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A carpet installation goes well when the details are settled before the carpet is cut, the house is cool and dry when the crew arrives, and you know which changes in the first weeks are normal. Most of the work is ours. Your part is a few decisions and a little preparation.
Before installation, clear the small things our crew doesn't pack: drawers, closet floors, breakables and electronics. Finish any painting, and keep the air conditioning running from two days ahead. Settle the seams, the pad, the edges at tile and the stair style at the measure, because none of them can change once the carpet is cut.
During installation, be home when the crew arrives so you can check the carpet's color and style before the first cut. A bedroom takes a few hours. A whole floor with stairs can take a day or more.
After installation, walk every room with the crew, keep fresh air and the AC going for two to three days, and vacuum whenever you like. Anyone sensitive to the smell, babies included, is better off sleeping elsewhere the first night. Fuzz, a stray tuft and light and dark patches on plush are normal. Ripples that don't flatten once the air is dry need a re-stretch.
Here is the whole job on one timeline, from the measure to the first few months.
| When | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| At the measure | Agree on seams, pad, transitions and stairs | None of it changes after cutting |
| A week before | Finish painting; in a condo, call the office | Carpet goes in last |
| Two days before | AC on, 65 to 95 F, humidity under 65 percent | Damp air makes carpet ripple |
| The night before | Empty drawers, closet floors and shelves; unplug electronics | We move furniture, not what's in it |
| Install morning | Check the label, color and texture | Catch a problem before the first cut |
| Before the crew leaves | Walk the seams, edges, doorways and doors | Fixes are fastest while tools are there |
| First three days | Fresh air with the AC running | Clears the new-carpet smell |
| First few months | Vacuum often; clip sprouts; glides under heavy legs | Shedding fades and dents stay shallow |
How to Prepare for Carpet Installation
Preparing for carpet installation comes down to four jobs: clear what the crew won't pack, finish messy work first, get the air right and plan for tear-out dust. None of it takes long, and together they decide how smoothly install day goes.
Does a Room Have to Be Empty to Lay Carpet?
Yes. Wall-to-wall carpet is stretched tight across the whole floor, so every piece of furniture has to come out of the room. Our crews move the furniture out and put it back as part of the job. What they don't do is pack what's inside it.
So the night before, empty the dresser drawers, clear the closet floors and take breakables off shelves and tabletops. Unplug and coil the cables behind TVs, computers and game consoles. Strip the beds, since a mattress moves more easily without its bedding. Anything fragile or irreplaceable is safest in a room we aren't working in.
Finish Painting and Other Work First
Paint, wallpaper and any other work in the room should be finished, and dry, before the carpet goes in. Carpet is meant to be the last trade in a room, because drips, dust and ladder feet are hard on new pile. Keep a little touch-up paint on hand. Trimming carpet along a wall can scuff a baseboard, and touching up afterward is quicker than taping every wall.
Keep the AC Running Before Install Day
Keep the air conditioning on, with the house between 65 and 95 F, from at least two days before the installation until three days after it. That's the Carpet and Rug Institute's installation standard, and it also caps indoor humidity at 65 percent. If your thermostat shows indoor humidity, it should read under 65.
Damp air is one of the things that makes carpet ripple, so this step matters here. The air outside is wetter than 65 percent on most South Florida mornings, and the AC is what keeps the house inside the limit. If the house has been closed up with the AC off, or set high while you were away, bring it back to your normal setting two days ahead, and leave it running while the crew works.
Plan Tear-Out Day Around Dust and Odor
Tear-out is the dustiest part of carpet installation, so vacuum the old carpet well before the crew arrives. That keeps years of grit from going into the air when the carpet comes up. If anyone in the house is sensitive to dust or odors, plan for them to be out during tear-out and installation.
Everyone else can stay home, and if you work from home, set up in a room we aren't carpeting. Keep the doors to the other rooms closed, and give pets a quiet room of their own. Our guide to preparing your home for installation day covers kids, pets and the rest of the house.
If you live in a condo, call the building office a week ahead. Buildings often want the service elevator reserved, the installer's insurance paperwork on file and work kept to set hours.
Decide These Before the Carpet Is Cut
A handful of choices shape how finished carpet looks, and every one is made before the first cut. They cover how much carpet the layout needs, where the seams fall, the pad, the edges where carpet meets other floors, the stairs and the doors. We go through them at the measure, and you can confirm them with the installer on install morning.
Why the Estimate Covers More Carpet Than the Room
Your carpet estimate will almost always list more carpet than the room's floor area, because of how carpet is made. Most carpet comes off rolls 12 feet wide, with some styles at 15 feet, so a room wider than the roll needs a seam and a second piece.
Every piece also has to run the same direction. Carpet pile leans one way, and two pieces laid opposite each other look like two shades. Each wall gets at least 3 inches of extra for trimming, and a patterned carpet needs more still, so the pattern lines up at the seams.
An 11-by-14-foot bedroom has 154 square feet of floor, but the carpet for it is a piece 12 feet wide and about 14 1/2 feet long, which is 174 square feet. That's why adding 10 percent to your own measurements rarely matches a quote.
For a ballpark, measure each room's length and width at the longest points, closets included. For the order itself, we take the measurements and plan the layout. If you'd rather choose at home, our shop-at-home service brings samples to you and measures while we're there.
Where the Seams Will Go
Seams are unavoidable in a room wider than the roll, and no seam is completely invisible, but good placement makes them hard to find. A well-placed seam runs the length of the room, with foot traffic moving along it, not across it. It stays out of the light from a window or glass door, away from spots where people turn, and never runs straight across a doorway.
Tell us which parts of the room matter most to you. If a seam has to go somewhere, under the bed or along the sofa wall is better than the middle of the path to the patio door.
Choosing the Carpet Pad
A firm, fairly thin carpet pad serves carpet better than a thick, soft one. The Carpet and Rug Institute's rule of thumb for most home carpet is a pad no thicker than 7/16 inch and no thinner than 1/4 inch, at a 6-pound density. Berber and other low-profile carpet call for a thinner, denser pad: no more than 3/8 inch, at 8 pounds.
A pad that's too soft or too thick lets the carpet flex under every step, and that flexing is hard on the backing and the seams. Carpet makers also set pad requirements for each of their carpets, and their warranties expect those to be met, so the pad is chosen with the carpet, not after it.
Where Carpet Meets Tile or Wood
Every place carpet meets another floor needs a finished edge, and that choice is made before install day. If your bedrooms open onto a tile or wood-look hall, each of those doorways needs one, and the edge you pick is what you'll step over every day.
The usual answer is a transition strip, in metal or a wood look, that caps the carpet edge. When the tile sits no higher than the carpet, the carpet can instead be tucked tight against the tile with its cut edge sealed so it can't fray. The transition normally lands under the closed door, so it's out of sight when the door is shut.
Carpet on Stairs
Carpet on stairs goes in one of two ways, and the look is yours to choose. In a waterfall install, the carpet rolls over each stair's nose, the rounded front edge of the step, and drops straight down the riser for a soft, simple look. In a cap-and-band install, also called upholstered or Hollywood, the carpet is wrapped tight around each nose and fastened underneath, so every step shows a crisp outline.
Either way, each tread gets its own tack strip and the pad wraps over the nose. Any exposed edge along the side of the staircase has to be bound or sealed so it can't fray. Stairs take heavy wear, and a shorter, denser pile holds up best there.
Doors That Might Drag
New carpet and pad can sit higher than the floor they replace, so a door that cleared the old carpet may brush the new one. Point out any door that already sits close to the floor when we measure, so the plan covers it before install day.
What Happens During Carpet Installation
On install day, the crew moves the furniture, takes up the old carpet and gets the floor ready, then lays, seams and stretches the new carpet and puts the room back together. Your part is to be there at the start and to walk the rooms at the end.
How Long Does Carpet Installation Take?
A single bedroom usually takes a few hours, and a whole floor with stairs can take a full day or two. The time depends on the size of the job, the number of rooms and stairs, and whether old carpet has to come out first. For carpet we have in stock, same-day pickup and next-day installation are available, so the wait between choosing and install day can be short.
The Installation Steps, From Tear-Out to Cleanup
The steps of a carpet installation run in the same order in every room, whether it's one bedroom or a whole floor. Knowing them helps you tell what's normal on the day and what to ask about.
- The furniture comes out of the room.
- The old carpet and pad come up, with their staples and any damaged tack strip, and all of it leaves with us.
- The crew checks and cleans the floor, and patches cracks, holes and low spots so it's flat and smooth.
- Tack strip, thin wood strips with angled pins, goes down around the edges, set a little less than the carpet's thickness from the wall.
- The pad is laid inside the tack strip and stapled or glued at its seams and edges, with its seams offset from the carpet seams.
- The carpet is rolled out and cut with a few inches to spare at each wall, then joined with heat-activated seam tape, and the cut edges are sealed so they can't fray.
- A power stretcher pulls the carpet tight across the room and onto the pins, with a knee kicker used only to hook the edges.
- The extra is trimmed and tucked into the gap at the wall, and transition strips go in at the doorways.
- The crew puts the furniture back, picks up the scraps, vacuums the new carpet and hauls everything away.
If tear-out turns up something bigger than a crack, such as a damaged section of floor, it gets fixed before the pad goes down. Subfloor repair is one of our flooring services, so it doesn't mean bringing in a second contractor.
Check the Carpet Before It's Cut
Be home when the crew arrives, even if you can't stay all day, and look at the carpet before the first cut. Check that the style name and color on the label match your order and that the texture matches your sample. If something looks wrong, stop the job right then, because a defect you can see before the carpet goes down is far easier to deal with before it goes down.
If you can't be there, ask someone you trust to check the carpet in the morning and do the walkthrough at the end. Wide bands across a freshly unrolled carpet, where the pile looks flattened, are crush marks from the roll and are usually temporary. The start of the day is also the moment to walk the seam and transition plan with the installer.
Carpet Installation Mistakes to Watch For
Several first-year carpet problems, like ripples and frayed seams, trace back to installation shortcuts. The carpet industry's installation standard rules out each of these, and knowing them tells you what a careful crew is doing on your floor.
- Stretching wall-to-wall carpet with a knee kicker alone. A power stretcher is required for carpet over pad, and without one the carpet can loosen and ripple.
- Leaving seams unsealed. Every seam's cut edges need sealing, or the seam can fray and open, especially on loop and Berber carpet.
- Using a pad softer or thicker than the carpet maker allows.
- Letting tack strip pins show. The pins should never come through the carpet at the edges.
- Leaving delivered carpet folded. Carpet folded for delivery has to be unrolled flat as soon as it arrives, or creases and wrinkles can set.
- Wetting the backing to make carpet stretch easier, which can cause wrinkling and buckling later.
What to Do After New Carpet Is Installed
The first days with new carpet are mostly about fresh air and patience, and almost everything you notice in the first weeks is normal carpet behavior. Only a ripple that stays and a seam that opens or frays need a call to us.
| What you notice | Normal? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Fuzz in the vacuum | Yes, shedding | Keep vacuuming; it fades over months |
| A tuft taller than the rest | Yes, a sprout | Clip it level; never pull it |
| Light and dark patches on plush | Yes, shading | Nothing; it's how plush pile reflects light |
| Flattened bands across the carpet | Usually, roll crush | Give it time |
| New-carpet smell | Yes, for two to three days | Fresh air with the AC on |
| A ripple on a humid day | Can be temporary | Run the AC and watch it |
| A ripple that stays | No | Call us for a re-stretch |
| A seam gap or fraying | No | Call us |
| Dents under furniture | Common | Glides; lift the pile back up |
Walk Through Before the Crew Leaves
Walk every room with the crew before they pack up, because anything you find is fastest to fix while the tools are still there. Look along the seams for gaps or a raised ridge. Run a hand along the walls for loose edges or pins you can feel. Check each doorway transition, open and close every door, and look at the stairs from the bottom.
Being able to find a seam when you look closely is normal. A gap, an overlap or a raised ridge along it isn't.
Airing Out the New Carpet Smell
The new-carpet smell usually clears within 48 to 72 hours of good airflow, and airing out works best with the AC running. The smell comes from the new carpet, pad and seam tape and from pulling up the old carpet and pad, and fresh air carries all of it off.
In our climate, run the AC with the fan on, and use the bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans to pull stale air out. Open windows in the afternoon, when the air outside is usually drier than in the morning, and close them if it turns muggy. If a smell hangs on after two weeks of airing and vacuuming, a hot-water extraction cleaning can help.
Can You Sleep in the Room After Carpet Installation?
It depends on how sensitive you are to odors. Most of what new carpet gives off is released in about the first day, so a night or two of airing covers the worst of it. If the smell bothers you or the room is a nursery, wait that long before sleeping in it.
The EPA suggests considering being out of the house during and right after a carpet installation. It also notes that scientists haven't established whether new-carpet emissions cause the symptoms reported after installs.
To see what you have, look for the Green Label Plus tag on your carpet's sample, or ask us. It marks carpet and pad tested for low emissions. Shaw certifies all of its carpet under that program.
When Can You Walk on It and Put Furniture Back?
You can walk on new carpet and put the furniture back right away. Stretch-in carpet, the kind laid over pad in most homes, has no glue to cure, and Shaw's installation guide has you put the room back together as soon as the crew finishes. Glue-down carpet is the exception: keep off it for 24 to 48 hours while the adhesive cures, and keep water and wet cleaning off it for 30 days.
Heavy pieces leave dents, so put glides or cups under the legs of beds, dressers and sofas, or shift them a few inches now and then. To lift a dent, mist it with water, warm it with a hair dryer on medium and work the pile up with your fingers as it dries.
Can You Vacuum New Carpet Right Away?
Yes. There's no waiting period for vacuuming new carpet, and it's worth vacuuming often in the first weeks, because the fuzz you'll see is loose fiber left over from manufacturing. Shedding fades over the first few months and is mostly gone within a year, and it doesn't shorten the carpet's life.
A tuft that stands taller than the rest is a sprout. Clip it level with scissors and never pull it out. On plush carpet, patches that look lighter or darker from different angles are shading, the pile lying in different directions. It's a trait of smooth, solid-color cut pile, not a defect.
Do Carpet Ripples Go Away on Their Own?
It depends on the cause: a ripple that shows up on a humid day can flatten once the AC dries the air, but a ripple that stays means the carpet needs re-stretching with a power stretcher. Properly stretched carpet goes down flat, so new carpet shouldn't need weeks to settle.
Keep the AC running and give a new ripple a few days. Lift heavy furniture when you move it, since dragging can push a ripple into new carpet. If the house sits closed up in summer with the AC off, humid air can ripple carpet too, so leave the AC on at a higher setting while you're away.
If ripples, bumps or waves are still there after a few dry days, call us. Carpet re-stretching is one of our services, and we stand behind our installation work with a 12-month warranty.
Keeping New Carpet Looking New
New carpet stays new-looking with a routine that starts in the first week. Vacuum at least once a week, and more often in halls, on stairs and at the doors you use most, especially with pets. Put a mat at each outside door to catch sand and grit before it reaches the carpet. Have the carpet professionally cleaned the way its maker's care guide says, roughly every 12 to 18 months.
Carpet Installation Questions
Can You Install New Carpet Over Old Carpet?
No. New carpet shouldn't go over existing carpet unless the new carpet's maker specifically allows it, because old carpet is too soft and uneven a base to stretch over. The old carpet and pad come up first, and the new carpet goes down over new pad.
Does a Concrete Slab Need a Moisture Test Before Carpet?
No, not for stretch-in carpet over pad, the usual way carpet goes onto a slab in a home. A moisture test is required before carpet is glued straight to concrete, because the adhesive needs a dry slab. If a spot on your floor stays damp after rain, mention it at the measure anyway.
Should You Replace the Pad When You Replace the Carpet?
Yes, plan on new pad with new carpet. Old pad has been compressed for years and holds whatever has soaked into it. The new carpet's maker also sets its own pad requirements, and a worn pad won't meet them.
Can I Install Carpet Myself?
Yes, but wall-to-wall carpet is one of the harder floors to do well yourself. It takes a power stretcher, which the carpet industry's installation standard makes mandatory, plus a seaming iron and tape, a knee kicker and a lot of careful trimming. Carpet tile or a bound-edge area rug is a far easier project for a first-timer.
Why Doesn't My New Carpet Look Like the Sample?
New carpet often looks a little different from its sample at first, because it spent weeks rolled tight and needs time to relax, and because your lighting isn't our showroom's. Give it about a month before you judge it.
Getting Your Carpet Installed
We're a family-owned store that sells carpet from four South Florida showrooms in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Miramar. Our installation crews put in the carpet you buy from us.
If you're still choosing, browse our carpet catalog or read what to expect when you visit a carpet store. When you're ready, request a free estimate. We'll measure, go through the seams, pad and transitions with you and set an install date.
