It is very important to find a good carpet installer. Installation is the most important, yet overlooked part of the job.
Here are some things a good installer can provide you with:
- Proof of liability insurance. An installer should be covered in the event that he/she damages your home or your new carpet. He/she should be able to provide you with a copy of their insurance policy.
- Proof of Workmen’s Compensation Insurance. An installer should be covered in the event that he/she gets injured in you home. This insurance not only protects you against a law suit, but also protects the company.
- Warranty of work. If your installer is good, he/she should be able to provide you with a written warranty of his/her work. A one-year warranty is standard and should cover such things as seaming problems and re-stretching (if needed). To be fair, there are a lot of good installers out there who will give you a verbal one-year warranty, but do not have a pre-written warranty. This is generally because they have never taken the time to put their warranty into writing. However, having it in writing is always preferable. If an installer does not have his warranty in writing, ask him or her to write it down for you. Some installers will be willing to do that.
JNH Carpet offers a WRITTEN LIFETIME Warranty on every job .
- References. A good installer can provide references of previous work he/she has done. It is a good idea to check them out.
You will want to work out various details with your installer before he begins work. Examples include:
- The placement of seams (see more information below)
- Responsibility for adjusting doors that will not swing freely over the new carpet.
- Responsibility for moving furniture.
- Removal and disposal of old carpet.
- Any other concerns you may have about your particular situation.
It is a good idea to make a list of all existing damage to walls, base boards, etc in the rooms where carpet will be installed prior to installation. This will prevent any doubt about whether or not damage was caused by your installer.
A few things you should know about seam placement:
- Placing seams under the primary natural light source is good. The added light will help hide the seams.
- Placing seams under furniture will help hide them.
- As much as possible, seams should be out of main traffic patterns.
- Seams should not be directly over pad seams unless they are running perpendicular.
A few general things you should know about the carpet laying process:
- Today’s carpet backings require a power stretcher to stretch the carpet into place. A good installer will use a power stretcher.
- The piles (tufts of fiber) in your carpet have a direction. All adjacent carpet should be laid in the same direction.
- The threshold between carpet and other types of flooring should be protected with a molding.