Slab under carpet

[dian57]

I've removed the carpet and padding from a room in preparation for new wall to wall next week. The slab has a few minor cracks and chips.

While I've got the room empty and the slab exposed, is there anything I should do before the new carpet goes down?

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[tileguytodd]

Throw a party !! ;)
It'll be too late once the carpets down, you'll never party again:(

[John Bridge]

Hi Diane, :)

There's nothing to do except clean the slab as well as you can. The party sounds good if you can keep everybody off the tack strips. Ouch!

:)

[jjwq8]

Ditto what John Said and before you lay anything over the floor, be very liberal with ant/roach powder and check the interface points with anything timber. If you have timber skirtings repaint now.

[sdaniels7114]

Repaint the baseboards (skirtboards) especially if the current coat doesn't make it all the way to the floor. Nowadays rugs are thinner in height while being more dense, IE shorter yarns in general, but a whole lot more of them. This means that if the base was painted since the old rug was put in, you're likely to have an area of base that is unpainted just above the new rug. I can't think of how many customers I've installed for that had to go back and touch up that 1/4' space right above the new carpet.

You might want to look at the path the installers will use to get through your home. A reputable company will pay for anything they damage, but nobody can unbreak Grandma's vase. So give 'em some room.

[Albert]

hey nurse,
no way wood i put a slab under a carpet. you shood think about tile under there.

albert

[dian57]

Great--I'm all set. I already swept and vacuumed the floor and repainted the base molding. There was, indeed, about 1/4 inch of unpainted wood along the floor. Room and closet doors are off and there's a clear path from the front door. Walls and windows are bare.

After watching carpet installers rip up the old tack strips when replacing other carpets in my house, I took these up myself. I want to minimize the opportunities to bang into the newly painted walls and moldings.

Sounds like I don't have to worry about the cracks, like fill them with caulk or anything. Right?

A party is out of the question--the echo in there is deafening.

[John Bridge]

Diane,

The cracks aren't going to do anything. I doubt they're wide enough to let bugs in. :)

[sdaniels7114]

One thing I could also add. Carpet CANNOT be stretched per industry guidelines with a knee kicker. Only the smallest of areas should be stretched that way. Stairs, the width of a normal hallway(not the length), and closets are about it. Everything else should be stretched with a Pole stretcher. It's a device that has a butt plate that braces against one wall and a series of metal tubes running to the other. At the end of the tubes is a head that grips the carpet and allows for a proper stretch. Basically, it's like a big car jack.

I'd suggest that when you call to confirm the installation date ask them if your carpet will be installed according to CRI 105. It's not the law, but the standards it calls for are similar in scope to the advice you'd get here, only relating to the fuzzy stuff. If they say that it's not necessary, ask them if the carpet they have for you is first quality or lesser. ALL first quality carpet comes with a warranty from the maker. The warranty is invalid if the rug is not installed according to CRI 105. Take a look here at what should be done for a long lasting installation:

http://www.carpet-rug.com/