When you’re thinking about getting new flooring in your home, the first thing that probably comes to mind is what it will cost. Installing any type of flooring can be relatively expensive, which can deter people from installing new flooring. However, when it comes to new carpeting, there are ways to lower new carpet installation costs. You do not need to know how to install a carpet to do this, in fact, there are just a few steps that could lead to you saving a decent chunk of change on new carpet installation costs.
Measure the area
The first thing you will want to do, even if you are getting the carpet fully installed professionally, is measure the are where the carpet will be installed. You will want to measure the longest length of the room by the longest width of the room. Even if there are closets or walls that stick out into the room, you will still want to measure the largest area so that the carpeting is cohesive. In this case, you will likely be left with extra carpet to use elsewhere, or inside the closets. Once you have the longest length by the longest width, divide the number of inches by 144 to get the area in square feet. A lot of carpeting comes in lengths of 12 feet or 15 feet, so you may be limited to buying this amount, even if your area is smaller.
Find the carpeting you want
Your next step, after finding the area, is to find the carpet that you want. Carpets come in many different types, including woven, needlecelted, tufted, knotted and flat weave. Wool is considered a great choice in carpet because it is durable and can also be dyed. Once you find carpeting you like that falls within your budget, inquire about the price for carpet installation. If it seems relatively inexpensive and you don’t want to bother with the next steps, go for it! However, sometimes new carpet installation costs can cause a carpet to exceed your budget. At this time, check with the company to see if you can lower the installation costs by doing some of the work yourself. If they agree, follow the next steps. If they decide they want to charge a set price rather than an hourly rate, it’s best not to bother with the next steps.
Remove existing flooring
If the company agrees to lower the price if you do some of the work, begin by removing any existing flooring. If you have existing carpet, rip it up until you reach the surface you want your new carpeting on.
Clean the subfloor
After the carpeting or other flooring is ripped up, you’ll want to vacuum and sweep the subfloor to ensure that the surface is both flat and clean. This will make it much easier to install the new carpet and reduce the time that the installers would typically spend cleaning after removing existing flooring.
Remove the doors from the room
If you can, it’s best to remove the doors from the room to allow easier entrance into the room as well as easier access around doorframes for installation. This includes removing closet doors to make installation even easier.
Keep in mind that not all companies will agree to this. You should always check with the company before moving forward in the process.