Carpet Tiles Versus Carpet

Carpet tiles are an inexpensive way to add a fun carpet solution to any room in your home. While carpet tiles can be installed within a day for an easy do-it-yourself project, adding carpet to your home can be a more extensive process. Carpet tiles and carpet both have upsides and downsides, but it really comes down to your personal style and preference.

The Benefits of Carpet Tile

Ease of Installation

Carpet tiles can easily be installed with double sided carpet tape or glue; some carpet tiles even come with adhesive backing. You can avoid the expense of hiring someone by easily installing these in just one day.

Ease of Maintenance

Floor carpet tiles can be easily removed for replacement, or they can be cleaned like any other carpet. If you have a stain that won’t come clean, simply lift up the carpet tile and replace it with a new one!

Durability

Carpet tiles have been engineered to withstand high traffic. If you have children or pets, they’re no match for carpet tiles.

Eco-Friendly

Most modular carpet tiles are made from recycled material, making them a convenient and durable option you can feel positive about.

More Installation Options

Carpet tiles can be installed as flooring for a whole room, or they can be installed as an area rug or a runner. The options are endless.

Ease of Removal

Unlike carpet, you can take your carpet tile squares with you if you decide to move out of your home.

Won’t Absorb Water

Carpet tiles are made to not soak up water which adds to their durability.

How to Install Carpet Tiles

One of the benefits of carpet tiles is their ease of installation. Here’s how to do it so you get a do-it-yourself carpet solution in one afternoon.

  1. Mark the center of each wall. With carpet tiles, you want to work from the center of the room to the walls. To do this, measure the length of each wall and divide the length by two. Mark this midpoint with a pencil.

  2. Center the carpet tile perfectly in the center. Find the center of the carpet tile by measuring the width of the tile and dividing it by two. Place the center of the tile at the wall’s center mark. Then mark the wall at each end of the tile. Repeat this process on each wall. These four lines will create a cross hair at the center of the room so you can perfectly center your first carpet tile.

  3. Place the carpet tile. Place the first carpet square in the center of the room where the cross hair marks are. Don’t glue the carpet tiles down just yet.

  4. Create a custom pattern. You can use different colored squares to create any pattern you like. Or, you can stick with one color. Once you decide what you like, and lay it out on the floor, remove the adhesive backing from the squares or glue them down.

  5. Trim squares against the walls. The last step is to cut the carpet squares so they fit against the walls. Turn the carpet square upside down and set it flush with the wall. Then, use a straightedge and a utility knife to make a straight clean cut on the backside of the carpet square. Install the partial square with the cut edge against the baseboard.

The Benefits of Carpet

Appearance

Carpeting adds to the feel of the room by using color, patterns, textures and pile heights. The carpeting can create the image you desire for your home.

Style

The options are endless when it comes to patterns, cuts, texture and colors. You will be able to pick a carpet based on your personal tastes.

Insulation

Carpet can help save energy as it is acts as an insulator of the indoor environment. Not only that, but it can provide a psychological feeling of warmth.

Feel

Carpet feels good against your skin. It’s soft, plush and easier on your feet after a long day. It also gives a “softer” feel to the home.

Health

Carpet traps allergens, dust, and other contaminants, holding them until they can be removed with a vacuum or carpet cleaner.

Acoustics

Carpet, and the padding underneath it, can help absorb sound. This makes it a great choice for large families.

Sustainability

Old carpet can be recycled into new carpet or other products, eliminating the need for acquiring raw materials.

How to Install Carpet

Installing carpet is a more difficult process than installing carpet tiles. If you aren’t sure that you can tackle the project, always consult with a professional installer.

  1. Clean the subfloor. After you remove your previous flooring, make sure the surface to be carpeted is smooth and clean. Both sweeping and vacuuming is recommended.

  2. Remove any doors in the room. If possible, remove any doors from the room so you won’t have to work around them. This will also make it easier for you to cut off the bottoms of the door jambs if you purchased a high pile carpet.

  3. Install the tackless strips. Cut the tackless strips with a strip cutter or heavy duty snips. Nail the strips half an inch from the wall. Don’t install tackless strips across doorways as the tacks could poke through the carpet and hurt your feet. If you’re installing carpet over a concrete subfloor, use masonry tacks or epoxy to hold the tackless strips in place.

  4. Install the carpet pad. Lay out the carpet pad and staple it down with a staple hammer.

  5. Staple any pad seams. Staple the seam of the pad and make sure to stretch the padding so the ends are butted tightly together.

  6. Trim the pad. Use a utility knife to cut away the padding along the interior edge of the tackless strip so that all the tacks are exposed.

  7. Notch corners for trimming. Measure the room at its longest point, and add three inches to the measurement. Take the carpet outside if possible as it will be easier to handle, and notch the back on both sides at the appropriate length.

  8. Trim the carpet to size. Roll the carpet with the back facing upward until the notched areas show, then run a chalk line from notch to notch. Cut the back of the carpet along the chalk line, roll up the carpet, and take it back inside.

  9. Trim the excess carpet. Roll out the carpet into the room while keeping it as straight as possible. Cut away excess carpet, but leave about three inches extra on the edges.

  10. Glue the carpet seams together. Where the carpet edges join, a straight seam needs to be created. Place a piece of seaming tape under the seam, adhesive side up. Heat the seaming iron to the temperature recommended on the instructions, and rest it directly on the tape for around 30 seconds. After the pieces are joined, place heavy objects on the seam to hold it in place as the glue dries.

  11. Trim around obstacles. Use a carpet knife to trim the carpet to fit around obstacles.

  12. Attach the first edge of the carpet. Attach the carpet to the tackless strips at one end of the room, using a knee kicker. Place the face of the knee kicker against the carpet about three inches away from the wall, and strike the padded end to stretch the carpet toward the tackless strips.

  13. Trim the excess from the edges. Trim the excess carpet with a wall trimmer. This is a handy tool which rests against the wall and provides a straight cut. Then, use a stair tool to press the cut edges underneath the baseboard trim.

  14. Stretch the carpet. This is a very important step so your carpet doesn’t bunch up. Use the power stretcher to attach the carpet to the strips on the other side of the room. For corners and alcoves where the power stretcher can’t reach, use the knee kicker and stair tool.

  15. Use a binder bar. Nail a binder bar to any areas where the carpet ends without abutting a wall such as a threshold. Stretch the carpet with the knee kicker to link to the hooks in the binder bar then use a wooden block or scrap piece of lumber to close the binder bar onto the edge of the carpet.

  16. Finish trimming the carpet. When all the carpet is in place, cut out the vent openings.

Installing carpet can be a difficult process, but there are many benefits. Whether you choose carpet or carpet tiles, you will be adding a touch of your personal style to your home.

If you have any questions about carpeting, call Jabara’s at 316-267-2512 to speak with one of our flooring experts.