July 4, 2022
Ever seen some home transformation videos where homeowners completely renovate their homes by themselves? Now, this is your chance to do just that with carpet tiles! Having tile carpets in your home creates a cosy yet stylish environment for you and your loved ones to enjoy. Not to mention, due to its natural softness and sound-absorbing properties, it provides a comfortable atmosphere to relax. This is the perfect opportunity for you to change up your existing floors into something fresher!
Yes! Laying carpet tiles would be a perfect project for home DIY-ers to take on in their next milestone or just about anyone who wishes to try and learn a new skill.
Not at all! It may be a challenge to some as it can be labour-intensive depending on the size and condition of your existing floors, but nothing a few simple steps could not fix! Additionally, learning how to lay your carpet by yourself is cost-effective as you would not require an external team.
Like all floor installations, there is a series of preparations that need to be performed before installing your new flooring. In this case, carpet floor tiles. Here are four simple steps:
1) Once you have removed your old floors, clean your subfloors with a broom, vacuum or mop to get rid of any grime or dust that may be stuck.
2) Apply a floor primer to prevent floor damage
3) Let the now prepared subfloor rest fully for about 24 hours
4) While waiting, unpack your chosen carpet tiles by laying them down to get them acclimatise to the space
Ideally, the best way would be to have adhesives but you can also opt not to.
Several carpet tiles can be installed without the use of adhesives! However, when need be, adhesives such as double-sided tape or glue can help keep the tiles from moving.
Carpet tiles offer not only a wide range to choose from in terms of style and quality but are also an inexpensive way to help transform the entire outlook of your home or space. With complete professional installation, the cost of installing carpet tiles can range from $20/m2 to $275/m2 depending on the quality, style and material.
For example, if you wish to have carpet floor tiles that are thicker and higher in quality, alpaca wool carpeting may lean on the expensive side but provides an impeccable quality to warm your home.
Here are seven simple steps to follow when installing your carpet tiles:
This goes without saying as you would want as much space as possible when installing your new floor. You could also see this as an opportunity to start fresh with new furniture and room decor that best matches your soon-to-be installed carpet tiles.
While some may opt to place their carpet directly above their existing flooring, especially if it is a smooth and balanced surface, we strongly recommend for you to start fresh by removing your old floors entirely.
With old flooring, there can be bacteria festering over time which may cause health issues to you and your loved ones or even hidden moisture damage. Additionally, this can risk the adhesive of the carpet tiles not sticking well to the surface. Hence, using either a pry bar or floor scraper, slowly remove pieces of your existing flooring.
As we have mentioned, once your subfloor is exposed, all you would have to do is clean, prime and acclimatise your carpet tiles to their new space! As the surface of the subfloor below must be flat for installation, make sure to fill in any cracks or gaps that may be present.
If your subfloors are concrete, a concrete patch will do just the trick. However, if your subfloors are plywood, either wood putty or floor leveller are able to fill in the gaps. Do note that both solutions need to be dried overnight for them to be ready.
Concrete, wood and just about any other type of subfloors are naturally porous meaning they are susceptible to water, Unfortunately, that is also the case for carpet tiles. If the liquid was to seep through, it can cause the growth of mould or mildew that damages the entire structure of the subfloor and carpet tile over time. Thus, it is vital to use the right quality sealer to help prevent this.
Do note that the type of sealer used will be determined by the subfloor material. You can apply them using a roller or even spray-on. Usually, one or two applications would suffice and wait for about an hour for it to completely dry.
Before installing your carpet squares, you must first understand your space as not all spaces are precisely squared or rectangular. Unless it is, this can create a rather skewed and imbalanced look if one side of the space has a longer carpet cut while the rest remains in squares.
Instead, find the centre of the space and divide your space into quadrants starting from the centre point by using chalk. This is so that all sides would be uniform once installed.
This is not the same as acclimatising your carpet tiles to the space but rather laying them onto your now marked surface to see if they fit or require further amendments. Installing them immediately can result in extra work of prying them out due to miscalculations in measurements.
Now you can finally install your new flooring without any hassle!
Understandably, tile installation may not be easy. Especially to new homeowners who are just starting the ropes but that is why Jupps Flooring is here. Our flooring experts are here and ready to cater to your every flooring need. From choosing the right carpet tile patterns to even the best carpet tile glue options, Jupps Flooring has got you and your home covered. So why not drop by one of our outlets or check out our website. Better yet, reach out to us by sending us your enquiry.
