[A/S] carpet changing

["Terry Tyler" <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Barbara

NOT difficult IF you take out the old carpet carefully; IF you use it as a template for your new
carpet; IF you use a carpet knife; IF you use a "knee knocker" and IF you nail down wooden tack
strips (you buy them at the carpet place) to hold the carpet in place while you install your new
carpet. 

How's that for starters?

I suggest that you first go to a carpet place and buy a remnant to practice on. NOT a lot of
practice, but enough so you know what kind of gloves you'll need to avoid blisters when using the
special carpet scissors (who said anything about scissors?) or to keep from scuffing your knuckles
on the carpet backing while maneuvering it into all the corners inside your trailer. 

While at the carpet place, ask to see the tools they typically use when laying carpet. Whenever
doing a job for the first time, I have no qualms about being the proverbial dumb bunny who asks a
lot of questions before spending my money and doing the job.

IF you like the carpet people, IF you think they'll do the job better than you could possibly do it
and IF they have a huge driveway, you might ask if you could bring your floor to them so they could
lay the carpet for you. Of course, if you do that, you'll be buying carpet and labor, instead of
just carpet. For $100 labor (give or take), it might be worth it for them to do the job, especially
if you didn't keep up your exercise program last Winter (a lot of bending over, being on your knees
a good deal of the time, being physically agile (a contortionist) in tight quarters and using
muscles you didn't know you had).

Assuming you will do it yourself: find a clean, dry, flat place (your garage?) with a lot of old 
newspapers on top of the oil spots, where you can lay out the new carpet and use the carpet knife
without worrying about damaging what's under the carpet (fancy wooden floor? No way). The name of
the game for me is to do the cutting systematically, slowly and with great deliberation. By the time
I'm ready to take the new carpet inside the trailer and lay it down, I want it to be right - the
first time.

And - oh yes, by the way - have a first aid kit with the exact bandages and adhesive tape you'll
need when your knife slips and you nearly cut off a finger with that ultra, ultra sharp carpet
knife. While doing the cutting, have several clean rags immediately available so your blood doesn't
get on the new carpet. If you haven't been to the hospital emergency room lately for stitches, it
might be prudent to find out where it is and exactly where you can park your car when (not if) their
parking lot is full.  

IF - IF you choose to cut and lay the carpet directly on the trailer floor without bothering to use
a template first, then you don't need ANY suggestions. That is how professional carpet layers do it
and in 1/10 the time you'll need for doing the job. 

Terry
mailto:tylerbears@airstream.net