Carpet Installers

Core Tasks

1. Inspect the surface to be covered to determine its condition, and correct any imperfections that might show through carpet or cause carpet to wear unevenly.
2. Roll out, measure, mark, and cut carpeting to size with a carpet knife, following floor sketches and allowing extra carpet for final fitting.
3. Join edges of carpet and seam edges where necessary, by sewing or by using tape with glue and heated carpet iron.
4. Cut and trim carpet to fit along wall edges, openings, and projections, finishing the edges with a wall trimmer.
5. Plan the layout of the carpet, allowing for expected traffic patterns and placing seams for best appearance and longest wear.
6. Stretch carpet to align with walls and ensure a smooth surface, and press carpet in place over tack strips or use staples, tape, tacks or glue to hold carpet in place.
7. Take measurements and study floor sketches to calculate the area to be carpeted and the amount of material needed.
8. Install carpet on some floors using adhesive, following prescribed method.
9. Clean up before and after installation, including vacuuming carpet and discarding remnant pieces.
10. Measure, cut and install tackless strips along the baseboard or wall.
11. Nail tack strips around area to be carpeted or use old strips to attach edges of new carpet.
12. Cut carpet padding to size and install padding, following prescribed method.
13. Fasten metal treads across door openings or where carpet meets flooring to hold carpet in place.
14. Draw building diagrams and record dimensions.
15. Move furniture from area to be carpeted and remove old carpet and padding.
16. Cut and bind material.

Technology & Tools

Related Occupations

Compare skills gap with any of these related roles.