We are a family living in a nice townhouse rental. Unfortunately for us, the carpeting, though new when we moved in two years ago, is cheap, ugly and not functional (it's even in the dining area). I don't think the landlord will do anything about it (he's indicated he doesn't want to). The cheapest alternative we've been quoted for 650 sq feet (installation and materials) is $3k. I'm wondering whether I can DIY a 1/2" platform to cover the carpet and cover that. We haven't found any way of covering the carpet directly. (Rugs, flor tiles, etc, have not worked.)
Carpeting in a Rental Unit
- Thread starter vilmosz
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TNT
Well-Known Member
You cannot cover a carpet with anything. If you put a platform over the carpet, it will cost more than ripping it out and getting something else. Because, you still have to put something else on the platform, right?
Tia
Tia
TNT
Well-Known Member
If you find the right place, you could probably get new, decent carpet for 650 sf at under $1,500, if you move the furniture and do the tear-out.
Tia
LeePelletier
Well-Known Member
We have dirt cheap "apartment carpet" that we install with pad for $2 per square foot. You do the pull-up, or we can do it for a bit more. If we have it, someone else has it too.
I don't recommend it in general. It's cheap and won't wear well (although not nearly as cheap as some stuff I've seen). But we do sell acres of it to property managers in the area.
Oh, and the $2 price is for qualified property management companies. How do you become qualified? Pay your bills on time. You can become qualified by paying in advance, since you are not a property manager.
BTW, I have one property management company that gets a very, very, VERY special price. But that's because when I mail the invoice to their office 20 miles away, I have a check back in my office within the week. They are awesome. And they save a TON of money compared to other companies because of their prompt payment. Hey, other property managers, are you getting the hint?
I realize my post is late, but if you haven't done anything yet, keep looking.
I don't recommend it in general. It's cheap and won't wear well (although not nearly as cheap as some stuff I've seen). But we do sell acres of it to property managers in the area.
Oh, and the $2 price is for qualified property management companies. How do you become qualified? Pay your bills on time. You can become qualified by paying in advance, since you are not a property manager.
BTW, I have one property management company that gets a very, very, VERY special price. But that's because when I mail the invoice to their office 20 miles away, I have a check back in my office within the week. They are awesome. And they save a TON of money compared to other companies because of their prompt payment. Hey, other property managers, are you getting the hint?
I realize my post is late, but if you haven't done anything yet, keep looking.
LeePelletier
Well-Known Member
You laugh, Ernesto, but some people think so. I don't see it as much today. But years ago people were building not just large homes, but huge homes. There would be cost overruns, and when they came in to select flooring, they had just run out of money.
So we'd be putting in the cheapest carpet in this expensive home, which just didn't fit. And they'd be asking, "why is carpet so expensive?" To which you'd have to tell them the truth (and try to keep a straight face): "because your livingroom is half the size of Yankee Stadium".
They were desperately trying to immitate the wealthy people we have in this area, but without actual wealth. This, of course, is a problem.
So we'd be putting in the cheapest carpet in this expensive home, which just didn't fit. And they'd be asking, "why is carpet so expensive?" To which you'd have to tell them the truth (and try to keep a straight face): "because your livingroom is half the size of Yankee Stadium".
They were desperately trying to immitate the wealthy people we have in this area, but without actual wealth. This, of course, is a problem.
I can remember working in gated communities of multimillion dollar homes and the people had almost no furniture and a $100 car in the garage. We were trying to repair $4 yd commercial carpet. Some of the rooms still had only plywood subfloors.
I've done work for doctors who want the big houses that was using card table and chairs as dining room furniture. Bed, the box spring and mattress sat on the floor and boxes were the dresser. But had to have the most fancy house in town.
Daris
my favorite was they needed floors for an occupancy permit and our cheapest just wasnt cheap enough---so they bought some bottom of the barrel area rugs and enough self stick vinyl squares to cover the rest of the uncovered plywood---not just cheap but priceless
The big houses here are built out in the county. No zoning, so no COs.
TNT
Well-Known Member
I have to agree, $2 a foot is way too expensive for apartment lowly grade carpet around here. We do that for about $1.40 a foot for carpet, pad, and installation. At that 2 bucks, we do our builder homes with a decent middle-grade nylon, including carpet, pad and installation labor.
Tia
Tia
VillageCarpet
Member
We don't even do anything less than $20 sq yd and even then it's difficult with rising costs. I tend to like the empty nester type customers theses days. Oh boy do they pay.
Most property MGMT around my area tend to use trunk slammers. No mark up on materials/ he makes it in his labor @ $5-6 which makes it impossible for a store to make any money for overhead. I'd rather stay home
Most property MGMT around my area tend to use trunk slammers. No mark up on materials/ he makes it in his labor @ $5-6 which makes it impossible for a store to make any money for overhead. I'd rather stay home
LeePelletier
Well-Known Member
TNT, I guess that emphasizes how different things are in different parts of the country. You sell "middle grade" nylon for $2 per foot including pad and labor. I'm thinking I'm paying more than $2 per foot from the mill for what I would consider to be middle grade, never mind pad or labor.
So here's a thought. I'm curious what people think of as "middle grade". I'm thinking about $5 per foot ($45 / yd) is closer to "middle grade nylon" to me. A middle grade wool would be about $10-12 / ft ($100 / yd). And on each of these, you can go half that price to twice these prices to capture the range of products we have. I realize not everyone is going to buy fine, thick Merino wool at $20 / sq. ft., but we do sell it.
I think some places feel a need to give people cheaper, cheaper, cheaper; but I don't think we are doing anyone any favors with this.
I had one woman say "It's not worth spending much money on carpet, because carpet lasts 2 years at most for me". So, I had to educate her on quality. No, upgrading from $2 to $2.1 per square foot is not an "upgrade". We started with a question: Did carpet last only 2 years for your parent? "no" How long did carpet last for them? The light dawned in Marblehead, as we say.
I really don't want to sell people fuzzy backing (coffee filter carpet), with a copy of the New York Times thrown down as a pad.
So here's a thought. I'm curious what people think of as "middle grade". I'm thinking about $5 per foot ($45 / yd) is closer to "middle grade nylon" to me. A middle grade wool would be about $10-12 / ft ($100 / yd). And on each of these, you can go half that price to twice these prices to capture the range of products we have. I realize not everyone is going to buy fine, thick Merino wool at $20 / sq. ft., but we do sell it.
I think some places feel a need to give people cheaper, cheaper, cheaper; but I don't think we are doing anyone any favors with this.
I had one woman say "It's not worth spending much money on carpet, because carpet lasts 2 years at most for me". So, I had to educate her on quality. No, upgrading from $2 to $2.1 per square foot is not an "upgrade". We started with a question: Did carpet last only 2 years for your parent? "no" How long did carpet last for them? The light dawned in Marblehead, as we say.
I really don't want to sell people fuzzy backing (coffee filter carpet), with a copy of the New York Times thrown down as a pad.
Most of the rentals here get the carpet changed for every new tenant. Sometimes twice a year. So $11-$12 a yard for carpet/pad/labor is not unusual. Of course most of the rentals are public housing apts or worse.
TNT
Well-Known Member
Middle-grade to me is about $28 - $30 sy on the floor, but for the builders and with quantity, we can do $20 on certain things. Agree with Floorist on the rentals ... there are some of my landlords who get the package for under $14 sy, usually less because they change the carpet every tenant but not the pad. My people with commercial rentals get level-loop glued down for about $12 sy if they're looking cheap. I do agree that empty-nesters are great customers. And, we relate to them all too well. 
Tia
Tia
Where is all the woven/wool at these days? Or how about high end rentals? What would you sell to them?
If I had my druthers I would do 50 yds of woven/wool/syn blend than hammering down laminate or wood all day. I usually get 13 to 15 bucks a sq yd for that plus sewing. To bad I hardly ever see it
If I had my druthers I would do 50 yds of woven/wool/syn blend than hammering down laminate or wood all day. I usually get 13 to 15 bucks a sq yd for that plus sewing. To bad I hardly ever see it
