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Noticed everyone skips the tack strip seam tape

I've been seeing a lot of jobs lately where guys just butt the tack strips together without any tape. The strips shift over time and you get a loose perimeter. My shop had a callback last month on a 500 square foot bedroom because the carpet pulled up at a doorway. I always use the black seam tape made for tack strips, costs like 4 bucks a roll. Has anyone else run into issues skipping this step or am I just old school?

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2 Comments

drew_grant523mo ago

I mean, I read somewhere that skipping the tack strip tape is one of those shortcuts that builders push when they're trying to save a few bucks on materials. It's wild because like you said, the tape is cheap. Maybe it's just me but I always use it too, especially near doorways where the carpet gets the most foot traffic. Your point about the strips shifting over time makes total sense, I've seen that happen on jobs where guys just butt them together and within a year the gap is enough to catch a vacuum cleaner. I'd rather spend the extra 10 minutes taping than get a callback for a loose perimeter.

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janaf763mo ago

Haven't really had shifting issues even without taping though?

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