Carpet Roll Installation Guide: How To Properly Intall Carpet Rolls With Glue & Without Glue?

Before laying the carpet on a roll, it is necessary to calculate the amount of carpet needed, based on the size of the room in which it will be installed.

You can then choose between two installation techniques: loose fitting, where the carpet is attached to the floor with double-sided tape, and glue-down fitting, where the carpet is attached to the floor with glue or liquid fixative.

1. Calculate how much carpet to buy

To determine the amount of carpet you need, calculate the area of the room where the installation will take place.

• If the room is not rectangular, divide it into rectangular areas and add them together.

• If some corners are not right angles, isolate them in rectangular triangles.

• If the room has a circular shape, calculate the area of the square or rectangle that contains the circular shape.

In anticipation of the cuts, you will need to make, plan to buy 10% more carpet. Do the following calculation:

• Room area × 1.1 = Amount of carpet to be purchased

2. Prepare the subfloor

For a carpet installation to be clean, attractive, and durable, it must be installed on a clean, dry, and level floor.

Perform the following test to evaluate the flatness of the floor:

• Place a metal ruler at different points on the floor.

• If the gap between the ruler and the floor is greater than 7 mm, you must level the floor before installing the carpet.

• Leveling is the process of coating the floor to correct any unevenness.

3. Loose Lay - How To Install Carpet Roll Without Glue

Loose lay is a relatively easy, do-it-yourself installation technique. It is reserved for needle-punched and foam-backed carpets.

Here are the steps for loose-fitting carpet:

• Observe the direction in which the carpet is laid.

• Lay the carpet on the floor and smooth it out with a muffler.

• Mark the crease along the baseboards.

• Make one- or two-meter cuts in the middle of each side of the room.

• Allow the carpet to stabilize depending on the temperature, for about 24 hours.

• Then attach the carpet:

  Lift up half the carpet and fold it down to clear a portion of the floor.

  Score the floor with double-sided tape and adhere it to the carpet.

  Do the same for the other half of the carpet.

4. Glued Installation - How To Install Carpet Roll With Glue

Just like loose fitting, glue-down installation is accessible to do-it-yourselfers. It consists in fixing the carpet with glue or fixative. Glue-down installation is reserved for double-backed and foam-backed carpets.

• First, choose between glue, which is problematic when removing the carpet (difficult removal, stubborn residue), and fixative.

• Next, follow the steps below:

• Observe the direction in which the carpet is laid and install it with the pile facing the window.

• Unroll and place the carpet.

• Smooth the surface of the carpet with a wooden wedge (also known as a muffler).

• Mark the fold along the baseboards with scissors.

• Make cuts flush with the baseboards one to two meters down the middle of each side of the room.

• Allow the carpet to stabilize depending on the temperature for approximately 24 hours.

• Then attach the carpet:

• Fold the carpet to clear the floor in half the room and fold it into a wallet.

• If using glue, apply it to the floor with a notched trowel.

• If you are using the fixative, apply it to the floor with a roller.

• Allow the seizing time (also known as gumming time) to elapse, then fold the carpet back onto the floor.

• Smooth the carpet by hand.

• Do the same for the second half of the room.

• Smooth the carpet over the entire surface, from the center to the walls, with a mop.

• Trim the carpet flush with the baseboards and the door with a cutter or trimmer.