How To Remove & Fit Your Own Carpet And Underlay

Carpets can make your home a warm and comfortable place to live in. With hundreds of designs, cuts, and colours to choose from - there are thousands of possibilities to fulfil your style statement. However, fitting carpet is also a vital part of that. When a carpet is badly fitted, you will spend hours tucking in frayed edges and corners when they come up.

And that's just one side of the story…

Many of our customers ask for our advice on how they can fit their own underlay so they can do things on their schedule and save a bit of the cost and time. We totally get it – life is busy these days. 

DIY projects need to get done when they get done, not at a time that will disturb the rest of your life.

Think about it:

Wouldn't it be great if instead of having to be at home to let the carpet fitters in, you could just do it yourself in the evening after work, or on Sunday when the kids are outside playing football?

Laying the underlay is quite an easy task once you have everything else in order, but it helps to take the time to plan and prepare properly. In this article, we will go through some steps you can take to fit your underlay quickly and efficiently and make the most of the process.

 

So let's get to it.

1. Make A Room-By-Room Plan

Whether you are just changing carpets or completely renewing your house's interior, it is best to do one room at a time. At first, decide what you want to do and what you really can achieve in each room, then think about how the different tasks join together.

For example, it is much simpler to paint an empty room than having to cover and move around the furniture. So if you need to clear the space to change the carpet and plan to re-paint the ceiling in the future, why not combine the two jobs?

Furthermore, if you are changing the flooring and disposing of the old carpet, it makes sense to paint before pulling it up. In this way, you won't risk damaging the board's other materials underneath the flooring with a ladder.

Once you know what to get done in each room, the next job is to decide what order to go through them. You need to be sensible about this. If you are doing extensive DIY, don't do all of your bedrooms simultaneously. Otherwise, where will you sleep? 

Also, consider how long your kitchen and bathrooms might be out of action and balance things out, so the projects aren't too disruptive.

2. Clear Your Room

As you have a clear vision about what to do, and assuming any painting, decorating or repairs are done, now it's time to empty the first room so you can remove the flooring.

When you are ready to get working on a room, here is the main problem: Where does the furniture go?

Temporarily, you can move out smaller items into other rooms or storage, such as attics and garages. But you have to make sure they don't block access to anything you will need.

Of course, it is easier to relocate cupboards and units that are empty. But while moving buky furniture, make sure you remove any drawers, shelves, rails or boards to make them lighter.

However, oversized items can't always fit through doors if they were assembled within the room. In this case, you have two choices:

1. Take the furniture apart, or

2. Place it on the one side of the room and fix the underlay and carpet on the other side. After that, move the furniture onto the new flooring.

The choice is yours depending on the item that needs to be moved and the dimensions of your room. Once the room is clean, the next job is to get rid of the old flooring.

3. Removing And Disposing Of Old Flooring

It helps to clarify how you will dispose of your old carpets or floorboards before ripping them up throughout the house. However, following are the few options depending on your preference:

Can The Local Council Take Your Carpet?

Waste disposal and recycling differ around the country depending on what your local council prefers. So firstly, check the website or give them a call to find out what is the most suitable option for you.

If they can collect the materials, that would be absolutely great! But if you have to take them to a recycling centre, then ensure to cut them into a size that can be moved using your vehicle.

Do Any Local Companies Want It?

Secondly, there might be organisations in your area that will take the old carpet and underlay off your hands as they can recycle or reuse it. You can also do a quick search online like "carpet disposal in [your town]" might point you to some good options.

Thirdly you can also reuse either the underlay or carpet (or both) in your utility room, attic, shed, garage, or elsewhere in your house if they aren't in poor condition. But again, make sure to cut it into the right size and give it a clean.

4. Check Your Floor's Integrity

Once the flooring has been removed, and the area underneath is exposed, this is an excellent time to look around for any areas of damp or damage that need addressing.

Also, if you have exposed any telephone cables, water pipes, or electrical wiring, it is a good idea to note those you weren't aware of. By doing that, you can make sure that you don't put a nail through any of them at a later stage!

5. Fitting Carpet Grippers

 

Carpet grippers need to be fitted before underlay is placed on the floor. They help ensure that carpets are secured and look well-finished once laid. Be patient and take your time to make sure they are straight and level, as this will make your carpet more even and secure.

Carpet grippers should be fixed around the corner of your room (except doorways) with a gap of approximately one and a half times the carpet's thickness between the gripper and the wall or skirting board.

You can usually nail the grippers to the floor or glue them if the floor is concrete. Once they are affixed and secure, you need to layout the underlay to fit the floor.

 

6. Laying Out And Cutting

 

Underlay is provided in rolls with various lengths, so make sure to measure the exact area of the space you want to cover. You will also have to leave a few centimetres along the edges sticking out over the carpet gripper. This will make it easier to fix the underlay securely.

Layout the underlay needed on the floor, rubber side down, and cut it to fit. As previously mentioned, leave a few centimetres over the carpet grippers. Also, do not overlap sheets - or else you will end up with lumps in the floor. 

If required, you can also use carpet tape to join sheets together. But keep in mind that a sharp cutting tool and patience are vital to getting accurate underlay sheets ready to fix.

7. The Final Stage – Fixing The Underlay To The Floor

After the floor surface is fully prepared and the underlay is laid to fit, all that is left is to secure it in place. Make sure to take your time with this part of the process and get it right the first time.

Firstly, you need to fix the underlay edges flush inside the grippers. If your floor is made of wood, then you can use heavy staples. Or, if it is concrete, then simply go with the tape or glue.

Next, ensure that the joins between sheets are even and secure. Use tape to fix them in a place where needed if you haven't already done so. Lastly, use a pair of scissors or a sharp knife to trim off the excess underlay over the grippers, around any door frames, or any other fixtures in the room.

There we have it! Your underlay has been carefully fitted to a perfectly prepared floor for the next room in your DIY masterplan. You can now be assured of laying your carpet as you have created a great surface beneath it.

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