How to Lay Carpet on a Plywood Floor

Sweep the plywood floor clear of any dust or dirt. Make sure that the floor is clear of obstructions, such as nails or screws that are sticking up.

Place your carpet pad on top of your plywood floor. The thickness of the pad depends on the carpet's intended use and your preferences. If, for example, you are placing the carpet in a play area or living area, you may want a thicker padding than that used in a guest bedroom or attic space. You can glue down the pad if you wish, but it is not mandatory.

Secure your carpet pad down with a staple gun along the edges. Use a staple about every six inches or so.

Nail tackless strips down along the edges of the room -- or the edges of the area where the carpet is going. Tackless strips are the most common way to install carpeting and enable you to lay the carpet on pin-covered strips. The strips adhere to the wood floor, and the pins on the top side grab the carpet, keeping it in place.

Cut your carpet so that it fits the area of the room.

Lay the carpet down over the padding and secure the edges to the tackless strips by pushing the edges of the carpet onto them.

Trim any excess carpeting away from the edges.