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Right now I'm doing the happy dance and have to share my good fortune!!! I happened to notice yesterday in the newspaper that the Community Center just down the street from me was having a huge swap meet.
As it was already noon and was supposed to finish by one, I figured I missed out on the good deals but went anyhow. Just as I thought most of the stuff was picked over until I noticed a huge truck with signage of a carpet company parked amongst the stalls. I go closer and see they are selling carpets...not remnants but high quality commercial carpeting. The woman tells me whatever wasn't sold is getting sent to a warehouse where they make carpet squares.
Then tells me the asking price for each 12 by 12 carpet. A mere 20 dollars each!!! Whazzat???? I can't believe my ears...only 20 dollars and they are very high end quality carpets not the cheapie ones!! I buy two and race home with them. My son tells me you shoulda got more we can replace all the bedrooms with new carpets. I'm ashamed to admit my carpets are all worn and threadbare as the previous home owner bought the cheapest ones available when they put up the house for sale before I bought it. The kind that unravel and didn't survive my dogs puppyhood.
We go back just as they are packing up. The woman tells me ...tell you what...2 for 30 dollars!!! I'm thrilled and pick one I really like but unfortunately it falls short of the 12x12 size so she says...ah that one is yours for FREE..pick another two. Same thing happens again and this time the husband says that one is FREE...pick two more. Now I'm doing the happy dance as I end up with four more carpets for 30 dollars. I spent a total of 70 dollars only for 6 carpets!!!! Best of all two of the downstairs bedrooms are quite small...9X9 so the smaller carpets they gave to me will fit downthere. Once I install the laminate flooring in my living room and dining room and the new carpets in the bedrooms - my house will look like a million dollars!!
Okay....so now I have to learn how to install carpets!! Please forgive my lenghty story but I'm so darn happy about my great deal!! I love bargins!!!
Ummm so how do you install carpets? I know I'm supposed to get the tacks or would double sided tape work? The carpets are going in all the bedrooms, so not really high traffic areas. Do I need to rent a kicker? Can I use the pre-existing underlay or will it fall apart when I remove the old carpets? Ha! Betcha the underlay is going to cost me more than the carpets! 
Marianne |
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Great deal!!!
First, is there carpet in the rooms already? If so the tackless strips are already installed around the edges so this step is done. You probebly will need new padding under the carpet though. There are many different grades and styles, and each carpet style has it's own type.
You could rent a kicker or a power stretcher (easier to use, it is like a double ended kicker with a power piston in the middle).
If you have never installed carpet before you could hire someone for 2 - 3 dollars per yard to help do the install. A one man carpet installer would be perfect and the tackless is already down. You could get rid of the old carpet yourself to save time / money too. |
Hi Guru,
Yes, each of the bedrooms already has carpeting so I imagine they have the tack around the edges. I removed the carpeting myself in the rec room before installing the laminate flooring. I think I'll give it a try myself in one of the rooms that almost have no furniture. If I find myself cussing a lot then it's time to call in a pro! 
Thanks for the suggestion regarding the power stretching as I had a concern regarding the kicker as I've always had problem with one of my knees and was worried about that.
Thanks again!
Marianne |
| Always here to help out!! |
