Installing Carpeting in My Home
Owning a farm and a home is a huge responsibility. I oversee the care of all my animals and gardens as well as the maintenance, safety, and upkeep of every house and structure on the property.
I have several buildings here at Cantitoe Corners, and the one I use the most is called the Winter House where I live. Recently, I decided it was time to replace some its sisal carpeting. For this task, I enlisted the help of our friends at Westport Carpet & Rugs in nearby Westport, Connecticut - they've been taking care of my carpeting needs for many years. This latest installation process took two days to complete, but everything was done neatly and efficiently.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- The team from Westport Carpet & Rugs arrived right on time with my new sisal carpets. They carried the rolls of carpet and carpet padding into the Winter House where they would be cut and serged on site.
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- The shop is located in Westport, Connecticut not far from my previous home on Turkey Hill Road.
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- Back at my Bedford farm, the old carpeting is carefully removed from the stairs. The life expectancy of a sisal rug depends on where it’s used and the carpet’s exposure to traffic, spills or damage.
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- After the old material is removed, the carpet tack strips are replaced. These strips are narrow lengths of wood used to keep the carpet in place.
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- There are many types of carpet padding for different areas of the home. Carpet padding serves as the foundation for the carpet. It provides cushioning underfoot but also provides stability, insulation, and noise reduction. The best carpet padding will protect the backing on the bottom of your carpet and keep it from breaking down, thus prolonging the life of your carpet.
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- Here, the sisal is being cut to size, so spaces can be measured precisely. For most of the rooms, I use the same sisal. I like its durability, natural color, and coarse, slightly scratchy feel. Sisal comes from the long green leaves of the cactus plant Agave sisalana and is stronger than other natural fibers.
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- Once the padding pieces are cut they are installed first on every step.
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- This is a carpet edge serger machine, or carpet-binding machine. It is used to quickly and easily sew a border around the perimeter of a carpet.
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- The matching colored yarns are placed on spools and the machine wraps the threads over the edges.
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- The machine is equipped with little wheels so it can be pulled along as it sews, making a very neat edge. The serged corners and edges look neat and tidy.
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- Here, the carpet piece is placed on the landing and over the top step.
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- Dave works his way down the staircase, nailing the carpet as he goes.
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- A carpet knee kicker is used to stretch the carpet. The tool grips the carpet with a set of tines on the head and then pushes it into place.
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- This is a carpet installation chisel – a tool with a wide, flat blade used to tuck the carpet into tight spaces and secure it against the surface and in corners.
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- Here is a top view looking down on a lower landing.
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- Within a couple of hours, the stairs are done.
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- Then the stair rods are returned. Stair rods help to keep the carpet securely in place, but also add an elegant design element.
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- Extra pieces are never wasted. They are used for high traffic spaces to provide extra protection over the carpeting.
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- This sitting room, which is located between my foyer and servery also needs a new carpet. The team unrolls the old carpet and the padding.
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- Because this room is large, two pieces of new padding are needed to secure the carpet. This padding is very durable and long lasting. Tape is used to connect the two pieces together, but don’t worry, the tape never touches the floor.
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- Because the carpet is cut slightly smaller than the space to expose the wood floors, the area between the carpet edges and the walls must be measured several times. This carpet is about four-and-a-half inches from the wall along every side.
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- To help flatten the carpet, the edges are rolled in the opposite direction.
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- Although it is exactly the same as the previous rug, once it is down it totally freshens the space and gives it a nice, clean look. Now to put back the furniture.
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