c/carpet-installers

18

blairf48•19h ago

Vent: A stair runner job in Westview went sideways when the old padding disintegrated

I was tackling a set of stairs in a Westview split-level, and the moment I pulled up the old carpet, the padding just turned to dust. It was that cheap foam stuff from the 80s, and it left a fine powder all over the treads. I had to stop, vacuum everything twice, and lay down a whole new roll of 8-pound rebond before I could even think about the runner. Anyone have a trick for dealing with that kind of mess without losing half a day?

14

the_barbara•1d ago

Honestly, I think the push for 100% seam sealing on every job is overkill

Last week in a Phoenix condo, I skipped the seam sealer on a tight hallway run with a dense loop pile, just used a hot iron and good pressure. The client called yesterday saying it's holding perfect, no issues at all. When did we decide every single seam absolutely needs that extra step?

13

diana302•1d ago

Honestly thought I could stretch that last piece in the master bedroom corner

I was finishing a job in a new build in Tempe, and the final corner was just an inch short after the main stretch. Ngl, I tried to force it with my knee kicker and heard that awful ripping sound. Ended up having to cut a whole new piece from the last of the roll, which set me back almost two hours. Anyone ever have a better trick for a tight corner when you're running out of carpet?

2

chen.jade•1d ago

Pro tip: I still use a manual stretcher for tight corners, even in 2024

Last week in a Reno condo, I saw a crew using only power stretchers on a tricky L-shaped room. They were fighting the baseboards for an hour. I pulled out my old manual knee kicker and had my section locked in tight in maybe 15 minutes. Three years ago, I would have tried to force the power tool too, but a job in Portland taught me better when I cracked a plaster corner. Sometimes the old way is just the right tool. Anyone have a favorite trick for those sharp, inside angles?

5

leo603•2d ago

Just read that the average carpet installer lifts over 2,000 pounds of material in a single day

Saw that stat in a trade safety report from last year, and it made me rethink my whole stretching technique. Anyone else tweak their form after seeing a number like that?

7

robinson.quinn•2d ago

Just read that the average carpet installer lifts over 2,000 pounds of material in a single day

I saw it in a trade magazine article about physical strain in our line of work. It made me think about how we never really keep track of that weight while we're just moving rolls and tools around. Do you guys do anything specific to help your back besides just being careful?

8

jamieh76•3d ago

Hit 1000 yards of carpet in a single house and my back is still mad at me

Just finished a job in a huge new build out in Scottsdale, and the final tally was 1,027 square yards of the same beige plush. The homeowner wanted wall-to-wall in every single room, including all the closets and a finished basement. I've never rolled out that much carpet in one address before. My helper and I were there for four straight days, and we went through three full boxes of knee kicker pads. Honestly, the number itself isn't the crazy part, it's that someone actually wanted that much identical carpet. Anyone else ever get a monster order like that where you just kept rolling into the next room?

2

hugog43•4d ago

My uncle told me to always double-check the subfloor for squeaks before laying pad

I rushed a job in a new build last week and skipped that step. Now the homeowner calls me every other day about a loud squeak right in the middle of their living room. What's your go-to method for finding and fixing subfloor noise fast?

17

allen.ruby•5d ago

Hot take: a homeowner in Cincinnati argued with me for an hour about tack strip placement

He insisted I should put the strips a full inch from the wall, not the half-inch I always do. We were in his finished basement, and he kept pointing at a YouTube video on his phone. I finally showed him how the carpet would buckle with that much gap, but he was convinced his 'research' was better than my 15 years of doing this. Has anyone else had a client fight you on a basic install rule like that?

15

nancyd85•7d ago

Hot take: I thought those new foam-backed carpets were a total gimmick for a solid year.

A client in Phoenix insisted on it for their entire condo, about 1200 square feet. I was sure the seams would show and the wear would be terrible. After the install, I went back for a different job eight months later and you couldn't even find the seams. The stuff had settled perfectly and the homeowner said it was way quieter than their old pad and carpet setup. Totally changed my mind. Has anyone else had a job that made them switch their opinion on a material?

9

the_nathan•7d ago

Warning: I thought those knee kickers with the adjustable heads were just extra junk to buy

A guy I worked with in Boise swore by his, and after watching him stretch a tricky hallway in about half the time it took me, I had to try one. I picked up a used one for 40 bucks at a tool swap last fall, and honestly, it's saved my knees on more than a few jobs since. Anyone else make the switch to an adjustable head and find it actually made a difference?

35

blakem82•7d ago

Pro tip: I finally tried that new seam tape with the blue line down the middle

A guy at the supply house in Tacoma kept telling me to try it for months, but I was sure my old method was fine. Last week I had a tricky seam over a concrete patch and gave it a shot. The blue line made it so easy to keep the carpet straight while I ironed. Has anyone else used this stuff on a big commercial job yet?

16

cameron371•8d ago

My knee kicker snapped on a big job in Mesa last Thursday

I was stretching the last piece in a huge living room when the handle just broke clean off. Had to run to the nearest supply house, which was 20 miles away, and grab a new one. Finished the job three hours late, but the homeowner was super cool about it. Anyone have a favorite brand for a really tough kicker that can take a beating?

7

beth_sanchez•8d ago

The day a parrot in Scottsdale tried to help me install

I was laying carpet in this huge house, and the owner's African Grey kept yelling 'stretch it tighter' every time I used the knee kicker. Then it flew down, grabbed a tack strip in its beak, and waddled across the room with it. I had to bribe it with a cracker to get my supplies back. Has anyone else had a pet completely derail a job?

16

hunt.kevin•9d ago

Shoutout to the guy who helped me fix a huge seam gap in a Phoenix hotel lobby

I was putting down a big roll of commercial carpet in this hotel off the 101 last month, and my seam just would not close up tight. The gap was almost a quarter inch wide after I ran the iron over it. This older installer from another crew saw me sweating and came over. He told me to check the power stretcher head was locked, then showed me his trick of putting a knee on the carpet right behind the iron. Closed up perfect. Anyone have a different method for stubborn seams on heavy commercial stuff?

10

richard_ramirez•10d ago

Got into it with a builder over tack strip placement on a job in Phoenix last Tuesday

He wanted us to run the strips right up to the drywall, no gap, saying it 'looks cleaner' and the baseboard would cover it anyway. I argued for the standard 3/8 inch gap to let the carpet tuck properly and avoid a visible ridge. This was on a 1,200 sq ft install with a dense loop commercial grade. We ended up doing it his way on one room as a test, and sure enough, you can see a faint line along the wall. Has anyone else had to fight this battle with a GC who thinks they know carpet better than the installer?

17

pat_perry•12d ago

That job in the old Seattle apartment with the 1970s shag

The homeowner insisted we keep the original padding, which turned out to be basically just dust and mouse confetti. Ever had a client ask you to install over something that should have been condemned?

16

lopez.mason•13d ago

Showerthought: I used to laugh at the idea of a knee kicker for tight spots, but a job in a San Diego condo changed my mind

For years, I figured a power stretcher was the only real tool for the job, and a knee kicker was just a cheap shortcut. Then I got a call for a condo remodel downtown, a tiny bedroom with two closets and a weird angled wall. My big stretcher wouldn't fit through the door, let alone turn the corner. I was stuck. The homeowner, an older guy who'd done some work himself, pulled out this beat up knee kicker from his garage and said, 'My dad swore by this thing.' Out of pure desperation, I gave it a shot. After about 20 minutes of fussing, I got the carpet in that corner so tight you couldn't get a fingernail under the baseboard. It taught me that having the right tool for the specific space matters more than the fanciest tool in the truck. Has anyone else been forced to use a method they avoided and been shocked by the results?

23

the_brooke•15d ago

Showerthought: I started using a cheap plastic putty knife to seat carpet around tight door jambs after my regular knee kicker wouldn't fit.

It worked perfectly on a job in a Phoenix condo last week, but I'm curious if anyone has a better tool for those super cramped spaces.

10

derekcarr•15d ago

Warning: a basement job in Tacoma taught me to always check for concrete moisture

I was laying a big roll of plush carpet in a finished basement last fall. The homeowner said the floor was dry and ready. I got about 400 square feet glued down before I saw a dark spot spreading under the seam. The concrete slab had a slow seep I missed because the surface felt fine. I had to cut out a 10 foot section right away. I ended up putting down a moisture barrier and redoing the whole area, which took an extra day. The client was okay about it, but I ate the cost of the new carpet pad. Has anyone else been burned by a slab that seemed dry but wasn't?

11

miles_campbell39•15d ago

My uncle told me to always tack strip the perimeter before the center

I thought it was just his old school way, but on a big job in Boise last year, the carpet started bunching up in the middle. He was right, it keeps the tension even. Anyone else have a tip that seemed weird but saved you?

9

oliviac22•15d ago

Tried a new way to handle a tricky seam in a Denver basement job

I was laying carpet in a finished basement with a weird angled wall, and the seam just would not stay flat. After two tries with the usual method, I grabbed a piece of scrap tack strip and cut a small, sharp point on one end. I used that point to gently lift and tuck the carpet backing right at the seam line before hitting it with the knee kicker. It locked in perfectly and saved me from having to re-stretch the whole section. What's your go-to trick for a seam that just won't behave?

4

beth_green•16d ago

Serious question, I just read that carpet fibers can hold up to 8 times their weight in dust and allergens.

Ngl, I found that stat in an old trade magazine from 2015. Honestly, it makes me think twice about how I explain the benefits of a good vacuum to customers. Do you guys bring this kind of thing up during sales or installs?

23

jordan_walker•16d ago

I switched from a standard seam roller to a heated one for a big job in Boise

I was doing a 2,500 square foot office install last month with a lot of long seams in a tight loop pile. My old roller just wasn't getting the adhesive to flow right, and I was worried about seam peaking later. The heated roller, which I rented for about $75 for the day, made the glue tack up perfectly and sealed those edges down flat. The difference in the seam quality was night and day, and it saved me a ton of time on re-tacking. Has anyone else found a specific tool that made a tough job way easier?

2

sarahb59•17d ago

Rant: A client in Phoenix insisted I lay carpet over a damp concrete slab

He said, 'It'll dry out fine, just get it done.' I walked off the job. That moisture would have ruined the pad and caused mold in a month. Has anyone else had to deal with a client pushing you to cut a corner that bad?