Finishing carpet edge

18 years ago

We just put laminate in our home office. At the doorway, the laminate meets carpet from the hall. Previously, the office also was carpeted, and the two carpets (different types) met at a seam at the door.

What is the proper way to finish the edge of the remaining carpet to make it look nice and stay that way? I have a moulding piece (one of those Pergo 4-in-1 things) to go on the edge of the laminate, but it is designed to butt up against a finished carpet edge. What do I need to do to get that type of edge on the existing carpet?

I saw metal gripper strips at Home Depot, but it seems like a 1/2" metal strip between the laminate and carpet would be ugly. We have another spot in our house where the carpet comes right up against a wood floor, and it's a very nice tight transition. But I can't tell how they did it (and I'm not about to rip it up to find out!).

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

floorguy
18 years ago
Use the pergo molding, put together for a carpet endcap. With the carpet and padding pulled back, install the molding. Install a piece of carpet tackstrip(wood with pins) with the slanted pins, facing the transition molding, and a gap of no less then 1/4" and no greater then 3/8", between the molding and the tackstrip. Lay the pad and cut it cleanly behind the tack strip, using shears, or a razor knife with a new blade. Now your suppose to use a pole stretcher, but for used carpet, a knee kicker and making sure you have pressure on the head, set it up on the tackstrip pins. Rub the carpet on the pins. Squirt a bead of latex seam & edge sealer for carpet, in the gully between the tackstrip and molding. Fold the carpet back righ even with the molding, and using a razor knife, cut the carpet from the back, a tad longer, so you have enough to tuck, into the gully.

If there is any seam tape left on the carpet, that has to come off. Heat it from the back with an iron on high for about 10 seconds(maybe a tad longer) and peel the old seam tape off, before you even start to install the endcap molding.
pineapplecake
Original Author
18 years ago
Excellent instructions! Thank you!

One question, just to make sure I understand: you say to cut the pad behind the tack strip. Do you mean to cut it so that it doesn't go over the tacks (only the carpet itself will touch the tacks)?
Related Professionals
Banning Flooring Contractors · Beaumont Flooring Contractors · Hugo Flooring Contractors · Kalispell Flooring Contractors · Laguna Beach Flooring Contractors · Owatonna Flooring Contractors · Del Aire General Contractors · Dover General Contractors · Las Cruces General Contractors · Markham General Contractors · Medford General Contractors · Panama City Beach General Contractors · Rancho Santa Margarita General Contractors · Saint George General Contractors · Spanaway General Contractors
snookums
17 years ago
I just want to say thank you for this post. It's several months after it was posted and we were having the EXACT same issue. Literally - word for word, substitute "Wilsonart" for Pergo and our question is the same. It's even our office that we tore the carpet out of as well and put laminate down. We followed your instructions and rented a knee-kicker at Home Depot ($10) and it's down perfect now. We struggled trying to do it by hand until I found this post.

I love Gardenweb! Thanks!!!
Nashrambler
13 years ago
I have a similar question. I want to cut a doorway thru the carpet and plywood underlayment from our bedroom to the crawlspace underneath as an escape hatch in case of a tornado -- commom here.

I will put a piano hinge on the doorway (I think) and keep the wall to wall carpet on the trap door and the surrounding floor as it was. I'll also need a flush mount handle to lift the door.

How best can I cut thru the carpet when cutting the doorway? How can I edge the carpet best for this purpose around the opening and keep the trap door well covered with the piece it will retain? Any suggestions for the best type of hardware for this?

Thanks so much!