Have you run into this before? - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

ron schenker · 02-05-2006, 03:16 PM

I'm laying carpet in a very old 2 bedroom apt. rental, and the original elaborate baseboard goes right down to the wood floor. No where to tuck under, no tack strip being used,no 1/4 round, just a cheap rubber backed carpet. My question is..Is it ok to butt up to the wall and glue the edges? Normally I would have installed tack strip and stretched the carpet, then if needed, install Q.round. However, the owner wants to keep costs at an absolute minimum!

PrecisionFloors · 02-05-2006, 04:08 PM

"However, the owner wants to keep costs at an absolute minimum!" That pretty much answers your question right there imo, if they want it done right then they gotta pay for it to be done right...just explain that up front. I like to present it as "options" ie. "Mr or Mrs Homeowner these are your options and associated costs with each option" Put the choice for it to look like crap on them not you. Just my .02

**Floorwizard** · 02-05-2006, 04:37 PM

buy chewing gum
chew it
blot it on floor to stick

remember

buy cheap gum

Rich Turley · 02-05-2006, 06:19 PM

Go with your original idea of installing tackless strips and stretching the carpet. Q-round shouldn't be required. It's just like putting carpet into a room that doesn't get any base molding.

Rich

Zero Punch · 02-05-2006, 07:05 PM

Double faced tape.

King of karpets · 02-06-2006, 06:34 AM

Ron , If its a Rubber back Carpet , You cant use tackless , its not going to hold , and more then likely you will rip the cpt streaching it .. Glue up to the baseboard as close as you can get .. Crease it at the bottom of the floor ,and the baseboard with a stair tool , or a stiff hook knife .. hold down on the top of the carpet as you cut the crease .. Make sure not to get a lot of glue at the edge of the baseboard .. Good Luck .. PS ; From your post , i gather you dont install for a living , cut 6 inches , and check to see where the carpet is falling next to the baseboard , adjust the bevel of your knife up or down till you get it perfect ..

ron schenker · 02-06-2006, 06:01 PM

King: I cut the carpet last week close to the baseboard, but I wasn't sure if it would be better to glue or staple the edges. This is about my 15th. carpet job and I've never run into this scenerio before, but now I know exactly what to do thanks to you and the other guys. That's what this forum is all about...By the way, I love working with rubber backed carpet, it's fast and easy, cheap, and looks more than good enough in a low income rental.

Donedat · 02-09-2006, 11:46 AM

Being in the refinnishing business, I've seen a lot of black rubberbacked carpet glued down to hardwood flooring. These carpets were glued wall to wall and even into the corners. They last forever like that...unless I'm called to rip them out...