Different Carpet Seams

Carpet seams showing what appears as a band 0f a different shade.

Different carpet seams.

While some carpets hide it better than others it is important to realize that seams will never be invisible. An article of clothing the fabric on your sofa the wall paper in your home the wood on your desk or a vinyl floor. Depending on the type of tape you use you might need to heat it for several minutes to begin activating the adhesive on the seam tape. But a good carpet installer will be able to place it in such a way it has minimal impact.

When two separate pieces of carpet or differents type of flooring are installed in the same room a seam is created where both pieces meet. If not done exactly right there are mistakes made in the carpet seams and other areas. Different carpets will seam differently. Depending on the size and traffic of a room you can choose carpets where seams will be less noticeable.

For other situations different pieces are used in conjunction with the t molding. Seams will not be invisible. Then place double sided tape on the floor and. In fact laying a carpet seam is one of the more difficult areas of carpet installation.

What are carpet seams. Generally seams should run in the same direction as most foot traffic. To seam carpet start by laying the pieces of carpet on the floor so that the edges overlap each other by 2 inches. Some carpet samples have a notation on them that states less visible seam.

It is very important that you understand this doesn t mean invisible. Common mistakes in carpet seams installing carpet can be tricky. Extra hidden carpet should be folded back at the top and bottom of stairs so that as the edges of the tread are worn the carpet can be moved to hide the wear. Next lift up the edges of carpet and spread a thin layer of carpet adhesive on the floor where they will meet.

When both carpet edges meet at the closet s entrance the seam is formed. Then trim 1 inch from each edge using a sharp blade so they match up exactly with no gaps. Place a carpet seaming iron under the two pieces of carpet against the carpet seam tape and plug in the iron. Next make one inch cuts every two to three feet all the way through to the bottom piece.

For example a 12 x 12 bedroom with a closet will require two different cuts for carpet. Seam peaking one of the most common mistakes is when the seam peaks. Here are a few common mistakes. Overlap two pieces of carpet at the seam by about two inches.

The carpet layer has finished and at first glance it looks great. The band will be 4 to 6 wide the width of the thermal plastic seaming tape the band will be on both sides of the seam and directly above the seaming tape. All show seams and carpet is no different. Carpet seams showing band appearance along seam.

A typical 4 in 1 transition includes a metal channel for mounting the system with a t molding which fits into the channel and is used alone if you are joining floors that are the same height. With white chalk make a line about 3 4 the width of the overlap or about 1 3 4 inches from the edge of the carpet and then cut along the line.