What Can You Seal Carpet Edges & Seams With?

Carpet Bars

• Carpet bars are metal strips commonly used to seal the edge of carpeting to a tile or vinyl floor. However, they may be used to seal carpet to any adjoining surface that is the same height as the carpet or is slightly lower than the carpet. Within the interior edge on one side of the bar are several tacks used to secure the edge of the carpet to the bar. These tacks eliminate the need to install a standard wooden tack strip. The carpet bar is secured to the underlying floor with nails or screws. With the bar secure, the carpet is then stretched toward the bar to ensure that the carpet is tight and pressed into the carpet bar tacks. The opposite side of the bar is folded over the top of the carpet edge to hold the carpet in place.

Tack Strip Tuck Under

• While carpet bars are commonly used to seal carpet edges to adjoining floors that are either the same height or slightly lower than the edge of the carpet, the tack strip tuck-under method is used to seal the edge of carpeting to an adjoining floor that is slightly higher than the carpet bottom. This method is commonly used where carpet meets a hardwood floor. The carpet is secured to the floor with a standard tack strip. When installing the tack strip, make sure that the tacks angle away from the carpet and that you leave a space between the tack strip and the adjoining surface. Stretch the carpet toward the tack strip, and trim away the excess carpet. Tuck the edge of the carpet into the gap between the adjoining floor and the tack strip.

Seam Tape and Double-sided Tape

• Two methods are commonly used to seal carpet seams where two individual pieces of carpet meet. The first is with seam tape. Seam tape is a thin cardboard-like strip with a layer of adhesive that runs along the center of the length of the strip. The tape is sold in rolls and is easy to work with. The adhesive only becomes tacky when heated with a carpet iron. The tape is positioned underneath the carpet seam and heated with a carpet iron. The warm adhesive secures the carpet seams together. The second method is with double-sided carpet tape. Carpet tape is the easier material to work with, since an iron is not necessary. However, the seal is not as strong as with seam tape. Peel the backing off each side of the tape. One side of the tape adheres to the carpet pad, and the other side secures the edges of both carpet pieces in place.

Thresholds

• Thresholds offer an attractive alternative to carpet bars if the carpet meets an uneven adjoining surface. A threshold is a wood strip secured to the floor with screws. Thresholds are most commonly used in doorways. For this reason, thresholds are readily available in precut lengths and even with predrilled screw holes. Simply position the threshold over the edge of the carpet and tighten the screws through the threshold and into the floor. The disadvantage to using thresholds is that they can make vacuuming difficult because the vacuum must be carried over the threshold.