Installing a pre-padded carpet is simple since you just need to lay it out on the floor and secure it in place with the help of carpet tape. But if you have a large area to cover or your room is L-shaped, you would need to join two pieces together and create an invisible seam. Don't know how to do it? We got you! We asked the experts how to go about it, and we're sharing the steps with you.
To seam a pre-padded carpet, you need to:
- Put a seaming tape in between the edges of the two carpet pieces.
- Join the edges together with the use of a seam adhesive or seaming iron.
- Press the edges firmly to make them adhere to the seaming tape properly.
Continue reading so we can guide you throughout the process of creating a seam for your pre-padded carpet. We'll also tell you what a good carpet seam looks like. In this article, you'll also learn how to remove ripples in your carpet to make them as smooth as before. Let's get started!
How do you join padded carpet?
Carpet installation is a job best left to the able hands of professionals, but no one can stop the avid DIYer who loves the challenge and the satisfaction of seeing her own work in her own home.
Normally, installing a padded carpet is a fairly easy job. Since the padding is already attached to the carpet material, it eliminates the need for buying and attaching a separate pad on the flooring. This is what makes it perfect for DIYers. However, it gets a bit tricky when you have to create a perfect seam between two pieces of padded carpet.
This is needed when the room is bigger than 12 feet or 15 feet, which are the usual sizes of pre-padded carpets. It could also be that you're carpeting an L-shaped room that cannot be covered by one stretch of carpet. Seams are also commonly found on doorways and openings of the room.
If the seams are located on the doorway, you can just put a threshold over the opening, and that'll take care of hiding the seam.
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But when the seams are located in the middle of the room, you would have to join the two pieces together in such a way that they blend together.
Seaming Pre-padded Carpet
- Put the two carpet pieces side by side, following the correct pile direction.
- Fold back one of the carpet pieces to mark the seam location. Draw a line on the floor following the edge of the other carpet piece.
- Fold back both carpet pieces so you can put a seaming tape at the center of the seam location.
- Peel off the adhesive paper on top and press one of the carpet pieces along its side of the half of the seaming tape. Smoothen it over the surface so that there are no folds.
- Next, you can use either a seam adhesive or seaming iron to join the two pieces together.
- If you're using seam adhesive, apply it on the edge of the carpet piece that you've already attached to the seaming tape before you attach the other padded carpet. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the proper application.
- If you're using seaming iron, insert the iron between the two edges and slide it over the seaming tape to activate the adhesive. (You have to use a heat-activated carpet joining tape for this.) Check the manufacturer's instructions regarding how long you need to wait before the adhesive melts. Bring the two edges together as you move the iron. Do this until you reach the other end of the seam.
- You can use a seam weight, a seam roller, or even a rolling pin to press the two pieces firmly against the seaming tape.
- Brush the carpet pile to hide the seam.
And that's how you join two pieces of padded carpet together.
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What does a good carpet seam look like?
Let's face it. When the carpet seam is visible, it can get quite distracting and give the room a less refined look. As such, it can take the focus away from the main elements of the room that you want to highlight.
The truth is, it's rather hard to completely make the seams invisible. It would take a very good installer to do that. That's why experts say that you can settle for acceptable seams. These are seams wherein the backings of the two carpets are level on the floor, their surfaces are smooth, and there are no gaps and overlaps in between.
To help you hide the seams, you can run a comb or brush over the carpet pile several times but be careful not to tug on the fibers to avoid damaging the material. Regular vacuuming also helps as it makes the fibers plump and fluffy. The seam line is concealed as the fibers blend together.
That's why it is important to know how to install carpet seams properly before you undertake this project. Otherwise, it can result in seam peaking or splitting wherein the seam line becomes more visible and exposes the floor underneath.
How do you fix ripples in the carpet?
Your carpet flooring should be stretched all the way from end to end to create an even surface. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, this will prevent accidents and tripping over uneven flooring.
But as time passes by, carpet loses its elasticity which can cause ripples to form on the flooring. Ripples can also happen when you drag a piece of heavy furniture on your flooring or when the carpet disengages from the tack strip.
If the wrinkle is just small, you can straighten it out using your hand, especially if the carpet isn't glued down on the floor. You can also use a rolling pin. Just apply pressure on the rippled surface until you get rid of the wrinkles. Or you might have to press it all the way again to the edge of the floor.
But if the ripple across the floor is quite large, you would need to remove all your furniture to be able to lift the carpet and smoothen it over the floor again.
Getting rid of carpet ripples
- Move all the furniture pieces in the room to another portion of the house in the meantime.
- Unfasten the floor registers and thresholds.
- Gently lift the carpet up.
- Check the padding if there is clustering or bunching. Smoothen it out as needed.
- Remove the tack strip or carpet tacks used on the edges to be able to free the carpet.
- Replace damaged tack strip or missing carpet tacks.
- Trim the frays along the carpet if there are any, and make sure to seal them to the backing to prevent further damage. You can use carpet latex or seam sealer for this.
- Use a carpet knee kicker or power carpet stretcher to extend the carpet smoothly over the floor.
- If you're using a knee kicker, position it at one end of the carpet area and push it all the way to the other end of the floor.
- If you're using a power carpet stretcher, it's best to put a piece of wood against the wall where the end of the pole is situated to prevent scratches or dents. Extend the stretcher all the way to the other side of the wall. Press the lever to smoothen the carpet.
- Cut the excess carpet.
- Once you're satisfied with the way it looks, you can secure it in place by attaching the tack strip or carpet tacks.
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You don't have to buy a carpet knee kicker or even a power carpet stretcher. You can just rent them from your local stores. However, if the steps mentioned above do not solve the wrinkling, it's best to seek professional help or consider replacing your old carpet.
Final Thoughts
Seaming pre-padded carpet can be quite tricky, but it can be done with the help of high-quality seaming tape, seaming adhesive, and seaming iron. While you can't completely hide the seams, brushing the fibers and regular vacuuming can help the two carpet ends blend together.