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You are here: Home / Renovations / Carpet Install – 3rd Time’s NOT a Charm

Carpet Install – 3rd Time’s NOT a Charm

April 24, 2014 by SmartGirl 6 Comments

Not only did this carpet install take sooooo much longer than the first two installs, this was also my worst work.  Boo.  Last fall I installed the same carpet (Stainmaster Aristocrat II in Pale Clay, only $.99/sq.ft. at Lowe’s) in my son’s room  (read post HERE)  and again in Smart Jr’s room (read post HERE) with no problems.   So you’d think that the 3rd time would be a piece of cake, but instead I jacked it up a bit.  I don’t think laying the carpet bent over the staircase railing for 2 nights was a good idea, because the carpet definitely didn’t lay perfectly flat when I unrolled it, not even after I used the carpet kicker. Oops.How not to install carpet yourselfOops - that's what happens when you bend the carpet rollI’m sure a carpet stretcher will fix the problem, but it’s such a bummer because I got away with only a knee kicker in the chevron and surf shack bedrooms.  I’ll have to look into renting one, although now that I’ve waited a day, the carpet seems to have flattened itself out nicely.  The other really funny thing is that I tore out the old carpet in a frenzy when I found out it was bulk trash day.  Well, guess what?  Bulk trash day is again tomorrow.  That’s right, I tore out the carpet exactly 4 weeks ago and I waited until yesterday to put in new tack strips, carpet padding and carpet.  I know, I have issues.  Um, and my own bedroom looks like this BTW.The downside to carpet installing

I followed all the regular steps that I did to install the other carpets:

  • I removed the old carpet and pad and most of the tack strips, which were all rusty for whatever reason.Smart Girls DIY speed carpet removal
  • I painted the trim and walls – too bad Lulu chose a blue that was almost exactly the same shade of blue she’s been complaining about for the past 5 years.painted the walls the same color they were before
  • I screwed down the squeaky floor board, which was like all of them.  This room had the worst subfloor, complete with a little note from the builder showing a “High Joist.”  Glad I wasn’t trying to put hardwood or something in here.jacked up floor base
  • I installed new tack strips.installing carpet tack strips
  • I stapled down the carpet padding.DIY installing carpet pad
  • I dragged the carpet in the room and unrolled it (where’s hubby when you need him?)Carpet roll - ready to install
  • Then I kicked the carpet into place.DIY Carpet Install - using a knee kicker

To recap… while you admire my custom-built closet organizer…closet view - installing carpet paddingcloset view - I used two different kinds of carpet padding - it's what I hadcloset view - trying to unroll a bumpy carpetcloset view - carpet install complete

But here is where I ran into a few problems…  Damn I jacked up the carpetCarpet problem solvedAll in all I think it was a success.  But I am glad that I am going to do hardwood in the hallway and master bedroom.  Will it ever end???  So glad we bought a fixer upper.  Oh wait, no we paid top dollar for our move-in-ready house.  Hmmm.Time for new carpetNewly carpeted roomI carpeted my last roomThanks for the new carpet momSmart Girl

Filed Under: Renovations Tagged With: bedroom, before and after, carpet

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Julie at Being Home says

    May 1, 2014 at 2:40 am

    Dang, girl! Is there anything you can’t do? Seriously! The room is lookin’ good! 🙂

    Reply
    • SmartGirl says

      May 1, 2014 at 10:13 am

      Thanks Julie! And the sun light is up, I just have to take a picture. She loves it, you were totally right!

      Reply
    • SmartGirl says

      May 12, 2014 at 9:14 am

      Thanks! I’m thinking I want to build a loft bed in this room too. She has so much little junk that ends up all over the floor. Maybe a lofted play area above and she can sleep below. Hmmm… It will probably take me another 6 months to decide on a design. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Brittany says

    June 4, 2014 at 7:45 pm

    How much did all of your materials cost?

    Reply
    • SmartGirl says

      June 5, 2014 at 9:25 am

      Hi Brittany. Check out this other post where I listed the prices for everything. http://smartgirlsdiy.com/2013/12/how-to-install-carpet-yourself/

      You need carpet, padding, and maybe tack strips for each room = about $275
      I did invest in a knee kicker because I was doing multiple rooms = $80
      I had pretty much everything else. Let me know if you give it a try!

      Reply
  3. Julie says

    December 2, 2020 at 8:04 pm

    How do you hide or blend the transitions? Like the bedroom to hallway?

    Reply

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