How to Install Carpet Tiles

In recent times, carpet tiles are becoming very popular as an alternative to regular carpets. Carpet tiles offer more flexibility than ordinary carpets in terms of removing, washing and cleaning. In case of a worn-out tile, you can substitute only the damaged portion instead of replacing the entire carpet. Carpet tiles are highly versatile; you can get them in a wide variety of color, texture and design that will suit any purpose, either for decorating home or office.

If you have small kids and/or pets in your house, then carpet tiles may be a good option for flooring. The only maintenance requirement is regular vacuuming and brushing. One of the major advantages of carpet tiles is that they can be installed easily irrespective of the room size and shape. You can save the installation cost by laying carpet tiles on your own without hiring the professionals. Nowadays, there are several products of carpet tiles, which are designed for DIY installation.

How to Install Carpet Tiles

While purchasing the carpet tiles, you should opt for the superior quality products. Otherwise, there is no guarantee regarding the color, comfort and durability. Hence, invest money for buying quality carpet tiles that will last for a couple of years. You should also buy extra replacement carpet tiles for future use, as you may not get the same color tile at a later date.

Though carpet tiles come in different thickness and texture, usually they are available in 18 x l8 inch size. You can opt for any of the two types- dry-backed and self-sticking. As the name suggests, dry-backed requires a special adhesive for installation, whereas self-sticking can be laid directly. For installation of carpet tiles, you require large sharp cutting scissors, double-sided carpet tape (especially for dry-backed type), chalk line, measuring tape and cutting board.

Prior to the installation of carpet tiles, vacuum clean and dry the floor. You should remove old carpets or other floor coverings, if any, since carpet tiles cannot be fitted properly on the top of another floor covering. Leave the carpet tiles for acclimatization, as per the manufacturer's guidelines. For laying the carpet tiles, draw chalk lines diagonally and also by joining the midpoints of opposite walls. Find out the center of the room, where the lines meet. Mark the reference lines starting from the central point.

For dry-backed carpet tiles, lay the double-sided carpet tape along the chalk lines and around the perimeter of the room. Start installing the carpet tiles along the reference lines; you can complete laying a full row at a time. The edges of the tiles should be aligned adjacent to one another with no space in between. While laying, ensure that the pattern or design of the carpet tiles is maintained in the same direction. You can check for arrows beneath the tiles (if any) for determining the direction. Continue laying the carpet tiles by applying a slight pressure, so that the tiles stick to the adhesive properly.

Complete installing the carpet tiles. Once you finish laying them, you can cut one of the perimeter tile, so that it fits exactly to the room wall. The other perimeter tiles can be cut with reference to this tile. By following these steps carefully, you can install carpet tiles successfully. Carpet tiles are perfect for any type of room, except kitchen and bathroom.