Fixing Frayed Carpets At Transitions

“We recently bought a house in a neighborhood we love. The carpet is in pretty good shape and we weren’t planning on replacing it just yet, but we do have one problem. The carpet transitions into tile at one of the bathrooms and it’s fraying. Is there anything I can do? Is this a DIY project, or do I need to hire someone?”

As with any home improvement project, the quicker you are at fixing the problem, the more likely you will be at repairing it completely without a noticeable change. If the carpet is just starting to fray, its important to fix the exposed edge before the wear continues into the carpet. If damage extends more than an inch or so away from the threshold, the repair will be more noticeable.

How To Fix Frayed Carpet Transitions

Here, you will find step by step instructions for properly identifying and repairing a frayed carpet transition. As always, we at Pro Flooring are here to help should you wish to hire a professional for the job.

Step 1. Remove the threshold

Start by removing the metal threshold along the entire length separating the carpet and your bathroom floor. Be careful during the removal process to not damage the carpeting any further. You will be replacing the metal threshold, so don’t worry about wrecking it. Use pliers or a screwdriver to bend the lip up along the entire length, then carefully bend it up and remove from the teeth inside the threshold.

Step 2. Take Measurements

Take a measurement of the opening area to cut a new threshold to install. Don’t use the old threshold as measurement, as that may be bent and kinked from wear and tear. You can use a hacksaw or a metal snips to cut the new threshold for replacement.

Thresholds come in a variety of widths, so it’s important to get one wide enough to help eliminate the problem with carpet fraying. Be sure to measure both length and width when choosing a new threshold.

Step 3. Trim off frayed damage and replace threshold

If the carpet is in good shape, you can replace the new threshold where the old one was. If the carpet is frayed, you will need to trim off the damage using a carpet knife and a straightedge. Then position the new threshold farther towards the carpeting to compensate for the part trimmed off. In most cases you can move the threshold about an inch or so in order to compensate for the damage.

If you’re working on a wood subfloor, attach the replacement threshold with drywall nails. If you are working with a concrete subfloor, a heavy duty adhesive will need to be applied and given time to dry.

Step 4. Reattach carpet to new threshold

Then reattach the carpet to the new threshold. Starting at one end, use a knee kicker to stretch the carpet toward the threshold. Kick firmly by not with all your strength or you may rip the carpet. Force the carpet into the threshold teeth with a stiff putty knife. Continue moving the kicker down the length of the threshold to put the entire length of carpet into place. When you’re done, tuck any loose ends under the baseboards, and pound the threshold into place with a rubber mallet.

Related: How To Select the Right Transition For Your Flooring

About Pro Flooring Brokers

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Commercial and residential customers love our huge selection of carpet, hardwood, porcelain tile, natural stone, luxury vinyl tile/planks, laminate flooring, and sheet vinyl flooring. Check out our products to learn more. Visit our showroom, meet our team, and let’s start your flooring project together. We offer:

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Installations performed by trained and qualified installers
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Flooring and installation are made easy with the PRO! Flooring Brokers. Contact us, visit our showroom, or call today at 303.788.0113. We look forward to helping you.

Carpet, Flooring
May 13, 2015

What Does Carpet Stretching Mean?

Have you ever noticed bubbles, wrinkles, ripples or other bunched up areas in your carpeting? And once you notice a small problem, have you ever wondered why it seems to increase in size very quickly?

It’s because carpeting is meant to be stretched tight. And once it begins to loosen, and forms any type of ripple, it needs stretching to bring it back into shape. As you walk on a small bubble within the carpet, it moves up and down far more than it should. And as it moves, it continues to loosen up the carpeting even more. Pretty soon small bubbles turn into large waves that are not only noticeable, they can quickly become a tripping hazard too.

When bubbles begin to form, the sooner you stretch them back into shape, the easier the process will be. In smaller places, a knee kicker may be all that is needed to put carpeting back into place. However, the larger the room, the more necessary a power carpet stretcher becomes. Power stretchers reach all the way across, butting up against both walls. One side will be flush against the wall, the other end has a head with a lever. When the lever is pushed down, the carpet is stretched. This is a very powerful tool; if too much pressure is applied it can rip or pull the tack strip off.

Loose carpet doesn’t mean you have a poor quality carpet or that it wasn’t installed correctly. Carpeting can come loose from a variety of reasons:

Heavy traffic – If your carpets get a lot of use above the norm – heavy foot traffic, wheelchair activity, kids playing – even a great carpet can eventually need stretching.
Moving heavy furniture – If you slide heavy furniture across your carpet, it can cause it to ripple and loosen at the edges.
Wrong padding – In many cases a homeowner will put all of their budget and research into choosing a quality carpet without thinking about the padding. Padding is equally important; if you choose a carpet and padding combo that don’t work together, it can allow the carpet to loosen and become rippled.
Poor installation – If your carpet was improperly installed, it may need stretching. In some cases it may not have been stretched into place during installation, or was improperly secured in place.

Once your carpets begin to ripple, it will only keep getting worse. Carpets are intended to lie flat, and once they begin pulling up, even normal walking on it will only exacerbate the problem. The only way to keep them looking their best, and help extend their useful life, is to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

Carpet, Flooring
May 9, 2015

4 Carpet Installation Problems and How To Avoid Them

Ready to have new carpet installed in your home this year?

Carpeting isn’t something you select every day, so it’s easy to be overwhelmed with the process. Carpets are meant to last for years, and give you worry-free living you can enjoy. And if you don’t choose the company you do business with wisely, or worse, try and do it yourself, you can wind up with poor installation, and a carpet you are anything but satisfied with.

Measuring incorrectly
In many cases, homeowners attempt to measure their rooms on their own, without taking into account the little nuances that can make the installation process a little tricky. Since most homes don’t have perfect squares or rectangles, it can be easy to miss the little details that add to the amount of carpeting you’ll need. Like closet space. Or hallways. Measuring the flow layout and adding up every detail in the space that will be carpeted means ordering the right amount of carpet the first time.

Lack of equipment
It may seem easy to buy a remnant or have a friend help you lay a piece of carpeting you got on sale. But installing a carpet required the right tools to get the job done. Buying the right tools can cost a fortune; yet even renting the proper tools can be a headache. Getting the wrong size trowel, for instance, for laying down the carpet adhesive can make your installation process much more difficult, and may create errors in the way it is mounted.

Improper padding
The carpeting is what shows; its what gives your room its style. Which means it’s where most people put their focus. However, it’s the padding that will give your carpeting longevity, and make it wear better overall. Make sure you select the proper padding for the style of carpeting you choose, and choose the highest quality for your room’s situation.

Improper fitting
Depending on the size of your room, seams may be a part of the landscape. Where those seams fall can increase or decrease the longevity of your carpet. Make sure the carpeting is laid to give functionality to your room without risking exposing the carpeting and having it fray around the seam lines.

Carpet, Flooring
May 2, 2015

What You Should Know About Carpet Ratings

When it comes time to purchasing carpet, we all want the best quality we can afford. After all, we’ve all lived with sub-par carpeting in a rental unit, or visited a home with threadbare carpets that looked anything but appealing.

We want quality
We want plush
We want a great color
We want something that will last for years

Yet your first visit to the store to look at carpeting can leave you completely overwhelmed.

If you visit a big box store, you’ll wander the aisles looking at a few select carpets without a lot of facts surrounding the samples you’ll see. Are they good? Are the priced reasonably? Does the salesperson have any clue about what good carpet really is?

As you leave in frustration, your next stop might be a retail flooring center. But if you were slightly confused by a big box store’s samples, adding hundreds more will only add to the confusion.

When you begin looking at carpeting samples, you may notice that they have a rating system in place. The ratings are usually used to gauge their durability and appearance. Sounds like a good way to determine which carpets are best, right?

The carpet rating scale has been designed by the manufacturers themselves based on in house testing. So the rating is only relevant to the test conditions at each manufacturer. Most rating systems rate carpet performance on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the top rated carpet for performance under heavy duty testing. Which means for high traffic areas in your home, a 4 or 5 rated carpet would be best used in areas of your home with the highest traffic, like hallways and stairs.

Keep in mind that the rating system is subjective, and is usually assigned with averages in mind. You know your home and your situation better than anyone. If you run a day care out of your home, a 5 rated carpet would be a must in your living space where action takes place every single day. Likewise, a bedroom filled with 3 year old triplets would require a very durable carpet to keep up with the daily activities.

When you have specific needs, and need answers that will leave you loving your carpeting for many years into the future, the best place to start is with a consultant. We’ve helped many homeowners find the perfect carpeting for their situation. Give us a call today.

Carpet, Flooring
March 21, 2015

4 Easy Steps To Measure For Carpet

Ready to buy new carpeting for your home? Before you head out and start narrowing down your choices, it’s a good idea to know approximately how much carpeting you’ll need. Carpeting comes in a variety of sizes and widths; knowing your room sizes ahead of time can be a big help in making the right decisions.

Though nothing will take the place of having a professional installer make the final measurements, start with a few measurements yourself.

Step One: Draw a diagram of your home.
Include all the rooms that will be carpeted in the process. It doesn’t have to be completely to scale, or even look like it was created by a professional architect. Its simply a guide to help you measure and keep notes. Using graph paper can sometimes help you in your process, or use a simple computer program to help you add in the details.

Step Two: Measure
Once you have your rooms in place, its time to pull out your measuring tape and start measuring. Round each measurement to the nearest ½ foot mark, so a room that is 14 feet 3 inches would be rounded to 15 feet 6 inches, or 15.5 feet. This little bit of extra carpet will make sure you have enough. Mark each measurement on your diagram in the appropriate room, and add in notes if you have questions. Rooms should always have two measurements, length and width, and should end up with a final measurement something like this: 15.5 x 14.

Step Three: Calculate your final amount
Once you have measured all rooms, make a list of each of the measurements. Multiply each room’s length by its width to come up with the total square feet of carpeting needed for that room. Add up the final measurements for every room you will be carpeting to determine total amount of carpeting needed for the job. Don’t forget to add in hallways, closets, and other areas that may be hidden or forgotten during the process.

Living room     20 x 22.5 = 450
Hall                 15 x 4.5 = 67.5
Bedroom         15 x 14.5 = 217.5
Bedroom         14 x 12 = 168
Total = 903 square feet

Step Four: Add in for safety
When professional carpet installers work on a project, they may need additional carpet for seam allowances and for other needs of the job. Its always important to add in a little extra for safety sake. A good rule of thumb is to add in 5 percent extra to make sure you have enough for the entire job. Take the final number you calculated in step three, and add in 5 percent. This will provide you with the total square feet needed for the job.

903 + (5%) 45 = 948 square feet

Most carpeting is sold by the square yard. To calculate square yards from your final square footage total, simply divide your total number by 9.

948 / 9 = 105.33 square yards

That’s it – this gives you a good estimate of how much carpeting you will need to complete your project.

Carpet, Flooring
March 18, 2015

What To Know Before You Buy New Carpet

What To Know Before Buying New Carpet in Denver, CO

Home maintenance and remodeling projects can be exciting; after all, they can make a room go from ho-hum to WOW with just a little bit of work.

Yet in most cases, each project we take on isn’t something we do every week (or even every year in most cases). We head out shopping for a few upgrades, and quickly become overwhelmed with all the choices presented before us.

And some projects are bigger and more costly than others, making it equally difficult to settle in on a final choice, not wanting to make the wrong decision and having to live with it for years.

Choosing carpeting falls into this category. Buying carpet can be quite confusing and it takes quite a bit of time to learn all about the choices out there, and deciding on which is the best for you.

Here’s a quick checklist to help you make your final selection.

Before you buy new carpet:

Fully research different types of carpeting to select the one best for your lifestyle
Want to stay with natural fibers? Today’s carpets offer you many options, including green options
Spend time thinking about the right color and comparing your options
Paint the walls a few weeks before. This will give the paint plenty of time to dry and cure before the carpeting is installed.

During the carpet buying process:

Shop for the best carpet for your needs; work with a flooring consultant to help you narrow down your choices
Take several carpet samples home and view them in your rooms at different times of the day to get a good feel for how it will look
Fully measure your room and take into account where seams will have to go
Choose a performance based carpeting that best fits the requirements of your home, traffic and family
Take your time in choosing. Don’t be pressured to purchase the first selection you like. Compare types, styles and colors until you are confident with your choice.
Spend time comparing padding and select the right carpet pad for your room
Learn all you can about the company you will be doing business about – its more than just the carpeting you choose. Do they have a good reputation throughout the area? Have they been in business for awhile? Are they bonded and have liability insurance?

On Installation day:

Make sure your home is fully prepared for installation in every room that will be getting new carpet
Have all furniture moved, if possible. Have nick knacks removed and stored for safety.
Make sure kids and pets are out of all areas and will remain out of the way throughout the process.
Make sure all rooms are pre-heated at 70 degrees for at least three hours before installation.
After the installation is complete, walk around and inspect the job. Make sure all questions are answered before he or she leaves.
Get warranty information before making the final payment. Don’t pay until you are fully satisfied.

Carpet, Flooring
February 17, 2015

How Well Is Your Carpet Made?

What gives carpeting its durability, its longevity, and ensures that it will look good and wear well in the years to come? There are many factors that go into carpet construction, each playing a role in the process: Carpets consist of:

Fiber
Backing
The latex used to hold the backing together
Density of pile
Pile weight
Twist of the fiber
Finishing
Stain resistance
Dye method

Each part of the process plays a role in the durability. For instance, the best backing material wouldn’t give carpet strength if weak fibers were used in the process. While each plays a role, there are a few things you can look for when shopping for new carpets for your home.

Most carpeting is tufted or punched through the backing with a series of needles. Backing is a layer of material sandwiched together using latex glue. Fiber is pushed through the secondary backing, held in place with latex glue, and finished by the primary backing which holds the carpeting together. While the backing plays an important role, the glue will also determine the longevity. If the latex fails, the two backings will delaminate over time, causing the fibers to release and begin to fall out.

Most backing materials are a weave of plastic materials, but foam rubber, urethane and jute are also involved in the carpet making process. Foam rubber is often used in kitchen or indoor/outdoor carpeting and provides the cushion-like feel. Urethane holds fibers tighter and bonds the fibers to the backing, decreasing the risk for delamination. Jute is a superior backing, and was often used in decades past. However, the US is not able to import jute on a regular basis, and therefore you’ll usually only find jute in carpeting such as heavy berber or some wool carpets.

When shopping for carpet, you will find terms like “weight, density and twist”. These refer to the construction of the carpet’s surface.

Weight is the amount of fiber on the surface of the carpet expressed in ounces per square yard. Never buy carpet based on weight alone.

Density refers to how close together the strands of fiber are together at the base of the carpet. Density effects how the carpet is going to look and perform.

Twist level is the amount of twist the fibers are given during the time of construction. The more twist a carpet has, the less dense the carpet has to be, and can even impact the amount of fiber necessary during production.

A short, tight twist carpet is called a frieze, and is known to be the best wearing style of carpet outside of a loop pile, which you’ll often find in commercial carpets.

After production, finishing work is completed to give your carpets the final look and its durability factor. If the fibers are not crimped, the are sheared several times, and will eventually take on a velvet appearance (a super dense construction), a plush (less dense), or a saxony (even less dense construction). Velvets are formal and tend to show the most footprints and marks as you move across the floor. Plush are not as tight as the velvet construction, will still feel thick to the touch, and typically come in solid colors.

Some sort of stain treatment is added to virtually all types of carpeting today. However, there are no miracle stain treatments. Most treatments will wear off in five to seven years, leaving your carpeting more at risk as time goes by.

There are no right or wrong choices when it comes to choosing carpeting for your home. With many styles, options and durability factors, it depends on your tastes and how much traffic your room will ultimately receive. If you have any questions, we’d be happy to help you see the differences in the many samples we have on display.

Carpet, Flooring
January 14, 2015

How To Extend The Life Of Your New Carpeting

First impressions aren’t limited to people; your home makes a first impression too.

Imagine entering a home for the first time for a dinner party. The first thing you notice is worn out carpeting with stains in multiple places.

Or imagine entering a home as a potential buyer. A simple coat of paint is easy to apply. But carpeting – that can be a deal breaker if you know it’s a major expense that will be added if you make an offer.

Carpeting is a major investment. And if adding new carpets to you home is on your to-do list this year, make sure you also consider the best way to extend the life in the process.

Invest in a good vacuum

You know the vacuum you’ve been dragging with you when you move from home to home? The one that’s lasted for years? Its time to put it into retirement. It’s the small stuff that can ruin your carpets the quickest. Dirt and grime can grind into the backing and carpet pile, and will quickly show its age through wear and tear. All vacuums are not created equal. The best vacuums are those with strong suction to pick up and collect small particles that are nestled deep down into your carpeting.

Hire a cleaner

While you may have relied on your personal carpet cleaner for years, the home models rarely get out the dirt and grime a true professional can with professional equipment. Make sure you choose a solution that will not leave residue in your fibers; residue will attract dirt quicker than a carpet that hasn’t been cleaned.

Choose padding wisely

Your padding is as important as the carpeting you choose. Padding has a variety of purposes, it makes your floor more comfortable to sit and walk on, it absorbs noise, it absorbs heavy traffic, and it can cut your carpets life short if it doesn’t do its job. Talk with a flooring consultant to have the best padding for your carpet choice, and the amount of traffic in your room.

Leave shoes by the front door

Wearing shoes from outside can escalate damage to a carpet. As you walk around your community, you pick up all kinds of grit, grime and dirt. Depositing them into your carpets means your flooring will soon have a variety of things embedded deep inside.

Remove stains immediately

Accidents happen. When they do, be sure to clean them appropriately as quickly as possible. The faster you treat a stain, the less likely it will make its way through the carpet backing and into the padding. Which means you’ll have less damage overall.

Use rugs and carpet runners

In places with exceptionally high traffic, such as stairs, hallways and entryways, its important to add further protection with carpet runners and rugs. Easy to clean runners allow you to isolate dirt into one area, and clean it in an easier way. Its easier to wash a rug or shake out the dirt then it is to clean your entire carpet.

Carpet, Flooring
January 10, 2015

How To Select The Best Quality Carpet For Your Money

We all have made purchases we regret. That bright red blouse that you bought for a bargain, for instance. It looked great on the rack; not so much when you got it home and hung it in your closet.

There is a big difference between regretting your decision to buy a bargain shirt that was bought on a whim, and something as large as recarpeting several rooms of your home. You can’t take new carpeting back. And because of its cost, it can easily be one of the biggest mistakes you’ll have to live with for years.

Carpeting is an expensive endeavor. And if you will be recarpeting several rooms of your home, the cost can rise exponentially. Its easy to understand why we go searching for a great deal. But because of the implications of having to live with this “deal” for a long time, its more important that you get the best quality for your money, not just the best “cost”.

When you’re carpet shopping, look for these things:

Room Choice

Some rooms receive more traffic than others. A family room will receive more wear and tear than a guest bedroom. A room frequented by children and pets must be more durable than a master retreat. Think about the type of traffic your room will receive, and the daily activities that will take place there.

Fiber Type

Nylon is strong and durable, making it the perfect choice for high traffic areas. Polyester is stain resistant and retains its color when exposed to sunlight. Olefin is inexpensive and is often used in indoor/outdoor situations. Wool is luxurious and very soft, is crush resistant and stain resistant. Each are best suited for specific needs and uses.

Fiber Style

Carpet fibers are woven in different ways. Looped carpet has the yarn attached to the carpet backing in small loops. It makes it very durable in high traffic situations. Cut pile has a smooth pile where the individual strands of yard are left standing up. It gives a traditional look and a versatile style. Twist carpet twists fibers in may directions, giving it a casual look and feel. You’ll also find patterned carpet that combines several fiber styles together to give it a distinct look that can hold up to the toughest of situations.

Density

The density of a carpet refers to how much yarn is used in a square inch of carpeting. High density carpet has more yarn than a low density carpet. The more yarn, the less space between them. This means carpet will not mat as easily, and will retain a new look longer. However, low density carpet is typically softer to the touch, making it the perfect choice for jumping in and out of bed on a cold winter morning.

Is there a right or wrong choice? No – it depends on your style, your preference, and your budget. The best place to start is to talk with a flooring consultant who can help you make the perfect choice for your home. Stop by today.

Carpet, Flooring
January 7, 2015

Selecting The Best Neutral Color For Carpeting

In remodeling and choosing new carpeting for our homes, we usually play a little back and forth game to determine the best color.

“What’s the best color for my décor?”

“What’s the best color for resale value?”

Even if we have no immediate indication that we will sell our home’s in the future, there’s always this little voice inside that says to think about the possibility and choose wisely.

Which is why you’ll find the vast majority of carpeting options available in beautiful neutral colors.

The color you choose will impact the final look and feel of the room. It has the ability to make the room larger or smaller, open and airy or enclosed and cozy. It can be bright and vivid, or calming and restful. And while your décor will ultimately command a great deal of attention to the overall effect, its your carpets that will set the stage.

We have a few favorites that do well in every home.

Think taupe. Taupe is a tan color that is natural and earthy. It starts with a tan base and adds just a hint of gray. You can also move into a taupe tweed, which will combine the tan-gray color with random specs of color, giving off just a hint of blues, greens or other colors.

Think oatmeal. Oatmeal offers a sandy tan color that is surprisingly low maintenance. It can be warmed by adding touches of honey-coloring, or remain more neutral for a warm glow. It will also help brighten even the smallest of rooms because of its light color.

Never rely on a name or a color from inside the store. Ask to take a variety of samples home, and place them in the room you are remodeling. Then view the samples throughout the day to see its appearance in different situations. Morning light is different than afternoon light. Full sunlight is different than the appearance from artificial lighting at night. The key is how color looks both to your eyes, and to match with your overall décor.

If you have questions, talk with your flooring consultant to help you make your final decisions. Keep in mind that all carpeting is dyed in lots – color can change slightly from one roll of carpet to another. The difference is usually minor, and in most cases barely detectable. Carpet color will fill your room, and can alter the entire mood of the room, especially if you are drastically changing colors.

But because trends often change, and color is the one thing that can date a house like no other, neutral colors can bring about its own natural beauty, one you’ll be happy with for years to come.