How to Transition From Bar Carpet to Tile

Leave some bar carpet hanging over the tile when you are laying the carpet.

Select the correct tack strip for your situation. Blue tack strips are for wooden subfloors; red tack strips are for concrete floors. The blue tack strips have longer, thinner nails that won't go into concrete. The red tack strip has concrete nails that will not hold in a wood subfloor.

Fold the carpet back several feet. Cut a piece of tack strip to fit the transition. Use a hack saw and wear protective gloves, as the nails in carpet strips are very sharp. Nail the tack strip in place using a hammer.

Trim the carpet padding so that it comes just to the edge of the carpet strip. Use a carpet knife. The padding should not overlap the tack strip, nor should there be a gap between the padding and the tack strip. Stretch the carpet over the tack strip and tap it down to catch on the tacks.

Trim the carpet at the transition using a carpet knife or a utility knife. Make sure the blade of the knife is very sharp, as it makes the job much easier.

Tuck the edge of the carpet into the small gap between the tack strip and the tile using a stair tool. Use a knee kicker to pull the carpet a little closer to the tile as you go. A knee kicker is a specialized handheld tool for installing carpet in tight areas. The installer uses his knee to push one end of the tool, and the carpet, into position. The other end of the tool consists of a pin plate that grips the carpet. A stair tool looks like a heavyweight putty knife. It is inserted at the edge of the carpet and pushed down to force the carpet into crevices.

Hammer the carpet into the tack strip to bend the tacks over. Otherwise the sharp tacks will stick up out of the carpet.