The dry foam procedure is mostly rather than dry as the name infers, although the content of moisture is so low that it can actually be referred to as dry foam (90% air – 10% liquid).  The dry foam machine is equipped with a pressure tank, which you will pour a solution of water and shampoo into.

A compressor will work to convert the solution into foam which is then dispensed all over the carpet using a revolving cylindrical brush.  The brush will work to comb the foam through the piles of the carpet so that each individual fiber of the carpet is cleaned.

To achieve success, you must make sure that the bubbles being produced are of uniformed size so the foam can complete the cleaning process before it is dispersed.  Once it has dried, the carpet is then thoroughly vacuumed to remove the dried crystals of dirt that have been left behind.

Below, are the steps to the dry foam procedure:
1.  First of all, vacuum the carpet and remove all the stains that you possibly can.
2.  Mix the dry foam solution according to the directions of the manufacturer.
3.  Shampoo the carpet then once it has dried, vacuum the carpet.
4.  Depending on the type of carpet you have, groom the pile to speed the drying process.
5.  Complete the work by using a furniture leg pad or block to eliminate furniture stains or rust.

Advantages
The process of dry foam cleaning is capable of covering a lot of area in a very short amount of time.  There isn’t really any danger involved in saturating the carpet simply because the moisture content is low.  This will also help you to minimize the problems that are commonly associated with over wetting.

Disadvantages
The dry foam method is capable of removing average levels of soil.  There is however a possibility of excessive residue and soil build up if the machine you are using has inadequate extraction capabilities.

Dry foam is the ideal method of choice if you have older carpet if you want to get your carpet as clean as possible.  You can rent a machine at your local department or carpet store if you don’t think you’ll use it enough to buy it.  They don’t cost that much to rent, which is great for those who just want to give it a shot and see what happens.

Dry foam carpet cleaning isn’t that hard to do, as you’ll be fine even if you have no experience with these types of machines.  The above information will help you greatly, and if you follow it, you shouldn’t have any problems.  Dry foam can make a carpet look spectacular, as long as you follow the manufacturers directions on mixing the dry foam solution.  Once you’ve finished cleaning your carpet with dry foam, you’ll probably find yourself falling in love with the results.

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Installing Stair Carpet

Anytime it involves your floors, you shouldn’t limit yourself to just carpet, but try the newer carpet tiles instead.  Carpet tiles are available in an array of designs and a great choice of materials as well.  Bordered, geometric, contemporary, or bamboo – will give your floors a complete makeover and a great look as well.

When you go out to buy carpet tiles, you’ll need to think about where you plan to install them.  The tiles will vary in density as well as thickness. Carpet tiles with more thickness have a cushion so that it’s soft on the surface, making them ideal for homes.  They will also provide a degree of thermal insulation as well.  The thinner types of tiles are best for offices, gyms, and other high traffic areas.  All carpet tiles are easy to  maintain and will last you for a long time.

The tiles will come in a variety of materials and patterns.  If you choose, you can make your home a greenhouse by using bamboo carpet tiles, or you can choose terracotta carpet tiles that will  give your interior an earthly feel.

You may just want to liven things up a bit or play down your floor, depending on the look you are going for.  Carpet tiles that are made from foam, rubber, linoleum, and vinyl are best for children’s rooms, office spaces, or other high
traffic areas.  The cost for the tiles will depend on their thickness and density, which means that the prices can range from 1$ per square foot up to 40$ per square foot.

Tiles for carpet will offer you several advantages when you compare them to wall to wall carpets. They are easy to install and easy to transport, as you can install them without having to move any furniture!  They are very durable as well, and will last longer than most types of carpet even when they are used in high traffic areas.

You can also unleash your creative side as well with carpet tiles.  You can mix and match different tiles, or use a color for the border and even create a distinctive look using  various patterns.  Unlike wall to wall carpet, you don’t need any professional help in case of tear, wear, or staining.  If they become torn or stained, just replace that tile with a new one.

There are carpet tiles available to fit each and every taste, even budget and furnishings style as well.  As they are less expensive, they will offer you the chance to experiment with your interior.  Pretty much the same with carpets,  the installation of tiles is very important.

They must be installed on hard surfaces, such as stone, cement, or ceramic tile.  The surface has to be smooth and clean, so the adhesives will last and your floor will have a well finished look.  The carpet tiles will normally have cushion or padding already installed, which will reduce the cost and extend the life of the carpet.

When it comes to carpet for your home, you may want carpet that you install yourself.  There are ways that you can carpet a room very cheaply, without having to spend a lot of money.  Carpet can get very expensive in a hurry, which is why saving money is so very important to those on a tight budget.

One very cheap way you can carpet a room is by using carpet samples.  This is actually considered new carpet, as samples aren’t considered to be used.

You can buy samples of carpet for .25 cents a piece at closeout sales or at your local hardware or carpet store.  Depending on the size of the room you are looking to carpet, how many samples you’ll need will vary.  You’ll also need staples as well, which cost around a dollar or so.  Most of the time, you can expect to pay a dollar or so for each square of carpet, which is still considered to be cheap carpet.

Keep in mind that using samples or square is a very unusual style and you have to think about the resale value of your home.  If you have a trailer or mobile  home, then the style is probably going to be unusual and cheap to start with.  If you have an expensive or mid priced home, then you may decide to use cheap carpeting in the basement, playroom, or in a children’s playhouse.

If you are doing a children’s playroom, using multi-colored carpet is perfect.  It is very colorful and if a spill stains one of the squares of carpet, you can quickly and easily pull it back up and install a new one.  This is a great advantage to doing a playroom this way.

Installing your cheap carpet
The only things you’ll actually need when you install carpet samples or squares in a room is a carpet knife and a staple gun.  The 5/8″ staples seem to work the best for squares and samples.

All you need to do is put the carpet peice in place and staple in two or three staples along each side.  Make sure you wiggle the head of the stapler down deep between the fibers, or between the border and the fibers, so you can hide the staples as much as possible.

If you are carpeting a basement floor, you can use carpet tape instead of staples.  With either case, this is best to do when padding isn’t that important.  You can use padding as well if you don’t mind the complications, although without it, its pure simplicity.

You may also choose to lay out your pieces of carpet first, then decide where each individual piece will go.  When you reach walls, heating sources, or other obstacles, you can quickly and easily cut the pieces to fit. If you happen to make a mistake, it will cost you around a dollar, instead of costing you a fortune.  When you make a mistake, all you have to do is start over a new piece of carpet.

Before you begin to put the carpet down, you should always estimate how many pieces you will need, and then call around to find a store that has enough samples for the room.

Although the samples will range in size at different stores, the average is 18 X 18 inches.  If you use pieces that are the same size, you’ll find things to be much easier.  Even though you may be paying a dollar a piece, it rounds out to less than .50 cents per square foot to carpet your room of choice – which is really cheap carpet!

See previous post: Carpet a Stairway

Begin the installation by nailing fastening strips at each riser-tread corner; wear work gloves. Measure the width of the stairway and subtract the part that will be covered by the carpet runner; divide by 2. This is the number of inches at each side of the stairs that won’t be covered. Measure in this distance from one side of the stairway at the base of each riser and the inside of each tread; mark each of these points with chalk or pencil. Then measure in the same way from the other side of the stairs. Measure each stair across from mark to mark to make sure you’ve measured accurately; the carpet runner will be centered on these marks.

Cut the strips to the width of the runner with a small handsaw. On each stair, nail a strip centered on the riser, teeth pointing down, 3/4 inch above the surface of the tread below it; use a 3/4-inch-thick piece of scrap wood to hold the strip in place as you nail it. Nail another strip centered on the tread, teeth pointing in to the riser above it, 5/8 inch out from the riser. You’ll end up with an open V of fastening strips at the back of each stair, straight or wedge shaped, with one strip near the floor at the bottom of the lowest riser and one at the back of the top tread. Don’t nail a strip onto the top riser.

After nailing the fastening strips, measure and mark the carpet padding. Measure the padding to the width of the carpet runner, less about ¼ inch so that it will be very slightly recessed under the carpet edge at each side. With a heavy scissors, cut a strip of padding to fit over each stair tread, long enough to wrap from the tread fastening strip around the tread and down about 2 or 3 inches onto the tread below it. Make a paper pattern to cut the padding for each wedge-shaped step; the padding must cover the tread, round the edge, and wrap over onto the riser below it.

Install the padding with staples. Center a trimmed piece of padding, waffle-patterned side up, on each tread, with its end butted against the fastening strip at the back of the tread. Staple the end of the padding to the tread, using a staple gun to set staples diagonally every 2 inches along the fastening strip. Stretch the other end of the padding out over the tread and down onto the riser below it; holding it evenly stretched, staple it into place. Use the paper pattern to cut padding for wedge-shaped stairs, and fasten the padding the same way.

Finally, unroll the carpet runner and drape it over the stairway, with the nap or pile leaning out and down from top to bottom. Winding stairways are treated as straight flights interrupted by wedge-shaped steps; lay the carpeting out over the bottom straight flight and up to the first wedge step. Pull the carpet runner into place from the bottom up, making sure that the nap or pile lies in the right direction (down) and that the carpet is positioned straight over the fastening strips and between the chalked centering marks on the stairs. Even a small skew at the bottom can magnify noticeably by the top of the stairway, so adjust the runner carefully.

Start fastening the carpeting at the bottom of the first riser. Position the end of the runner directly over the bottom fastening strip so that about 3/4 inch of carpet is turned up along the floor. Trim any uneven edges from the end of the runner with a sharp utility knife.

Push the point of an awl into the carpet at one side and use the awl to push the end of the carpet onto the fastening strip, leaving about 3/8 inch of loose carpet below the newly fastened edge. Smooth the carpet firmly into place along the strip, working across with the awl until the entire end has been fastened.

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In the past and even today, carpet is very popular with home owners all across the U.S.  Carpet is the most practical, fashionable, and versatile choice of flooring out there, as it also accounts for more than half of all flooring purchases that are made each and every year.  The fact is, carpet has outsold every other type of flooring for more than 60 years.

Carpet offers you several advantages that other flooring options can’t compete with.  Below, you will find many of the features that carpet will add to your home.

Warmth
Carpet is the best choice you can make for your bedroom, family room, and other areas where you need warmth underfoot.

Insulation
Both carpet and carpet padding will provide an extra layer of much needed insulation between the floors of your home.  Depending on the density and weight of the carpet, it contributes to the R-value of your home, which adds to the energy efficiency as well.

Safety
Carpet offers a slip resistant surface that will prevent accidents along with a natural cushion in the event of someone falling.  For young children and the elderly, this is very important.

Reduction in sound
Carpet will also reduce noise better than any other type of flooring.  Carpet works to dampen noise in three ways:
1.  Reduces surface noise from foot traffic
2.  Absorbs airborne sound
3.  Blocks transmission of sound These qualities are valuable in apartments as well as semi-detached homes.

Surface
Adding carpet to a room can also disguise any existing damage to the floor and also hide any other problems such as warped floors.  The thicker density the carpet is, the more problems it will be able to hide.

Easy to care for
The carpets of today are more stain resistant than they have ever been in the past, which makes cleaning even the worst possible spills easier than ever.  No matter type of spill it may be, there is always a way to clean it up.

Clean air
Research has proven that carpet can indeed improve the quality of air by trapping allergy causing dust and allergens if it is properly cleaned and maintained.

Variety of use
Carpets aren’t only for floors anymore, which is a really great thing.  You can easily add carpet to steps, stairs, walls, posts, and other non level surfaces, without having to worry about it slipping, lifting, or buckling.

Flexibility
Carpet is the primary foundation in almost any room.  Because it is available in a variety of different colors and textures, it helps to create an unlimited number of possibilities for decorating.  From the neutral tones to rich solids, carpet is the first step you can take to make your home look better than ever.

Low cost
Carpet doesn’t cost a lot of money, as it offers an economical alternative to the other types of expensive flooring.  Even with professional installation, you won’t pay near as much as you would for hard surfaces.  Unlike hard surfaces, carpet can keep you comfortable if you decide to lay down on it.

Life span
The carpets of today are very durable and can outlast most other types of flooring available on the market.  All you have to do is select a type of carpet that has a life span of 5 – 30 years or more, which is very common now days.

Warranty
With most manufacturers, you can get great warranties with your carpet purchase.  This way, you’ll be protected when you install your new carpet.  Once installed, all you have to do is enjoy it – as the warranty will ensure that you are very well protected.

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Stair carpeting takes a lot more abuse than room carpeting, and it often wears out much sooner. Replacing a worn stair runner or carpeting a bare stairway is no problem when you know the technique.

Tools: pliers, vacuum cleaner, measuring tape or rule, chalk or pencil, work gloves, small handsaw, hammer, heavy scissors, 3/4-inch-thick piece of scrap wood, staple gun, utility knife with sharp heavy-duty blades, awl, tack hammer, stair wedging tool or broad-bladed chisel; knee kicker, available on rental from most carpet dealers. Materials; tackless carpet fastening strips, heavy rubber or felt stair carpet padding, paper, heavy-duty staples, carpet runner.
Time: about 3 to 4 hours for a short straight stairway, longer for long or winding stairways.

First remove old carpeting from the stairs. Use pliers to pull up any carpet tacks left in the wood, being careful not to splinter it. Vacuum the stairway thoroughly.

Measure the stairs carefully for the new carpet. On straight stairs, stretch a measuring tape or rule around one entire stair, starting at the inside edge of the tread and moving over the outside of the tread and down along the riser below it to the top of the next tread. Add 1 inch and multiply by the number of steps, not counting the last riser to the top landing. Measure any landings and add these measurements to the tread figure; add 1 inch to be turned in at the ends. Divide the total by 36 to determine the number of yards of carpet runner you need. You’ll need roughly the same length of padding; the exact length used will be less because the padding doesn’t cover the stair risers completely.

To measure for carpeting on a winding stairway, first measure straight stairs and landings as above. Then measure each wedge-shaped or turning step at the widest point the carpet will cover, and add 1 inch. Measure each wedge-shaped step separately. To determine the number of yards of carpet runner and padding you need, add all the stair measurements together; add 1 inch for top and bottom edges and divide by 36.

Carpet runner is sold in standard 27-inch and 36-inch widths; buy the width that best fits your stairway. Don’t try to use carpeting left over from a room installation-cut-to-fit carpet pieces have to be turned under at the edges all along the stairs, and that’s tricky. Buy 6 inches or so more than you think you need, just to be safe.

Choose a high-quality heavy rubber or felt stair carpet padding; it doesn’t pay to economize here. Ask the carpet dealer to figure the amount of padding and the number of tackless fastening strips you’ll need-the strips will have to cover roughly twice the width of the stairway for each step.
Finally, rent a knee kicker from the carpet dealer. The kicker is used to stretch the carpeting tightly onto the fastening strips at each riser-tread inter section, producing a more stable runner than hand stretching techniques.

A majority of how your interior looks and feels will depend on your floors.  Houses that have carpet give off an undeniable warmth, vibrancy, and an aesthetic appeal.  There is a wide range of colors, textures, materials, and designs available that can transform your home and give every room a chance to be unique.  Your carpet installation has a long term perspective, so it’s important that you select the best one for your needs and install it right the first time.

Once you have picked out your material and design, you’ll need to it install it.  Professional carpet installers can do the job for you, or you can choose to do it yourself.  Even though doing it yourself is cheaper than hiring a professional, it isn’t  recommended if you don’t have the right tools, lack time, or have no experience.

A great way to ensure a professional installation of your carpet is to buy from an authorized carpet retailer or dealer.  Most of the time, your carpet retailer will have an installation staff that is very experienced with installing carpet.

If the retailer doesn’t offer an installation service, they can still guide you to a reputable and experienced installer.  Even though installation by a retailer is a bit more expensive, it offers several advantages.  The experience will show in
their work and you’ll come out better in the long run.  You can also approach them if you aren’t  satisfied with anything they have done.

However, if you are looking for low budget carpet installation services, you’ll also have the option of hiring independent contractors, architects, builders, or interior designers.  You should always remember to get their references and inquire about their experience, where they received their training, and any certification they may have.

You can also visit homes that the installer has previously worked on, as this will give you an idea of their work before you hire them.  If it isn’t possible, you should at least make it a point to see some pictures of their work.

Even though private contractors may offer a lower rate for carpet installation than your retailer, the services of post installation may be very poor.  If you encounter a problem, you’ll find that your options are limited.  No matter what happens, if you choose an independent carpet installer, you should always make sure that the installer follows the standard for installation of residential carpet CRI 105.

Choosing the right installer for your carpet will entirely depend on your specific needs.  If you like to change your carpet type every few years, you may be better off to choose an independent carpet installer.  If you want carpet that will last for a long time, you should get a follow up from a retailer, as this will ensure that you  have a trouble free experience with installation.

No matter who you choose, you should ensure prior to installation the carpet is power stretched so wrinkling and rippling will be minimized. It is also important that your rooms are  measured before laying any of them and the sub floor has been cleaned.

You should also vacuum the old carpet good before it is removed, to help eliminate dust.  Once the new carpet is down, the edges should be trimmed and sealed with hardwood.  You should always inspect the carpet, and make sure that
nothing looks out of the ordinary and that everything pleases you before you finish the  deal.

You should always keep in mind that no matter how expensive or exotic your carpets may be, it is the installation process that makes or breaks the look of your home.  Therefore, it pays off to invest a bit of time, money, and effort when you choose the right installer for your carpet.