How to Lay Carpet on a Curved Wall

Cut tack strips into shorter lengths with a tin snips. The length you cut them depends on the tightness of the curve. The tack strips must be short enough to remain between 1/8 to 3/8 inch from the curved wall and touch each other end to end as they make their way around the wall. The tighter the curve, the shorter the tack strips must be. They do not all need to be equal lengths.

Position the tack strips on the floor, following the wall's curve as closely as possible, with the teeth pointing toward the wall. Nail each strip to the floor using two to three nails.

Unroll the carpet padding along the floor and over the top of the tack strips. Cut the carpet padding along the tack strips' front edges with a utility knife, using the tack strips as a guide.

Unroll the carpet on top of the carpet padding and over the tack strips, extending about 3 to 4 inches up the wall. Fold the portion of carpet extending up the wall back over and cut through the carpet's bottom surface with a utility knife, following the wall's curve as closely as possible.

Set a knee kicker on the carpet at one end of the curve. Position the knee kicker about 2 inches from the wall. Hit the knee kicker with your knee to hook the carpet over the tack strips. Move the knee kicker down about 4 inches, and hit it with your knee again. Repeat until you reach the curve's opposite end.

Rub a stair tool over the tack strips to ensure the carpet makes good contact with the teeth and is firmly in place all along the curve. At one end of the curve, make a vertical cut through the carpet, from the edge to the floor, with a utility knife.

Place the carpet's cut edge into a carpet wall trimmer. Press the trimmer tight against the wall. Push the wall trimmer through the carpet, following the wall's curve.

Set the knee kicker on the carpet, about 1 inch from the wall. Hit the knee kicker with your knee. Use the stair tool to push the carpet's edge between the curved wall and the tack strips.