DIY Tacking Carpet

Nail the tacking strips onto the floor around the base of the wall. Position the tacking strips so that the flat edge is against the floor and the tacks are facing the ceiling.

Cover the floor surface between the tacking strips with carpet padding. Glue the edges of the carpet padding to the floor with padding adhesive.

Tape the seams where the edges of the pads meet with duct tape.

Lay the rolled-up carpet onto the floor at one edge of the room, and unroll it onto the floor. Cut away any excess carpet around the walls with a utility knife.

Cut strips of carpet to cover any areas of the floor that the roll of carpet doesn't cover. Cut the strips 2 inches wider than the floor space they need to cover.

Lay the strips onto the floor, positioning them so that the extra 2 inches overlap the carpet roll.

Flip over the edge of the carpet strip that is over the roll, and draw a line 1 inch in from the edge with chalk. Cut the carpet along the line by holding a straightedge against the line and cutting it with a utility knife. Flip the carpet back over onto the carpet roll.

Push down on the edge of the carpet strip, and cut 2-inch-long slits into the carpet roll. Make one cut every 2 to 3 feet, and use the edge of the carpet strip as a guide.

Fold the edge of the carpet strip over again, and place a straightedge on the carpet roll along the 2-inch-long slits. Cut the edge off the carpet along the line you created with the slits.

Lift the edge of the carpet roll, and place double-sided tape onto the floor along the joint where the carpet roll meets the strip. Keep the paper on the back of the tape. Place double-sided tape underneath the edge of the strip of carpet as well.

Take the backing paper off the double-sided tape, and press the edge of one of the carpet pieces into the tape.

Apply seam adhesive on top of the double-sided tape that is still exposed, and press the edge of the other piece of carpet into the tape. Press the edges of the two pieces of carpet together.

Push the edges of the carpet around the perimeter of the room onto the tacking strips. Use a knee-kicker to hook the back of the carpet onto the tacks on the tacking strip.

Press a stair chisel onto the carpet along the base of the wall to firmly lock the carpet onto the tacking strips.

Trim excess carpet around the perimeter of the walls with a double-blade wall trimmer.

Hold the knee-kicker on the floor 1/2 inch from the edge of the wall, and tuck the edge of the carpet into the floor with the stair chisel again.

Place one end of the power stretcher against one wall, and extend the stretcher so the other end is 3 to 4 inches from the opposite wall. Stretch the carpet by slowly pressing down on the handle of the power stretcher. Stretch the carpet like this both length-wise and width-wise.