Carpet Installers in Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh Carpet Installation

Although carpet is not the best floor covering for some situations, in living rooms, bedrooms, and many other places, its cushiony feeling underfoot truly adds that extra touch of comfort that other flooring simply cannot match. Those thinking of installing new carpet or replacing carpet that has seen better days have a lot of decisions to make. Along with style and color, the carpet you put in should also be physically suited to the demands of your household. Installation may also warrant a decision, since different types of carpet are not all installed in the same manner.

Types
There are a few basic ways that a carpet can be put in: it can be stuck to the floor beneath it, it can be nailed or stapled down, or it can be stretched to reach under the room's baseboards and held in place by a system of narrow, spiky boards (called grippers). In some cases, carpet can also be cut to size, bound at the edges (to prevent the fiber from coming loose), and laid down like a rug that fits the room's dimensions, though many wouldn't consider this an "installation" because the carpet is in no way attached to anything.

Nailed and stapled installations, though very fast and easy, are generally reserved for outdoor carpet. Carpet that is stuck in place with adhesive can be done both indoors and outside. For indoor installations, some varieties of adhesive carpeting has a thin layer of cushioning built right in. The gripper method (often called "smooth edge" installation) is very desirable because of both its elegant appearance and its accommodation of a thick carpet pad. This is the preferred method of installation for rooms where comfort is the primary concern, and because the carpet goes beyond the edge of the wall and underneath the baseboard, it is probably the best looking type of installation, too.

Suggestions
The type of surface your new carpet will be covering is the first thing to consider in Pittsburgh carpet installation. You probably wouldn't want to nail or staple carpet to concrete or use an adhesive to stick carpet to a hardwood floor that you may want to expose at a later time. Since some carpets are only meant to be installed in one way, this could limit your options.

Next, and most importantly, you need to think about the type of traffic the new carpet will see. Entry ways are subjected to massive amounts of wear and tracked in debris, especially in places with winters like Pittsburgh. Carpet installation, and indeed the carpet you pick for these areas, should be chosen for durability and ease of care rather than comfort (it will take a lot of attention to get your money's worth on the finest fiber and most attractive installation if that part of the floor will constantly be exposed to dirt and dampness). In an area that might never see a shoe at all (much less one caked in slush or mud) like a bedroom, it's better to spend your money on a more comfortable carpet, and an installation that includes a pad underneath.

Prices
For carpet installation, Pittsburgh homeowners generally pay around $1,500 to $2,000. The price goes up, of course, for larger areas, and the bill can get to be $3,000 or more. It's a good idea to hire a professional cleaner every once in a while to keep your carpets looking their best for as long as possible. Carpet cleaning prices in Pittsburgh is usually between $100 and $200.