How to Pick the Right Carpet Installer

Why Is It Important to Pick the Right Carpet Installer?

Years of wine spills and pet accidents beg the question: Is it time for a new carpet?But before you go out and buy one, it’s a good idea to do some research first. This step not only entails finding out what styles, colors, and materials of carpeting are available in the market, but also finding a carpet installer who’s professional and can be trusted to get the job done perfectly the first time around.

Doing this may seem moot—how hard can picking out and installing carpeting by yourself can be? Choosing a carpet is easy enough and is a matter of personal style and taste. On the other hand, installing your new carpet is an entirely different ball game, requiring skill and experience. Of course, there’s nothing keeping you from trying your hand at carpet installation, but be warned that it may not end well. It’s likely that you may miss one or more things that a professional carpet installer would do, or you may not have any of the precision tools that they use. As such, you may not pull and stretch the carpet over the tacks, making the surface wrinkle and look warped. Or you may not have used enough tacks, tapes, transition strips, or adhesives, so that the the carpet starts unraveling after only a few days. These are things you don’t want to see in your home, especially given the time, effort, and money you spent on your new carpet. The best way to avoid these and other problems like them, therefore, is to hire a professional carpet installer, one who is reputable and can be depended on.

How Do I Know My Carpet Installer Is Qualified?

Many carpet suppliers have their own installers, but if you’re not sure of their quality, you can certainly do some research and find a carpet installer on your own. However, it’s very important that you don’t hire the first person who gives you a low bid right off the bat. Even if the price is right, you should ask the carpet installer certain questions to make sure that you’re hiring someone who will do a lousy job.

A carpet installer, just like all other contractors and small business owners, should have a state license and business liability insurance. Ask to see their license and insurance certificate. Also, find out if they are bonded, which means they have secured funds available should the customer make a claim about property damage or unfinished work. If a carpet installer is legitimate, they won’t have any problems answering this question and supplying you with their license number as well as other related documents.

Moreover, ask for a list of references. Again, if they’re legit, they won’t have a problem providing you with a list of their former customers and their contact number. Do call these references, and ask them what their overall experience with the contractor was like. Also, find out what type of job the installer did for them. There’s a world of difference between installing premium carpeting in custom homes and low-grade carpeting in apartment units. Make sure that the carpet installer you’re thinking of hiring has done many jobs similar to yours, so you can be sure that they’ll be able to deliver what you need.

You should also ask the carpet installer how many years they’ve been in business. Someone who has only been doing installations for a year or so will most likely work more slowly and possibly make more mistakes than one with years of experience.

Additionally, a carpet installer should be certified by one or more trade associations. One certification to look out for is from Certified Flooring Installers (CFI). Since 1993, this organization has been training and certifying industry professionals. If they have a CFI certification, your carpet installer can and will be able to perform all manner and phases of carpeting work, including inspection, estimation, and installation.

What Are the Different Types of Carpeting Work That I Should Consider?

There are great many choices of carpet in stores, all in a variety of colors, patterns, and designs. In reality, however, there are only really four basic carpet types based on how they were made: woven, tufted, knotted, and needle felt.

Woven carpets are made on a hand or an automated loom, and they are the most popular and traditional carpeting type used worldwide. These exceptionally durable carpets are made from wool or a combination of 80% wool and 20% nylon, the latter of which adds strength to the carpet, making it a perfect choice for almost any room in the home, even in high-traffic areas such as hallways and the kitchen. Woven carpets come in a wide variety of patterns that are woven right into the carpet as it is made rather than just printed on top. The relatively slow and intricate nature of producing woven carpets make these relatively more expensive than other carpet types.

On the other hand, tufted carpets are produced on specialized sewing machines. These machines have hundreds of needles that push yarn through a backing material with loops that hold the yarn in place, forming tufts. The primary backing is then bonded to a secondary backing, which provides stability to the carpet. To achieve different textures, the pile of a tufted carpet is sheared using blades. The process described above is the most common method of manufacturing carpets for domestic use worldwide.

Knotted carpets have piles made from the cut-off ends of knots woven into the backing material, and they’re made by hand or using a machine. Hand-knotted carpets and rugs take a lot of time produce on top of an incredible amount of skill, which is why they are more expensive than their machine-knotted counterparts. The knot density or the number of knots per square determines the quality of a knotted carpet, which means higher densities cost a great deal more than lower densities.

Lastly, needle felt carpets are the ones most commonly used in commercial establishments, chosen because of their extreme durability. This durability is due to the way needle felt carpets are produced, that is, by intermingling and felting fibers using barbed and forked needles. Aside from commercial properties, needle felts are also a popular choice for use in high-traffic areas in the home.

How Much Should I Expect to Pay a Quality Carpet Installer?

Depending on where you live, the price of carpet installations varies widely. The national average for installing carpet in a standard 12′ x 12′ room without any odd angles is between $300 and $750 using a low- to middle-grade material, or around $2 to $5 per square foot. If your carpet is of a higher grade or if your room is larger, it goes without saying that you should expect to pay more. The padding also adds on to the final price of the job, as do other materials such as adhesives and tacks. Labor, too, is another major factor that affects the price of the projects, and how much you’re going to pay for this is something you should definitely discuss in depth with your contractor.

Also, when you’re negotiating with your installer, ask them about any extra fees that may apply to the job. For instance, will they charge you extra for removing the old carpet and padding? Will disposing of these cost you extra, as well? So there’ll be no surprises when you get the bill, talk everything through with your contractor, and make sure you’re both on the same page. 

For the best idea of what price you can expect to pay, download an app like Contractors.com (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/contractors.com/id1078704337 for iOS or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.contractorsapp for Android devices) to connect with the best carpet installer near you and get a free quote.

Everything You Need to Know About Carpet Installers

While a DIY carpet installation can save you money on labor, it’s possible that you’ll still end up paying more on materials and especially on the specialized tools needed to ensure a good installation. What’s more, if you botch the job, which is highly likely if you have neither the experience nor the skill to perform any type of carpeting work, it’s possible that you’ll botch the job. If this happens, you may find yourself saddled with even more expenses, because you’r going to want and need to do everything over.

As such, and for other practical reasons, you should definitely consider hiring a professional carpet installer. Getting a pro to work on your project ensures quality workmanship that translates to durability, resiliency, and value for your money. What’s even better is that their work will be guaranteed, giving you peace of mind on top of outstanding results.

To find a carpet installer near you, enter your zip code above to start searching.