The age of nailing and fixing carpet with the help of tack stripes has gone. Though many people may still prefer to use the traditional method of carpeting, nowadays, the popular way of laying carpet is to use carpet tiles. I assume that you already know how carpet tile outweighs the benefits of traditional carpets.
Carpet tile eliminates the hassle of cutting, measuring, and nailing the carpet using the tack stripes or gluing it down to the floor. It is much more convenient as carpet tiles are always shaped and you just need to peel and stick them on the floor. But it is not as simple as it sounds if you don’t know the right procedure. To install the carpet tile effectively, you need to know the process.
To help you install the carpet tiles correctly on the floor, I am here with a step-by-step guide on how to install carpet tiles. If you are willing to get stunning carpet flooring most easily, I am here to guide you.
Hang in there and stay with me!
7 Easy Steps To Install Carpet Tiles: Do It Like A Pro
You need to go through 7 simple steps to install carpet tiles. Needless to say that you must buy a top-quality carpet tile that matches the interior as well as is durable. Once you are done with buying the carpet tiles, now it is your turn to install them on the floor.
You need preparation before installing the carpet tiles. Even after installation, you should touch up your work. So in this step-by-step guide, I will mention all the steps including the preparation, installation, and other necessary works post-installation.
Here comes the step-by-step guide on how to install carpet tile:
Step 1- Gather The Necessary Tools:
You need some basic tools to install carpet tiles. Make a list so that you don’t miss out on anything. Also, try to minimize the budget as you need these tools only once. You may have some tools at your home and require to buy some.
Here are the necessary tools you need to install carpet tile:
- Measuring Tape: It has to be long enough to measure from one end to the other end of the floor.
- Scraper: A scraper will be helpful to prepare the flooring by correcting the imperfections.
- Chalk Line: Pick a budget-friendly chalk line which is a loop of string that leaves a chalk line when laid on a surface.
- Framing Square: To ensure that you have drawn perfect squares and make installation perfect, a framing square will help you.
- Double-sided Carpet Tape: To fix the carpet and reinforce the installation, you may need double-sided carpet tape. Keep it in case you need it.
- Utility Knife: Utility knife is required to cut and trim the carpet. You may need to cut the carpet tile to fit it well on the floor. A utility knife will make the task easier.
- Roller: You may rent a roller or also use dumbbells to roll down the carpet tiles.
Step 2- Prepare The Floor:
Most carpet tiles can be installed on any subfloor. So you can either scrape off the subfloor or install the carpet tiles on the existing floor. It totally depends on your convenience.
But if you ask me, I will suggest taking off the subfloor only if it is easy to do. For example, scraping of vinyl planks and carpet is easy. But taking off hardwood flooring is troublesome and risky. In that case, you can just repair the damaged areas and make the surface flat. Use the scraper to remove and polish the imperfect areas. Make sure that the corners are flat and flawless. You can use a hammer to reinforce the nails so that they don’t stick out.
After correcting and repairing the damages and imperfections, you should clean the flooring before installing the carpet tiles. On a dirty surface, you can’t stick the carpet tiles well. So mop the entire floor to prepare the surface.
Step 3- Start From The Center:
Many may make the mistake of starting from one corner of the floor. This is what you may have done while installing a traditional carpet. But while installing carpet tile, you have to start from the center of the floor. But why?
This is because it ensures the central and major part of the floor is covered with solid square carpet tiles, not with striped carpet tiles. The rest of the empty areas across the corner of the floor are covered with strips of carpet tiles. Basically, starting from the center increases the aesthetic appeal of the floor.
To start with, use the measuring tape to identify the center of the floor. Now take the chalk line. Lay it from the center of one wall to the opposite wall. Do the same with the adjacent walls so that you can divide the floor into four equal quadrants. The point where all the four lines meet will be the center. This is where you will start working.
Step 4- Start Laying The Carpet Tiles:
Start from the center. Peel off the back part of the carpet tile and stick it to the ground. While sticking, start from the center and try to cover one quadrant first. Make sure that the carpet tiles are being installed in a straight line following the chalk line.
Check the direction of the carpet tile pattern too. Decide the design pattern you want to see. Also, if your carpet tiles don’t have a peel-off system, make sure to use a top-quality adhesive. Focus on the corner areas of the carpet tiles to ensure that the adhesive is glued correctly and the tiles don’t loosen from the floor.
Once you cover one quadrant, start sticking the carpet tiles on the other quadrant and cover all the quadrants to cover the entire floor. However, you have to stop at the edges where you won’t be able to place an entire carpet tile. Leave those little spaces for now because you have to cut and paste the carpet tiles in those portions. For now, paste the carpet tiles throughout the floor where you can stick an entire carpet tile.
I assume now you understand why I have suggested starting from the center. You have covered the prominent part of the floor by doing this. You are just left with the periphery which we will do in the next step.
Step 5- Measure, Cut, And Cover The Periphery:
Now that you have covered most of the areas, you now need to cover the edges of the floor. To do so, you have to cut the carpet tiles. But hey! This can be a bit tricky. So be careful in this step.
First, use the measuring tape to measure the width of the area left at the edges. I insist on measuring twice so that you don’t cut the carpet tiles incorrectly. If you cut incorrectly, you will waste some of the carpet tiles which is not worth it. So take the measurement once and before noting it down, measure once again to check.
Now mark the measurement on the back part of the carpet tile. You can use the framing square to ensure that the lines are straight. Please be extra careful about the measurement. The measurement should be correct and the framing has to be perfect too.
After taking the measurement, use the utility knife to cut the carpet tile. It will easily slice the carpet tile. Now stick this sliced carpet tile at one edge of the floor. Similarly, cut other carpet tiles and stick them throughout the periphery of the floor. Congo! You have now covered the entire floor with carpet tiles!
Step 6- Roll And Press The Carpet Tile:
You have just completed installing the carpet tiles on the floor. But does the process end here? Are you sure that the carpet tiles have been firmly stuck to the floor? No. You can’t ensure that now. This is why you need to follow another simple step.
For this step, you need a roller. Buying a roller is not worth it as you need it only once. You can rent a roller or even use your dumbbells to do this task! Basically, the floor requires a hard rolling object that can flatten the carpet surface. However, using the roller makes the task easier.
Run the roller over the carpet tiles. Put extra pressure on the seams of the carpet tiles. This will ensure that the carpet tiles have been firmly installed on the floor. It will make the surface flat as well as ensure that the carpet tiles are not sticking out.
Step 7- Give The Finishing Touch:
Your flooring must be looking stunning at this moment! You have successfully installed the carpet tiles on the floor. Now you just need to touch up the floor.
To give a finishing touch, you have to see the unfinished parts and fibers sticking out. Take out the fibers and clean up the weird cuts and fibers. After that, use a vacuum cleaner to clean up the carpet and suck up the dirt and fibers.
And you are done with installing the carpet tiles! Isn’t the floor looking picture-perfect now?
Tips On Installing Carpet Tile:
Installing carpet tile is not rocket science and anyone can do it effortlessly. But to make it more efficient, I have a few tips for you. These tips will help you to avoid mistakes.
- Always make the subfloor flat before installing the carpet tiles to get a fine and polished flooring. If you think scraping off the subfloor and making it even is challenging for you, use a self-leveling compound to make the surface even.
- If you are confused about the measurement while cutting the carpet tiles, cut one inch larger than the actual measurement. If you take this extra one inch, you can correct it by cutting the extra part. But if you cut the actual size, there is no chance of rectifying and the whole carpet tile will be wasted.
- Peel-and-stick tiles have strong adhesives. So after you peel off the back part, you have to install it immediately on the floor. Don’t stick that to any other place as it would stick there and while pulling it off, you may end up damaging the tile. As carpet tiles are soft, be careful while peeling off the back layer.
These are some tips that can make the carpet tile installation process error-free.
Commonly Asked Questions On Carpet Tile Installing:
Is Installing Carpet Tiles Easier Than Carpets?
You may get confused while choosing between carpet and carpet tile. From all aspects, carpet tiles are better. And if you compare the installation procedures, then carpet tile will definitely win the race.
Carpets require tackless strips, nailing, and stretching the carpet which is quite a troublesome task. In most cases, an inexperienced person won’t be able to install a carpet. The processes are delicate and should be handled with care. But with carpet tiles, the hassle is a hundred times less. You need not shape or nail or attach the tiles with the tackless strips. The carpet tiles are already shaped and you just need to stick them on the ground.
Therefore, it is way easier to install carpet tiles than installing carpet. Following the right steps, anyone can easily install carpet tiles perfectly on the floor. But to install carpet, people require a minimum level of expertise.
Can You Install Carpet Tiles On a Concrete Floor?
Carpet tiles can be installed on concrete floors. In fact, they can be installed on almost any surface. Starting from plywood to concrete, carpet tiles are compatible with most subfloor materials.
The only fact to remember is to make the surface even and clean. As concrete surfaces may have uneven and unpolished portions, you need to scrape off those areas and correct the error. If the floor is unpolished, you will have to struggle to fix the carpet tiles on the floor. This is why you need to make the surface flat before installing the carpet tiles on the concrete floor. Also, mop the surface before installation.
Therefore yes, you can install carpet tiles on concrete floors if you ensure that the surface is flat, even, and clean.
Is Carpet Cheaper Than Carpet Tiles?
The straight answer to this question is NO. Carpets are not cheaper than carpet tiles. In fact, their prices are very similar depending on the quality of the materials.
Generally, carpets are only slightly cheaper than carpet tiles. But if you look into the total cost including the material and installation, the investment is almost the same. Because you are going to save up the installation cost when you choose carpet tiles. So this balances the cost between carpet tiles and carpet. So in terms of pricing, there is no considerable difference between these two options.
Therefore, the pricing of carpet tiles and carpet in total is almost the same. There is no mentionable difference if you calculate the total cost of the material and installation.
Do You Need Underlay To Install Carpet Tiles?
There is no need to put an extra underlay to install carpet tiles. Carpet tiles can be fitted on any flooring without the need for an extra underlay. Starting from plywood to concrete, you can install carpet tiles on almost any type of flooring without an underlay.
However, if you want a layer of protection for heavy-traffic areas, it is a good idea to install an underlay before fitting the carpet tiles. You can choose an acoustic underlay to reduce the noise or select an insulating underlay for heat insulation. Take advice from an expert to decide on which underlay would be the best.
Therefore, in general circumstances, carpet tiles don’t require any underlay. Only for high-traffic areas, you can think of installing an underlay before sticking the carpet tiles.
What Is The Total Installation Cost Of Carpet Tiles?
Installing carpet tiles is not expensive. But while considering the cost, I suggest counting the total cost including the cost of the carpet tile as well as the installation cost to know the sum.
So here is a table mentioning the average cost of carpet tiles and the installation cost:
| List | Basic (100 sq. ft) | Better (100 sq. ft) | Best (100 sq. ft) |
| Carpet Tile Cost | $180- $245 | $250- $295 | $320- $395 |
| Carpet Tile Installation Cost | $125- $135 | $150- $165 | $170- $190 |
| Carpet Tile Cost In Total | $305- $380 | $400- $460 | $490- $585 |
| Cost In Total For Per Sq. Ft | $3.42 | $4.30 | $5.38 |
These are the average costs of the carpet tiles and installation. Depending on the quality of the tiles, the pricing would vary. Also, the cost may go up and down as the mentioned numbers are the average prices.
Conclusion:
You have learned the right procedure for installing carpet tiles along with some tips. I believe you are clear about the procedure and all your confusion has been solved.
Read the article once again and start installing the stunning carpet tiles on the floor!
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