The quality of carpet laying affects not only the appearance of the room, but also how long the carpet will last and whether its qualities will be maintained throughout the entire period of operation.
The choice of laying method depends on the basis of the carpet, the functional purpose of the room where the carpet is laid, the frequency of its use and the condition of the floor..
There are several ways to install carpet:
- Free styling without fixing;
- Installation using double-sided adhesive tape (scotch tape) placed under the edges (along the perimeter of the room), seams, and in the form of a net over the entire floor area;
- Direct gluing with full fixation to the floor (most often used in large rooms);
- Double gluing – used when the carpet is laid on a substrate (first the substrate is glued to the floor, and then the carpet is glued to it);
- Glueless method with stretching and using a substrate (stretching).
In small rooms up to 25 m2, the adhesive tape method can be used. In Europe, flooring on scotch tape is mainly used in home interiors: the minimum amount of consumables, the convenience of replacing outdated coating. This method is quite consistent with European trends in carpet production, where the emphasis is on fashionable design, which changes every two to three years. In large rooms, especially where there will be increased loads (a large flow of people, furniture on wheels, etc.), the carpet should be glued over the entire surface.
North America has stricter carpet comfort requirements. The method of laying the covering using the substrate used there improves the functional properties of the carpet and extends its service life.
A
B
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Fig. 1
Carpet laying:
A. using double-sided adhesive tape – scotch tape (AKZO);
B. direct bonding with full fixation to the base (AKZO);
B. glueless method with stretching – stretching (Broadloom – center)
Stretching – It is a progressive and highly demanding type of carpet installation. When laying using the stretching method, the elasticity property inherent in all carpets is used. During stretching, carpets are laid on slats reinforced along the walls with two rows of nails driven in at an angle and stretched using special tools. A substrate is mandatory under the coating, which creates the effect of “softness” of the coating under the feet, enhancing the effects of sound absorption and thermal insulation. The lifespan of stretch carpets is significantly longer, and when installing or replacing the carpet, there is no need to prepare the subfloor.
Any installation method must take into account the direction of the pile of the carpet, its type, surface structure, and the source and direction of light in the room. The latter can be decisive when laying carpet with shadow effects: multi-level, with combined sections and similar types of surface construction. In any case, it is desirable that the pile of the carpet in all sections lie in the same direction. If the carpet has a geometric pattern, consider symmetry and precise pattern repetition..
The floor must be leveled before laying the carpet. For a longer maintenance of good appearance and increased comfort, it is recommended to use a so-called “backing”. Such an additional pad increases the elasticity of carpets, as well as heat and sound insulation, extends the life of the carpet at least twice.
Felt, polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, and other materials can be used as a substrate. It is very important that this backing is sufficiently resilient. A loose backing will only damage the carpet during use. To determine the elasticity of the stem, simply squeeze it. If it crumpled easily, then the material is of poor quality and it is not recommended to use it. The thickness of the substrate is also important, the optimal thickness is from 0.65 to 1 cm.
When laying carpet, it is extremely important to maintain a temperature range of 15 to 25 ° C. For other conditions of use, the recommendations of the carpet and adhesive manufacturers must be followed.
For rooms with underfloor heating, the only possible way is to fully glue it. The heating must be switched off 24 hours before the flooring, and switched on again no earlier than 48 hours after the completion of the installation. In winter, the floor temperature must be maintained between 15-18 ° C.
What are the different methods used for laying carpets? Are there specific tools or techniques that are commonly used? How do these methods differ in terms of durability and ease of installation?