How to Fasten a Carpet Nailer to Concrete Floor

When installing wall-to-wall carpeting in a room, first cover the floor with a layer of suitable padding as directed by the manufacturer. Stretch the carpeting over the padding with the help of a knee kicker or power stretcher, and secure it to the floor onto hooked nailers, or "tackless" strips fitted to the floor around the perimeter walls. Applying tackless strips to a wooden subfloor is a straightforward process, if you have a concrete subfloor, use lengths of specialized gripper edging and rustproof masonry nails for the best results.

Rolls of specialized concrete flooring tackless strip
Hacksaw or wood saw
Hammer
Rust-proof masonry nails

Instructions

- 1
  Cut off the first length of specialized concrete flooring tackless strip so that it fits along one of the short perimeter walls. Use a hacksaw when cutting metal strips, or a wood saw when fitting wooden tackless strips.
- 2
  Position the strip against the short perimeter wall; ensure that the carpet hooks face toward the wall.
- 3
  Move the strip back from the wall so that the space between the side of the strip and the wall equals 2/3 of the thickness of your carpeting; trim the end of the strip if necessary and leave the same space between the ends of the strip and the adjacent walls.
- 4
  Secure the strip to the floor by hammering rustproof masonry nails through the strip and into the concrete.
- 5
  Work clockwise around the floor. Trim the second strip to size so that the left edge butts against the side of the first strip and the gap between the end of the strip and the far wall is 2/3 of the thickness of your carpeting.
- 6
  Position the strip against the wall with the carpet hooks facing the wall. Move the strip away from the wall enough to maintain the specified gap between its long edge and the second wall; secure the strip to the floor with rustproof masonry nails and a hammer.
- 7
  Repeat by cutting the two remaining strips to size and securing them to the floor the same way; you are now ready to install the first layer of carpet padding between the strips as directed by the manufacturer.

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Carpeting