The Location of the Seams in Carpet Installation

Planning

• Because most carpet comes in rolls that are 12 feet wide, any room that is wider than this dimension will inevitably have a seam. In such cases, make a floor plan of the room or rooms in advance where the carpet will be laid, marking all doors, windows, cupboards and spots where any large pieces of furniture will sit. Similarly, use this plan to indicate where carpet seams will be located based on high-traffic areas and lighting placement. In addition, make sure the pile will be running in the same direction on both sides of the seam.

High-Use Areas

• Avoid placing seams in the most used areas of the room. Instead, try and place them under furniture or near walls--where they will be less noticeable. It's also best to refrain from placing seams directly in front of cupboards or closets, as these areas are the most likely to split over time.

Doorways

• It's better to locate a seam so that people will walk across it rather than along it. For example, it generally works well to place a seam across a doorway when carpeting two adjacent rooms. Never place a seam perpendicular to the doorway, because it's likely to split over time.

Light Sources

• Seams are less visible when they run parallel to light rays rather than when light falls across them. This means you should plan to have seams run toward the main window in the room when possible rather than across it. Windows that extend down to floor level, for example, will have more influence on carpet seam placement than those that doesn't. A seam parallel to a window is more likely to appear peaked with a small shadow behind it. Despite the best planning, remember that you can never expect a seam to be completely invisible.