Attention carpet installers!

[havasu]

I have a quick question. I just installed wood plank looking tile and later had a company re-carpet the other non-tile areas. I noticed the carpet installers used a continuous bead of what looked like painter's caulk between the tack strip and the tile. When I asked what it was used for, I was told it keeps the carpet edges tight to the tile, allowing no chance for the carpet to pull up.

Is this common? I have no complaints at all, but was surprised seeing this.

 

[highup]

I have a quick question. I just installed wood plank looking tile and later had a company re-carpet the other non-tile areas. I noticed the carpet installers used a continuous bead of what looked like painter's caulk between the tack strip and the tile. When I asked what it was used for, I was told it keeps the carpet edges tight to the tile, allowing no chance for the carpet to pull up.

Is this common? I have no complaints at all, but was surprised seeing this.

It is done to keep the carpet edge from raveling like they said. Hopefully it wasn't painters caulk, but I suppose it would work. It would be a real pain in the butisimo if a guy ever needed to pull back that edge for some reason.

Carpet seam sealer is the recommended product for what they did.
.....and for the record, it's rare to see an installer put in that extra effort.

 

[Floorist]

Sounds like you got some real pros.

 

[havasu]

Yeah, I was real lucky. I believe I need to write a nice letter to the company who hired these guys!

 

[Floorist]

Good idea. The installers will appreciate it.

 

[Polestretch]

In 28 years of installing, I've only seen one other installer do that around here, and it only on one job! You got yourself a pro!

 

[Travis]

15 years exp never seen anyone do that before maybe seam dealer if Berber but other than that I wouldn't have done it

 

[Incognito]

I was taught to use latex seam sealer in the tack strip gully between stretch carpet and ceramic or wood to protect the edge of the carpet. In a pinch I'll use regular glue down seam sealer------it's just a little sloppy. I believe you ought to squeeze something of that nature down in there. Caulk? I don't know. It's latex, right?

 

[havasu]

Although this post is 4 years old, just wanted to mention that I did in fact write a letter to the company who installed the carpeting, and I received a reply that they rarely got a letter like I sent. They were going to provide the installers a copy of this letter, and were going to treat them to lunch as a way to thank them.

And more importantly, the carpet still looks fantastic!

 

[Ernesto]

Since this post has been resurrected I'll throw in my two cents, thats an awful idea and a waste of latex or what ever he used. Along the ceramic tile, yes. But could you imagine if you needed to pull the carpet for some odd reason? Ravel city.

 

[highup]

Since this post has been resurrected I'll throw in my two cents, thats an awful idea and a waste of latex or what ever he used. Along the ceramic tile, yes. But could you imagine if you needed to pull the carpet for some odd reason? Ravel city.

I don't know about Orcon's "elmers glue" type of sealer, but the real latex of yesteryear.... the latex rubber type, doesn't stick and can be peeled out clean by using an awl. That old latex doesn't adhere to the floor like an adhesive. If the installer used adhesive caulk, I sure hope that he stretched the carpet well enough to last the life of the carpet.

I'll have to do a test with the Orcon sealer and see how well it sticks to plywood. I use sealer in the gully if it's shallow, or if it's berber, but not always along the entire edge. Sometimes because of the layout, 75% of the edge will never even get walked on.

 

[DarisMulkin]

I don't believe the Orcon will work. I had that follow my iron the first time I used it and it had over night to dry. Use the honey sealer for glue down- that will stick good. But I'm not a firm believer in the gluing at the edges. What if for some reason it has to be lifted? I just put the tackles a little tighter and really force it in with no problems.

Daris

 

[highup]

I don't believe the Orcon will work. I had that follow my iron the first time I used it and it had over night to dry. Use the honey sealer for glue down- that will stick good. But I'm not a firm believer in the gluing at the edges. What if for some reason it has to be lifted? I just put the tackles a little tighter and really force it in with no problems.

Daris

It's all in the wrist.
Often times, I shim up the tackless with a strip of vinyl or 1/8" Masonite to achieve a better transition height from the carpet to the tile or wood. That allows trimming the carpet slightly longer so you can tuck it in deeper, then no need for the sealer.......... Like you said, if it's trimmed neat and clean, then tucked in with a bit of care you won't need it.

 

[ccoffer]

Reminds me of when I was a child doing apartments and willy-nilly jerked up some carpet that some eager beaver had grouted to the bathroom tile.

Sparks didn't fly, but tile did. Fixed it with plaster floor patch(I actually used that crap when I was little) and moved on.

 

[TOTRR]

Actually the product that needs to be used is Z-Bar. it protects the carpet and you can take it up if a repair is needed without destroying the carpet. The seam sealer thing originated in CFI.

totrr

 

[Nick]

Welcome to the site TOTRR .

 

[Floorist]

Actually the product that needs to be used is Z-Bar. it protects the carpet and you can take it up if a repair is needed with destroying the carpet. The seam sealer thing originated in CFI.

totrr

Used a lot of ZBar back in the 80s. Everyone just seemed to kinda forget about it later.

 

[Floorist]

The seam sealer thing originated in CFI.

totrr

Probably Jim Walker's idea, he was the first one I ever saw upholster steps with a glue gun.

 

[Nick]

I just did a concrete one the other day .

 

[highup]

Actually the product that needs to be used is Z-Bar. it protects the carpet and you can take it up if a repair is needed with destroying the carpet. The seam sealer thing originated in CFI.

totrr

I did a restretch two days ago where the installer used hundreds upon hundreds of 9/16" staples to hold down a rolled carpet edge. It was probably 30 feet in total, bordering some LVT planks. The carpet was a medium weight, and the staples went into OSB. Had I stretched away from those edges instead of towards them, I most likely would have pulled up the entire edge. The guy is no longer installing........... thank the powers that be.

It should have been done with Z-bar, or hand tacked with wire nails for a nicer profile. Time consuming, but would have been worth it.