Posts Tagged ‘carpet’

How to Repair Cigarette Burns in a Carpet

Friday, December 18th, 2009

Do you have problems fixing cigarette burns in your carpet? Are you having Repair Cigarette Burns in a Carpettroubles removing cigarette marks in the carpet? Do you have problems looking for money to pay for people who are knowledgeable in fixing burns from cigarette? Read on to learn how to repair cigarette burns in a carpet efficiently and easily.

Materials Needed

To fix the problem, there are some materials that you will need. These include clear household glues, scissors and sandpaper. Aside from these, you should have soapy water, remnant of the carpet and a masking tape. Moreover, you need a vacuum cleaner and a steam cleaner. After getting all the needed materials, you can start fixing your tar spots and cigarette burns.

Procedures

If the burns and marks in the carpet are not that obvious, you can use a steam cleaner to remove the stain. Use sharp scissors to remove burned fibers from the carpet. Be careful when cutting damaged fibers because you can cut the good fibers in the carpet. To avoid cutting good portions of the carpet, you can use sandpaper to remove the burns. Get fiber or cloth that has the shade of color that is similar with the carpet. Use the scissors to cut an unnoticeable patch of cloth that you will use to cover the damaged part of the carpet. Get fabric glue or a clear glue and use this to attach the cloth to the burned portion of the carpet. Wait for the glue to dry and vacuum the damaged part.

If the marks are noticeable, the first thing to do is to use sandpaper to remove the melted fibers. After sanding the affected portions of the carpet, scratch out the burned fibers using a pair of scissors. Turn the carpet over and look for the marks. If there are remaining damaged fibers, sand these out using the sandpaper. Get a cloth and dip this in a basin with soapy water. Clean the affected portion of the carpet using the wet cloth.

Removing Tar Spots

If you want to repair tar spot in your carpet, the first thing to do is to vacuum the affected portions of the carpet. Use the scissors to remove fabrics with ashes. Get the masking tape and put this on the damaged portion. After sticking the tape, lift it and do this repeatedly until the tar spots are removed completely. Use manicuring scissors to remove the burned strands. Cut a cloth that has a similar shade with the carpet. Glue this to the affected portion and vacuum.

How To Install Carpet On Stairs

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

When you install a carpet on stairs, you do not only make your Install Carpet On Stairshome a lot more attractive but you also provide a bit more safety for your kids. You might think that the process of installing a carpet on a flight of stairs is really complicated. Though it will require some tough work you really can do it on your own.

Required Materials and Tools

You will need quite a few tools and materials to install a carpet on stairs. Foremost of these items is a carpet that will run down your stairs. Next you’ll need a carpet pad, a utility knife, seaming iron, heady duty stapler, tack strip, and a hammer. Take note that when you purchase a carpet to install you better get a standard size one so you don’t have to trim off anything to fit.

Steps to Install a Carpet on Stairs

We’ll go over the waterfall method to install a carpet on stairs. This is the method usually used by home makers. Professional carpet installers use another technique known as the cap and band method. The waterfall method is the more commonly used method of the two. This method uses a single carpet and makes it flow down from the top step all the way down to the last step at the bottom of your stairs.

The first step to install a carpet on stairs via the waterfall method is to vacuum your stairs. You also have to smoothen out any rough edges on each step if you see one. Make sure that you don’t have any nails sticking out hanging or otherwise exposed or sticking out. If you have installing on concrete or cement stairs then you will have to fill any cracks present. Never reuse any old carpet if you already have one installed previously.

Using a hammer, affix the tack strips onto the angles in between every riser and tread. The horizontal section of your steps is referred to as the tread while the riser is the vertical section of the steps. You can even affix the strips on either side of the tread if you like.

The next step to install a carpet on stairs is to insert the carpet pads. These will be inserted underneath the strips you attached earlier. Then you have to attach the underlay to your assembly at every tread and riser. Next, place the carpet all along with the rest of your assembly. Affix your carpet to each tack strip using a hammer while folding the corners. Work your way from the bottom of the stairs to the top step.

Stretch the carpet into place using a seaming iron. Repeat each for each step on your stairs. Remember to start working the tread first before working on the tack strips. The last step is to trim any uneven ends or extra carpet pieces using a utility knife.

How to Repair a Carpet

Saturday, December 12th, 2009

A floor covering made out of textile, a carpet is classified intoRepair a Carpet various types including knotted, needle felt and woven. Some of the materials commonly used to create this kind of floor cover include polyester, polypropylene as well as nylon. Although these materials are known for their durability and dependability, they can still succumb to stains and damages. To solve such problems, it is important to learn how to repair a carpet.

Materials Needed

This is a moderately challenging job. You need a clear adhesive and a two-sided carpet tape to fix the different kinds of carpet damages. For minor damages, you must have a pair of manicure scissors.

Steps

If the damage is minor, it is easier to fix the carpet. Possible solutions for this task include a hair transplant and a trim. To do this, you must have manicure scissors, which will be used to trim the ends that are damaged. You can only do this for minor damages. Be careful and never cut too much from the top because this can actually cause further damage if not done right. Trim the damaged part until you reach the carpet backing.

You can easily find replacement fibers from spots that are usually out of way. These may come from under large furniture, huge appliances or even under the closet where the carpet is not visible. In case you do not want to cut these parts, you can instead look for extra carpet fibers, specifically those that were left from the original carpet installation.

Put a small amount of clear adhesive at the bottom part of the replacement fibers. Attach them to the right away to the carpet backing. Do not rush this part because it is not good to spill glue in the surrounding areas of the damaged part.

In case the damage is large, you may want to replace a bigger part of the carpet. To replace a big part, it is best to cut out a triangular or circular replacement. Following these patterns, the replacement parts are harder to notice compared to a rectangular or square-shaped replacement.

As a pattern, you can use the lid of a can. Choose one that is big enough to cover the stain. Afterwards, get the cutter and then use it together with the pattern to cut the stained part. Cut the carpet all the way through the underlay. Use the same lid to produce a replacement piece.

Use the two-sided double tape to attach the replacement piece right onto the empty space that was created by the cut out part. Before you attach the replacement piece, you may want to add a clear adhesive to make it stick in place even more. Press firmly and then put on some weight on the newly restored part. Leave it for at least 24 hours before removing the weight.

How to Patch a Hardwood Floor

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Patching a hardwood floor involves careful work since youPatch a Hardwood Floor want to make the patched material to look just like the old wood previously installed. Sometimes you have to do this whenever you had to repair entryways or you just had to replace strips of damaged wood. The main idea here is that you should make the newly repaired surface look like, blend with, and match the original one. We’ll give you some tips on how to this below.

Required Equipment and Materials

Here are the items you need in patching a hardwood floor: Hammer, miter saw, common nail, circular saw, combination square, epoxy, chisel, measuring tape, razor knife, and your hardwood flooring replacement.

Get Rid of Damaged Planks

Patching a hardwood floor will require you to get rid of any damaged planks present. First step is for you to draw a line at the very middle of the planks that you want to remove. Using a circular saw, set the required blade depth necessary to go through the flooring. Be very careful as you lower the saw onto the flooring. Push it slowly moving forward going along the board’s center.

Use your utility knife and a straight edge to make out the end cuts. Once you have you have made your score cuts grab a chisel and cut right through this line. Be sure to slice through the line and the entire plank. Once you’re done with the end cuts your board should be cut at the very middle. After this you should be able to pry out the board with little effort. Take note that as soon as you remove at least one piece the rest of the pieces just follow suit without any hassle.

Sand Your Floor Surface

The next concern in patching a hardwood floor is to sand the surface where you removed the planks. You can use a belt sander for this job if you have one.

Replace the Boards

Using a miter saw, cut the replacement boards into the proper size to fit the area where you took out the damaged plank. You can use the piece you removed from the floor to check whether you shaped the pieces perfectly. Once you’re done shaping the replacement insert them into the section of the floor that was removed. Give the replacement boards a few taps to check if ever they fit in smugly in the hole you cut out.

Replace the Old Finish

This is the tricky part when patching a hardwood floor. You can use a paint scraper to remove the old finish. You may even have to extend to the adjacent boards if warranted to make things look closely similar. If you have time you should scrape off the finish of an entire plank just to make things look right.

Before you apply any new finish to your board fill any nail holes that are exposed. Sand off any rough surfaces and remove any dust before applying the new finish. Once everything is smoothened out apply the new finish on the repaired planks. The last step to patching a hardwood floor is to apply a toning coat to match the new finish with the rest of the hardwood floor.

How to Repair Water Damage to Carpet

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Water can cause significant and irreversible damage to a carpet, which isRepair Water Damage to Carpet usually made from high quality and sensitive materials. Restoring this kind of damage can be tricky because it requires fast action and the right knowledge to get the job done. Help prevent your carpet from going to waste by learning how to repair water damage to carpet.

Materials Needed

This moderate task requires only three different materials. For this, you must prepare fans, a water extraction vacuum and a dehumidifier. Once you have these things, you can start right away with this moderate task.

Steps

Once your carpet gets wet, it is important to act fast. It is best to do this within a day or two after acquiring the damage. Start by removing all the furniture and other items found on top of the carpet’s surface. Furthermore, prevent people from passing through the damaged area so as not to affect the restoration process. Keep the air dry inside the room. Use the dehumidifier in order to prevent the bacteria from growing. To speed up the process, you can use a large dehumidifier for the floor, air and carpet.

To fix the underlying layers, you need to take off the tack strip. In most cases, it is necessary to dispose the damaged cushion, padding or carpet backing. Installing new materials can actually guarantee the sanitary condition of the carpet. If you wish to clean it outside the house, you can use hose to clean the carpet. It is also good to let the carpet dry outside if the weather is not too humid.

If you plan to dry the carpet inside the house, get the water extraction vacuum to absorb the water from the wet carpet. The process of restoring this can actually take 12 hours to accomplish, the factors of which are the thickness, the extent of the damage as well as the level of absorption. You can speed up the process of drying by elevating the carpet.

When the carpet is completely dry, you can now sweep or vacuum it. Be sure to apply disinfectant to both sides to stop the spread and growth of fungi and bacteria. By doing this, the effects of water-resisting and stain-resisting treatments can be inhibited. Use commercial grade shampoo to clean the carpet. Use a nice clean sponge to shampoo the carpet one small area at a time. After shampooing, allow the carpet to dry under the sun, or let it dry inside a dehumidified room while elevated. Be careful when choosing shampoo because it can actually cause the carpet to shrink.

How to Install Your Own Carpet

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

Installing your own carpet is truly a difficult task since it can be hard on both your back and knees. CarpetHowever, you don’t need to be an expert to do it since it is still a job that you can do yourself with some help from specialized tools that you can rent at any tool rental outlets.

Needed Materials and Tools

You will need the following materials in installing your own carpet: knee pads, safety glasses, work gloves, rolling pin, stapler, measuring tape, chalk line, tackless strips, utility knife, and a hammer. You will also need to rent the following specialized tools from any tool rental outlets: strip cutter, seaming iron, seam cutter, wall trimmer, power stretcher, seam tape, seam roller, and knee kicker.

Preparation

The first task you need to do is to take out the old carpet from the floor. Remove the moldings around the floor and also remove the door from the entrance so that you have an unobstructed working space. Once the old carpet is totally removed including the existing tackless strips, ensure that the floor is floor and dry before working on installing your own carpet. Check also for any loose floorboards and screw any loose portions using 1.5-inch screws to avoid any squeaking sound under the newly installed carpet. Place the tackless strips in the entire room perimeter except in doorways. There must be a half-inch space between the wall and the strips. Connect the tackless strips tightly when in corners.

Placing the Underpad

Place the underpad on the floor by strips and they must overlap the tackless strips. Connect the underpad strips with each other but do not overlap them. Staple them by the inside edge of the tackless strip and clip any excess by the inside edge of the tackless strip. You need to use some duct tape to seal the seams of the underlay.

Installing Your Own Carpet

Begin installing with the piece of the carpet that overlaps at the floor edge for four to six inches. Measure the length of the room at its widest point then add six inches to the resulting measurement. On the back of the carpet, mark the portion where the measurement falls into and connect the two marks using a chalk line. Then cut through the marked portion using a sharp utility knife and a straight edge. Ensure that a piece of any scarp board is placed underneath the line to be cut in order to protect your new carpet while cutting.

Seams

If you have a large room and you need two or more pieces of carpet, then just follow the process in installing your own carpet above and that is to measure, mark, and trim with each piece. Overlap the two pieces of carpet that will be joined together and cut through in both pieces using a seam cutter or utility knife. After cutting, place a seaming tape underneath the joined pieces of carpet with the adhesive side upward. Activate the adhesive of the tape by using the seaming iron then connect the edges of the carpet together. Secure the seam using a carpet roller or rolling pin.

Attaching the Carpet

With the help of the knee kicker and the carpet stretcher, stretch the carpet’s edge and attach it onto the tackless strips. The role of the tackless strips of to grab the stretched carpet and hold it very firmly in place. Work your way in the entire perimeter of the room stretching and attaching the carpet to the tackless strips. Cut the portion of the carpet that is near the wall using a wall trimmer or utility knife.

Finishing Up

The last step in installing your own carpet is to tuck the carpet into the space in between the wall and the tackless strips. Trim the edge of the carpet at the doorway to center in when the door is closed then place a door edge strip over it. Then trim any vent openings and put affix the molding on the baseboards.