fitting our own carpets?

moneyshoe

We're buying a house right at the top of our budget and there isn't going to be much left over for furnishings etc.

Will need to have a look at the upstairs carpets but I remember two had been very badly damaged by cats, the other two will need one of those fancy cleaning things but we may be able to rescue them. Our long term goal will be to have all the floors sanded but I want to have this done professionally (have DIY'd it once and the result was nowhere near as good) so it's not going to happen for a while. I've been looking online at cheap carpets and am amazed at how cheap they can be. My husband is a stay at home Dad to our two toddlers so is time rich. Can a reasonably handy man in possession of his own Stanley knife fit a carpet? (both rooms are square with no sticky out bits) or is it one of these things that is much harder to do than it seems?

GwylimT

He would need a carpet stretcher to get it tight and to anchor it onto the spikes, it might be an idea to practice in a small room, or take the current carpet up, refit it and see what it looks like, that way he can get used to it without worrying about ruining the carpet.

wallbash

As another ....... stay at home Dad to our two toddlers so is time rich.

Would be an excellent job to do .
Carpet will be cheap , i.e thin . Its a bedroom , so much of the room is furniture . Just make sure he has brand new blades.

moneyshoe

I like the idea of practicing on the old carpet. Must not let him see this post, think he would be deeply offended at the suggestion he is time rich!

phill99

Just don't do it. The cost of a pro for both rooms I probably £50 to £60. It'll take them about 20 min. Room and your cheap carpet will look good.

It's one if the hardest things to DIY. And if you damage th carpet or o. 'Cut short' you are scuppered.

ian103

I'd agree with phill99, fitted one once; never again.

wallbash

It's one if the hardest things to DIY.

Will give you a list of much harder /riskier tasks.
1) laying vinyl

Looks like we are now breeding a generation that refuses to learn/attempt DIY

meercatsunited

the stretcher can be hired, not costly.

we did the same once, fit was not as good as a professional but it did do until we could afford better.

bought off the roll carpet dead cheap and got them to cut each piece for each room separately, allow yourself a few inches bigger than you need just in case the rooms are not square and to allow for mistakes

ess0two

wallbash wrote: »

Will give you a list of much harder /riskier tasks.
1) laying vinyl

Looks like we are now breeding a generation that refuses to learn/attempt DIY

Its costly if you f*ck up,just to save £50 on someone fitting it.

A.Penny.Saved

meercatsunited wrote: »

the stretcher can be hired, not costly.

we did the same once, fit was not as good as a professional but it did do until we could afford better.

bought off the roll carpet dead cheap and got them to cut each piece for each room separately, allow yourself a few inches bigger than you need just in case the rooms are not square and to allow for mistakes

Aldi sold a carpet stretcher a few months back for about £20. I'll be giving it a try myself on the smallest room to see how I get on. I'm sure that I can make a pretty decent job of it given enough time.....Every £ counts and I love a challenge, I've tackled far greater challenges so I know I can do it and do it well.

Best of luck moneyshoe, I'm sure that you can persuade him to make a very good job of it

wallbash

ess0two wrote: »

Its costly if you f*ck up,just to save £50 on someone fitting it.

In your own words ......don't f*ck up

As I maintain looks like we are breeding a generation that would rather not ....... f*ck up than try ..... bunch of loser's.