much the installers appreciated it. Translates to a better job.
I did it for a while, very bursty work. Only break you get is driving to collect carpets in the morning and then again after the job is done. You're spot on, worst thing is when a house is claimed to be empty of furniture, and we find grand pianos and all sorts of stuff.
I love your advice!! I called in a pro to tile and make a custom shower pan for me, and I am so grateful. I did everything else, they knocked it out in 3 days and did such a beautiful job. Way faster, and wayyyy better than had I attempted it myself.
I learned a lot from you too Jeff. Thank you for you!
I used to install carpet and learned from my father who installed for nearly 50 years. The "waterfall" over the stairs you speak of is what we always consider standard step installation. "Wraping the steep" was what we called a "cap" or upholstered step. We also used a power stretcher which is something that is missing in your video. It makes all the difference in installation. Your knee can only "stretch" the carpet so far. Power Stretching will last twenty years, the life of the carpet or so long as you don't slide a piano or other heavy object across the carpet. This tight application keeps the carept from wearing as fast when exposed to heavy foot traffic. Just as if you have loose fitting boots and they rub against your foot will cause a blister and or wear a hole in your socks. Same principle. The other is a powerful enough vacuum that agitates the carpet to get the dirt and sand out of the carpet. This reduces the friction and carpet properly cleaned and installed can last 20 years. Oh, knee kickers were only ever meant to be used in closets and small applications and or perhaps stairs. In any case kicking carpet will leave you with torn menisus later in life. Most installers aren't over 40. My father made it to 70 before he retired. The reason he lasted so long other the being a tough guy who survived Pearl Harbor on Dec 7th 1941 was that he didn't kick the carpet especially in large rooms. Though he did have a very powerful knee. Later he would end up having both knees replaced. Any way I just wanted to comment on my old trade. Still have my tools and practice from time to time. Thanks for the video, took me back in time.
Cheers Russell. The world can use a new generation of tough guys!
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY Thanks for your response. Cool knowing that you read all the comments. I follow your work and impressed with what you do. Am flattered that you took the time to respond. Thanks!
Spot on Russell. I'm a residential carpet installer in New Hampshire. 25 years experience. I'm 45 and power stretch everything. All my co workers just kick and blows my mind why they put there bodies through that trauma. Carrying the carpet from the van up to the 2nd floor is hard enough. Kicker is a positioning tool and should be treated as such. I sleep well knowing my installs are flat forever.
They carried in a power stretcher, black Crain bag. Probably didn't use it in that small bedroom as shown.
The power stretcher is key to everything... its a shame people think its not necessary
I carpeted my whole house - made a real good job including the open tread stairs. No cuts around the stair runners - I winched the stairs up and slid the carpet underneath - cannot imagine a carpet fitter doing that!
I don't have carpet; I don't want carpet, but I just watched this entire video anyway because you always do such a great job explaining things. I shared your paint prep videos with my friends and now they lovingly call you "Spackle Dad" 😂
Thanks for this great info!
That’s awesome. Cheers
no carpet?? 😍
My wife is European and she really doesn't understand wall to wall carpeting. We bought a house with it and the first thing she asked me was 'how are you supposed to clean this thing?' I said you vacuum it and every so often you give it a shampoo. She looked at me like I had three heads and said but if you don't nail it down you can just take it outside and clean it.
My bedroom has a hardwood floor just like this, and I had hired a crew to install carpet due last week. It got postponed til later this month due to understaffing of some sort. Initially I was upset at this because I have been waiting patiently for this install to finally happen, but I am so glad I just came across this video! Otherwise, I would have had a bad carpet install and have to live with it for many years. Also, good to know that installing carpet isn't the best DIY, because I felt bad thinking I might have been able to save more money doing it myself rather than hiring. Thank you for the perfect timing video and everything else on this channel :)
Excellent video! We had 1850 sqft of carpet put down last week. We had the rooms empty, floor swept and free of staples. The guys do appreciate it. We have used this company on three properties.
I love the respect he gives these guys. The way he talks about the skill it takes to do this job. I can tell you I have a lot of respect for people who lay carpet now.
This now explains why I haven't found any tips from Jeff on installing carpet.
When it doesn't involve a license such as HVAC, I have a hard time not doing a job myself. Learning new skills is an asset in my opinion. Unfortunately some of the best ways to learn is when you screw something up.
I disagree, having a boss/mentor who makes sure you do things correctly is much better than screwing things up.
@@mercnation1442 absolutely agree. That's why I said some of the best ways and not THE Best way. We don't always have access to a personal mentor in all fields though. But if you do a lot of the tips and tricks he passes down is probably because he, or his mentors before him, screwed something up and learned from it.
Thanks for another great video. More years ago than I want to remember I worked for a carpet installer. I got decent at it but it is a pain and not for the faint of heart. He was a big boy, 270 plus, and would knee kick in rooms that I had a hard time with power stretching.
Also, some carpet has a direction of nap, or it used to. If you don't match the lay on a seam it literally looks like two different pieces of carpet.
Wow thank you for making this! It's funny, in the past 2 years, my husband & I have learned about & installed multiple types of flooring in multiple rooms of our house- porcelain was definitely a learning experience & not as easy as it would seem. Now we are finished with everything except the living room, which is partially tiled, coming from the kitchen, but the rest we plan to carpet - tile seems a little cold for a living room. I went to my local carpet store & the owner was super nice & knowledgeable - I told him we were tiling, been doing flooring throughout the house & lastly we want to do a little carpet. I'll never forget, he said "is your husband experienced in carpet installation? It might be a lot more to take on than he expects if not. I've installed porcelain, vinyl, laminate type flooring myself too, but the ONE job I wouldn't do myself is carpet. " I wondered why, and wondered if he was just trying to get me to use his people since carpet was his industry most specifically. After this video, now I think we might be best off to hire like the owner suggested!
I can confirm every single word you said about carpet installation. The crew has to have the floor prepped, they come in, they do their job and they get out. They did all steps as you explained in the video and I am happy with the outcome. The crew must have seen the video before coming to me as they were doing exactly what you said, and they were super fast and intense - my house was shaking for 3 hours.
Keep up with the videos. I learnt a lot myself from them renovating the house. But for carpeting, I also decided to have it done for me by pro's. It is not really a dyi job.
Thanks so much for this video, Jeff! I was watching DIY carpet videos, and then saw this one, and now I'm convinced I'll just take care to prep the room - yes, just one bedroom, as it'll be rented out, and I want it to be "nice" - and then have some professionals come do the rest. I'll be removing the baseboards, too, since I want to put new, more modern ones in, anyway. And I'll leave them off.
I'm excited. I always trust and value your videos more than just about anyone else on RUclips. Thanks!
Cheers Gabriel. Carpet kicking is for someone else in my book.
I have completed the complete refurbishment of my house and learnt a lot from your video as I started as a very capable DIY but lacking knowledge and this is where I don't totally agree with your video. I have installed carpet in all my room upstairs and in the stairs. I initially intended to hire professional but as I intended to buy the carpet online, none of them were interested in doing the job and kept on trying to sale me the carpet as well as the installation. As such, I decided the do the job myself and bought a carpet installation kit and went on to do the job. The end result is that it certainly took me more time than a professional but the end results is much better than most professional and I was able to put the money into good carpet and underlay as I did not have to pay silly money for carpet and installation. It is certainly hard word but my patience and watching a lot of videos it is a much easier job than when I redo the complete bathroom for example. Therefore, if you live in the UK like me and you have fairly standard bedroom which means you can buy the right size of carpet and avoid a seamer, don't let this video put you off and go for it. The most challenging in terms of cutting was the stairs and hallway and I took the old carpet as template to make the installation easier which also allowed me to avoid any seams.
I installed stairs and railings, including re-caps, for several years. I've "undid" a lot of carpet installs on stairways. LOL To your point about making the job as easy for your installers as possible; there are too many self-contractors that schedule things too tightly and often backwards. Imagine having ceramic tile installed in your front foyer and have your stairs installed on the same day. The tile guys always have to come back again when they schedule like this. I've thought about writing a book; "Self-Contracting for Dummies" but although I have a lot of experience that is wide ranging, I don't have a lot of expertise such as you have. You're my go-to-guy when it comes to expertise.
the last minute of advice at the end is 100% true. I am not in the carpet business, but I do work in an industry that goes to people's houses to do work. I have to work around your mess, and if that means taking short cuts to make it work, then that's what I do. If you want it neat, keep your house clean and make space for people to do their work!
Was first introduced to construction out of high school by helping a 70 yr. old retired contractor remodel his home. The two of us did almost all of the work ourselves except major framing such as moving a load bearing wall and reenforcing a beam.
One of the only other things we didn’t do ourselves was the carpet. He and his wife bought the carpet at Home Depot and they installed it for free. I asked him why we didn’t do it ourselves (I was eager to learn) and he said they could do it cheaper than doing it ourselves. I mean, I wasn’t paid that much, but it would have been an two day job for the 700 sq/ft we had, so $200 plus the price of the carpet. And they had it done within 2 hrs for the price of the carpet.
It really is pointless to not just get those guys to do it.
Glad to see I'm not the only one who happily subs out carpet install. Not worth the hassle for a few hundred bucks.
Now this is very important for all diyers out there (myself included)...not everything is a diy project! Thank you!
For sure, I watched a video here on YT on replacing my bathroom sink, and I actually thought that I could. It did not go well, but luckily I found a honest and helpful plumber... lessons learned the hard way!
I’m gonna do anyway 😈😈
I live in a house with thirty year old carpeting/padding. It is quality stuff and still looks good. Cleans up nicely and carpet cleaning guys always compliment it. I plan to remove it this year though to see the hardwood floors underneath and I know the age of the carpet and padding mean it must have deterioration despite its appearance.. If the floors look awful, I plan to get new carpet installed. I plan to do the carpet removal myself but wouldn't install myself due to the process + stairs + walki-in closets. Thanks for videotaping the installation. It was interesting to watch.
Jeff, I have NO IDEA that you had to prep the room! The same for vinyl flooring in a few rooms and the hallway. It was quite worrisome when he arrived and told me then said...no worries I will work around it...well.....you are right JEFF, he did some interesting cuts. I fixed it up afterwards after the shock of not being warned. I also have since bought an oscillating tool....I had NO idea about this gem of a tool either! Thanks for this vid Jeff....so great of you!💯👍💚🇨🇦
Depends on the installer. We had flooring put in the kitchen/laundry room this year.
I was going to do a lot more prep than I ended up doing because the installer came right out and told me what they were going to do. They scraped, swept, and vacuumed the floor before the install. They also removed what little bit of 1/4 round that was still there from the 2 cabinets we hadn't replaced yet.
When we can afford to have the rest of the 1st floor living space done, I will be asking specifically about the 1/4 round all around all 3 rooms. So I know if I have to remove, or if they will be.
I don’t know down here in Texas. I’m getting my carpet installed. I always use the same guy. He is great. He cleans up. He prepares he does everything he needs to do and he charges me really nice price which I’m happy with some jobs you just have to source out good video
Have you done one of these on why HVAC is not a DYI job? If not, could you put it on the to-do list in the same format? (with the same backdrop of the pros doing it / you explaining what they're doing)?
Hvac usually involves licensed contractors who deal with refrigeration and the parts and equipment is usually only sold to contractors.
Right, the license is from the EPA. The refrigerant used can only be sold to a licenced person. I am a mechanic, licensed to purchase automotive refrigerant. Some warranty companies require the tech doing the work to have not only something similar to my license, (EPA 609), but also the ASE cert in HVAC. DIY? sure, for me.... or you, after you pass some tests, but you won't without a lot of studying and experience.
Nah, anyone can do it. Keep your old saw blades around in case you need to patch your duct system!
I would only add if you do install base boards after carpet, don't cram them down tight on top of the new carpet. When it comes time to replace it and they start ripping out the old those moldings will probably come with it
One of the first DIY jobs I ever did was carpeting a couple of rooms. It came out like a professional job. It can be done. I bought a cheap kicker and tucking tool and didn't have a special knife, so probably just used a Stanley knife or something to cut the carpet. The seams weren't steamed - from memory it was just some sort of special tape that just stuck to the under-side of the two bits of carpet.
if you kicked it in, it wasnt a professional job.
@@swiiishgin1515 he said it was DIY not professional
Very impressed, good advice, never realised how hard it looks to fit carpet, pays to buy the right tools!!!!!!!!Thank You so much best video ive watched on you tube 😁👌👌
As a carpet fitter myself you are the ideal customer wish everyone was like you.
Based in Australia , not much of a DIYer but worked as fit-out supervisor and purchaser for building company. You are 100 percent right when it comes to carpet about hiring a professional. Installing rates is cheap compare to other trades, work is incredibly fast if the floor is prepared to acceptable tolerance, and you do spent most money on purchasing underlay and carpet. Also carpet purchasing is calculated based on liner metres as size of the role instead of you working out the square metre on the plan. I always emphasis to my subcontractor the requirements on joints in a single room in advance so they know the amount of extra material they will have to purchase.
So true Jeff on creating a good environment for them to do their best work. I always treat the crew like they are guests in my home cause they really are guests and I want to treat them as such. Whether roofing or doing foundation work. Make them feel welcome and want to come back!
I've been installing carpet for 15 years and you CAN use an Olfa knife I do it all the time it's perfect for cutting and tucking. I have a gunlach too and the razors are nice for some cuts i guess but the blades are expensive and don't last Olfa is perfect.
I was considering DIY, but I outsourced for other reasons. I didn’t know it doesn’t worth to DIY.
But seeing how efficient these guys are, in and out in an hour, 2 rooms, I was happy I didn’t do it myself. And it wasn’t even expensive.
Thank you so much for this info. I am really close to this spot of my project. I thought you had to have base board down first. I am glade to know that I can do it after. Great tip.
Glad it was helpful! Merry Christmas!
I basically watch all your videos. Just now I was like hm I wonder if Jeff has carpet videos, I need to install carpet downstairs. I log onto your channel and this is the first thing I see. HAHA thanks for everything you do!!
Laying carpet is a DIY job I haven't done, but I never really considered the skill and graft involved. Thanks for making this video and highlighting the challenges they face, I'll definitely be contracting it when I get it done next!
I wish this video came out a few months back b4 I had my carpet installed....take this mans tips! True gold!
Well put. I completely agree. Just got my pole barn done. I am ready to tackle the 1800 sf home Reno.
Nice nick. well done!
If you do your research and plan it out you can definitely do this DIY. I learned to carpet on the job working for a contractor. It isnt as though you cant buy the tools you need for the most part.
I did one room of carpet DIY once. Rented the tools and all. It came out great. Took me a good 12 hours and was completely worn out. Knees and thighs hurt for a week using that kicker. I will say it came out good, and it was a good experience to make you appreciate paying someone else to do it next time. I put the baseboards on later and painted separately just like he said. Made a good clean job and so much easier.
Wow, all the carpet cuts around those ballasts! Good to see that the pros have to take time with that. It looked fabulous!
We have zero carpet in our house but here I am.
Watching before bed because your voice is soothing 😂
Perfect timing for this video. I am going to be replacing carpet in my place in the next few months. Gives me a great idea of what to prep for the installers! Thanks!
We've been redoing our house close to year now because of the dreaded year we can't even find anyone to do the work so we're doing it ourselves SLOWLY unfortunately but EVERYTHING we've done so far is ALL from your video's.. You are amazing and can't thank you enough..My brothers a carpenter unfortunately out of town or he'd be doing it and sent him your video's and said That's how do it.. listen to everything this guy tells you....
So thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to do these videos and sharing them with us... It is very very much appreciated
Looking forward to the next project with you 😁
Have a very blessed Holiday season 🎄
on a positive note, sugesting the home owner cleans up the house and get doors fixed before the layers come in is great, its always a hastle having to explain why the doors wont close if we put them back on.
i carry a planer and skill saw for the odd job where the customer will pay for the service.
and your tip for better underlay to average carpet is solid advice too
Just like any trade, there are good installers and poor installers. The quality professional installers will follow CRI guidelines.. that means we will clean and prep the subfloor properly, properly secure transitions, properly seal seams and most importantly we will power stretch the carpet. Any installer who kicks a carpet in has already voided the warranty on the carpet. We also perform the first vacuum as well. There are many high quality flooring mechanics in the trade all over the world that take great pride in our work everyday. Please don’t lump us all as taking shortcuts and trying to rush through the job.
My carpet-to-tile transitions don’t have any protecting covering. It goes right from carpet bedrooms onto tile floors. They’re flush but should I install those transition covers he did? It’s a new build and I’m a new homeowner.
@@johnmaurer3097 I would! I have old carpet - with carpet to tile without a cap and the carpet is frayed (Covered now with an area rug)
John it depends on the quality of the carpet. A better quality carpet when transitioned this way will hold up for the life if the carpet. A thinner carpet will start to fray with traffic over the years. In these situations a flat metal transition can be used to protect the transition.
While I am 100% sure you are correct, because what you say is true for every profession, there's a huge difficulty in the average homeowner finding the quality installers. I would guess that most homeowners only have carpet installed a handful of times over their entire lives, if even that much. I think most will just use whomever the carpet store suggests.
How do you suggest finding a quality installer from a homeowner perspective, where they likely won't have the necessary contacts and experience to weed out the hacks?
@@watcherofwatchers How would you go about finding any quality professional? References are always important but also ask what industry training or certifications they have. Ask them if they are familiar with the CRI 105 standards for residential carpet installation. Require the use of a power stretcher for all stretched in installations. These all will help. Most importantly find a locally owned flooring store who has been around and will stand behind the installation and the warranty of the carpet. As you pointed out, most homeowners won’t or don’t want to be replacing carpet that often. So it makes sense to invest in a better carpet and install when you do so you aren’t replacing every 5-10 years or having wrinkles after 2 or 3 years. A quality installer will work hand in hand with a quality flooring store to insure a proper installation that will last as long as the carpet is designed to last. With carpet you really do get what you pay for.
i do handyman work of all sorts. tile, roofing, drywall, plumbing, doors, windows, flooring, you name it. i will never touch carpet though. this just helped confirm it. gotta say, the host of this channel is off the charts talented and smart as heck, too.
I learned the drill through the carpet mistake on a commercial job that had really low nap carpet. It peeled about 2' of carpet fiber before I knew what happened. Whups. I carefully glued it bit by bit back in place with a clear glue. Can't remember which kind. Haven't made that mistake again.....yet...
My sister in law told me “ go for a higher end padding”. I have and never been sorry. Thank you for all the “insider” info.
I have carpeted a few houses is my day. First one I worked with a guy who started laying carpet as a way to pay for college. That was on new construction, and It was pretty sweet. I later took on a few projects for a friend who owned old houses and rented them out. Perfect practice space, right? lol. Long story shorter.. even though I eneded up doing a decent job...I don't tell anyone I have ever touched carpet. This video though, awesome advice. Sometimes the pros really are that much better. There is a difference between people who have a side gig vs doing it all day every day. All of this stuff is for sure going to make your pros happy to work for you. Thanks for the vid!!
What most DIY people fail to understand is the sheer amount of specialized tools required to make installations last well into the future. My dad had a lifetime warranty for many years on all of his jobs. You know how many people actually had him come back to fix or re-strech something? Less than ~10 people... A carpet installation should last until you decide you're ready for a different look if installed per CRI standards.
I just found your channel a few weeks ago and have probably watched & *rewatched* about 10-15 videos thus far …. And I just need to ask…. *Is there anything that you don’t know how to do!?* 😃 Seriously tho, *thank you* for these videos🤘🏼
I agree in a way that it may not be a DIY job to lay your own carpet but as you know sometimes you have to do what you have to do to save money. I learned many things the hard way as my ex-wife and I built our own house from the ground up. But I had experience In many things before we began the house project, so we got it done even though I wasn’t a professional at any of the trades at that time in my life. A house doesn’t have to be perfect to be a home as the goal is sometimes to just have a nice place for your family to live; it’s not always about resale value.
This was odd to watch I guess things are different in other parts of the world. I've been an installer for 15 years in New Zealand and we fit in completely finished rooms and use pole stretchers (power stretcher) for all stretching. Knee kickers are only an assist tool these days, manufacturers won't warranty carpet that's only been kicked out. You did have a couple good points though, like taking doors off and having certain things ready so we can spend more time installing is good advice. It's not a big secret that carpet installers won't muck around with a floor to much but here if we are asked to do prep work for you we will do, it just changes the cost and time allowed for the job is all. The mention of having a good underlay and a slightly cheaper carpet is pretty good aswell because higher quality underlay is usually a higher density and can contribute to the feel of comfort more that the carpet will sometimes.
I’m 21 been carpeting for 2 years now and a power stretcher is how I was taught and I don’t use kickers for much other than the tight spaces. Also after seeing homes that were kicked I don’t feel the carpet is as tight and the carpet begins to have waves in it after so long.
@@youngjanski8237 yea man that's why the manufacturers here often won't warranty the product if a power stretcher isn't used, it's in our national standards to use one aswell.
Great content! Any suggestions on where to look to learn what is the best carpet and padding?
The padding is SO WORTH the splurge! A cheap one breaks down so quickly (my new house obv had cheap padding put in), vs a higher quality one (I had installed in my last house, 4 years old, no wear can be felt at all).
Dang, wish I knew this before getting my bedroom re-carpeted. The rug pad they used was really thin, must've been the most basic stuff you can get. I should've said something but wasn't confident I knew anything. Oh well, now I know for next time!
I'm just going to ask it here - Jeff, can you share some of your ideas on fixing/replacing laminate floor but only the one that is damaged (either the end where it connects to the other piece) or somewhere in the middle , i.e when one of your kids drops a 5 kg sharp item ? Asking for a friend :)
P.s. your channel is really great and your storytelling is really something we all admire... Keep up the good work, RUclips community is here to support you!
omg THANK YOU! how many crap DIY installations have we all seen?
saving us from one bad install at a time, it's Jeff and the team!
I would like to tell you sir your channel is very very informative and realistic to the DIY person or a weekend warrior type person very very informative thank you very much.
Oh my knees hurt just watching those guys work, props to carpet installers!
Can you make the video of how to install trim after carpet is down? I need to replace the trim in my living room but the new carpet was laid about year and a half ago not real sure on how to pull off trim and reinstall trim back over the installed carpet.
The waterfall as you call it is standard way in the UK, I prefer as we call it the American way much neater finish, but it’s a lot slower, great vid btw it’s good to see someone respect the trade.! 👍🏻
Great vid and superb result …. Thanks Jeff
I'm developing my basement, and was planning to install baseboard before carpet (like builders like to do, including spray-painting everything in place), so that all my cutting is done and the material is out of my way, and the space can be thoroughly vacuumed/cleaned. I like the idea of installing baseboard afterwards, and I guess that's good if you have the luxury of space (both for storing the material and then later cutting it after carpet is installed). And I imagine pre-cutting (but not installing) all baseboard would be a nightmare for proper fitment and keeping track of what goes where.
I’m starting to question is channel I put in my own carpet many years ago and it was one of the easiest things I ever did when it comes to DIY projects
Great tips. I’ve installed more carpet than I care to talk about. In my area it’s really hard to find good installers.
As a residential project manager, this man is spot on. The worst offenders are the box store subs.
This guy literally knows everything about construction
I like what you said of don't be afraid of hiring a professional to get professional work. I do that with roofs, big electrical and HVAC. My house, I hired an electrician to get rid of the knob and tube wiring, they didn't do any of the drywall repair though because I know I can do it well from what you've taught me. But if I tried doing all the electrical, it would take 2 or 3 times as long to do, and from buying all the tools, being wasteful with materials, I don't think I could have done it cheaper or anywhere close to as good myself. If it was just replacing an outlet, running a new ceiling fan or light fixture, maybe, but I not the whole house or new circuit panel.
Small tidbit for removing door pins. Spring punches make awesome door pin removers. Especially on the bottom ones that are sometimes too close to the floor. Sends the pin flying on the first smack usually.
Oh man, I got a carpet install in 10 days. I better get painting (oil based) tonight! I was really hoping not to rip out the base boards
Carpet install tomorrow morning, great timing!
Thanks for this, I was kinda dreading dealing with replacing carpet in basement. Now taking OUT carpet to replace with hardwood, engineered wood, or LVP, that is doable (and I did that in a basement room).
Haha, I knew I don't want to do carpet diy but now I don't want it even more when I saw how they are doing it 🤣 I agree with you - carpet and roofing is better left to pros - they are more efficient and it's worth it. Imagine doing 10 guys work on the roof, fighting with the weather...
Exactly!!
I'm DIY-ing my carpet... yay!
As a DIYer the first thing I do for a project is a lot of research (RUclips). And one of the main questions I ask myself is, "how easily can errors be remedied?"
Like, if I'm an amateur and I screw up laying patio stones, I can lift them and try again until I get good. And I did this and my patio is amazing and will last 50 years.
But looking at the upstairs carpet, I immediately identified, "getting these seams perfectly hidden is an _art_ that you develop over a lot of hours of practice. This is well outside DIY range for the quality I want."
(And FWIW: this is a valuable question in all domains. "How easy is it to correct mistakes?")
Jeff, do you have a video on how to install baseboards and door casing over existing carpet? I've been researching installing baseboards and casing before or after carpet. It seems to be a big argument online on which one should be done first.
Jeff doesn't reply to questions.
Not sure if he mentioned this but one more thing you might consider before they get there is checking for loose sub floor. The carpet was installed before we moved into our most recent house and there are creaks EVERYWHERE. Would have been much easier to fix before it was installed.
Not carpet related but I swear in a past video there was a laser level recommendation and I cannot find it. Looking to get a new one for an upcoming kitchen remodel.
Little tip, label the door at top noting where it came from.
There are a number of things that I am bold enough to take on myself but carpeting is NOT one of them. It is fascinating how efficient and technical a good carpet installer is.
Love the tips but that saw blade vs just adding backing and plywood?
Glad I'm not the only one who still appreciates carpeted floors in some rooms! I stayed in a house for a time that had nothing but cold hardwood throughout, and in the winter especially it wasn't comfortable at all. I still have hard flooring in some rooms, but I like having at least one room where I can sit or lay on the floor without getting bruises.
Area rugs can be swapped out for a new one in minutes, can be professionally cleaned from the carpet cleaner or taken to a rug cleaning facility.
@@maryriha This is how I do it, even better, you can get rug pads underneath, and it can feel even softer and more plush than carpet. When they go bad or a kid spills kool aid on them, just get a new area rug. Carpet sucks having to replace with too much furniture.
Area rugs and wearing slippers.
We had some old hard wearing carpet that my parents wanted to lay as temporary measure, I had been as assistant for a couple weeks fitting carpets so I fit it. That was 14 years ago and it still haven't been changed
I've done a couple of carpets. Not my trade, I'm a roofer but, did a pretty decent job. It's not that hard and the tools are pretty cheap. You'll get a kicker and tucker for like £50. I've never needed a seamer though and you can make do without the edge trimmer and do that with a knife. Obviously you won't be as fast as someone who does it every day but it's definitely doable.
Always enjoy your videos. Do you have a video describing underpads choices and what type of underpads to get for basements on concrete slabs vs other rooms that have wood floors?
Very Informative video about plumbing
Did I see them repairing with a patch in that brand new carpet? Wow that sucks, my theory when working and I always tell my guys that "The faster you work, the longer it will take" When working to fast mistakes happen and repairing takes time.
As a flooring contractor, I would have walked in a ripped the saw blade patch up and added blocking, added flooring and used Floor leveler to do it right! Saw blade method is a hack job! Jeff you have no clue what a good flooring contractor does. Every room I do is shop vacuumed and lighted dust mopped. Between myself and father we have 80 years experience! And anyone who knee kicks a room in with no power stretching is asking for a call back. A good qualified flooring contractor would have done all he’s doing with only a minor up charge! You talking about A Lowe’s or Home Depot flooring job! Please avoid them at all costs!
Glad to see I wasn't the only one loosing my mind when he was talking that garbage. Installer for 25+ years and wow, he made us all sound like the worst tradesmen on a job site.
I'm only 25 and when I saw the kicker come out for the actual room install it blew my mind. This whole video looked like a Lowes/Home Depot install for sure. (excuse my french) The whole thing was half assed!!
Damn, these are some great pointers. Obviously, I wouldn't have considered myself! 😃 Cheers! 🍻
Cheers
Hi Jeff, is it possible to install new carpeting over existing carpeting?
So I heard you said keep the trim off until after they install. Now how about other flooring? Like only the living room is getting carpet and the hallway is getting flooring. Should I install before or after the carpet job or does it not matter?
For that kind of carpet I would have used the mini stretcher not just the kicker, it saves a lot of kicks, reinforce the tack strips with a couple more nails and double tack strip on both corners and one in the middle, you give it 3 pulls and you won’t have to kick that much, saved my knees a lot of work!
I install carpet myself and you should really look into requesting your installers to use a power stretcher. When rooms are just kicked in they tend to wrinkle in a couple years
Wrap and cap on the stairs is my fav, & we also call it “Cadillac” style; as back in the day…..waterfall was the more traditional when doing houses as was cheaper, faster, and was “the in thing”. The Cadillac (wrap n cap) style was more expensive as more labor and time, but it’s also better looking and wears so much better. The worst thing for stairs is having the carpet pad(Underlayment) bunch up or tear and then you have your carpet start “walking” away in ya. Happens more on waterfall style imo, than Cadillac. Nowadays the wrap n cap is the “IN THING” and waterfall is pretty much “out of style”.
A very IMPORTANT TIP FOR PPL. Do not cheap out on CARPET PAD, as it makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE AND can turn a cheap carpet into a medium “carpet”.
Cheers✌🏻
My dad and I layed carpet in his house a number of years ago still looking good today, minus where his new at the time puppy dug holes lol