How to Attach a Carpet to Concrete and Not Mess It Up

Measure the length and width of your space on your room or porch to determine how much carpet and padding you need to cover the floor completely. Multiply the two numbers together to determine the square footage of the space, then divide by 9 to convert feet to square yards. As an example, assume a space measures 12 by 15 feet. The area is equal to 180 square feet, which equals 20 square yards of carpet.

Sweep the area thoroughly to remove dirt, dust and debris from the floor that can get trapped under the padding. If you have any bumps on the concrete or pieces sticking up, chip them away with a chisel and hammer. Fill in large dips with a leveling compound so you have a flat surface.

Place tackless strips around the perimeter of the space approximately 1/2 inch from the wall. Insert masonry screws into the strips every 6 to 8 inches until all strips are secured to the concrete.

Lay the carpet padding out in the room. Staple down the seams, spacing them apart to prevent side-by-side staples.

Press down on the padding and locate the position of the tackless strips in relation to the padding. Cut the excess padding along the inside edge of the strip, which exposes the strip to attach the carpet.

Place the carpet down on the padding, aligning the seams with each other for smaller pieces and aligning the ends with the walls. Place seam tape under the spots in which you are joining two pieces together, with the adhesive side-up; join the two pieces together with a seam iron.

Push the carpet up against the wall as tightly as possible with a knee kicker. As the name implies, use your knee to push the carpet against the wall, and at the same time, pull it with your hands.

Trim around the edges to eliminate excess carpet. Attach the carpet to the tackless strips around the perimeter.