My wife is shopping to replace wall-to-wall carpet in 1 room.
What is the range of how much it should cost per yard installed (on Long Island, NY)?
Any recommendations as to whether we should re-use the sub-padding and edging strips with nails (both seem fine to re-use).
Other advice on pitfalls, things to avoid, etc. when replacing wall-to-wall carpet?
Thanks.
Replies
Unless the carpeting you are replacing is only 6 months old you definitely want to replace the padding. If you look under the padding you will find this extremely fine dust, which is probably of mostly human origin, yech.
You can reuse the edge strips.
If your new carpet is substantially thicker than what is there now you may have to trim the bottoms of doors and closet sliders.
Charges you may have: measuring fee (may be refundable), delivery, installation, carpet cost, padding cost, disposal of old, moving of heavy furniture. You may also pay for more carpet than will be installed depending on room configuration and width.
Edited 4/15/2009 1:06 pm ET by BenM
Thanks Ben. Not sure where you are located and how that may affect price compared to my location, but assuming delivery, installation, carpet cost, padding cost, and disposal... can you give me an idea of the range of price per yard?
It varies tremendously depending on the quality of the carpet. You can get carpeting (just the carpet material) for $1/sf or for $15/sf, and of course for a lot lot more. Standard (whatever that means) is around $3/sf (just the carpet material!) - this, to me, is decent carpet that will last about 10 years, 2 years if it's for a tenant. Go to a carpet store and you'll see a wide range of prices and quality.
Nick,
Make sure when you take up old carpet and pad you and your wife reveiw /check for squeaks in floor and take care of them with some screws [ 2-2.5 inch drywall] into the joists ,I always found some a couple places
first ,when looking know that the warranties are absolutely worthless,the paper they are printed cost more than you will ever get in warranty .
I'm not sure what carpet runs in NY ,but i would guess not much different than anywhere else,so to get a decent carpet you will probably be in the 30.00 a yard range. but if you want to spend 100. a yd it's out there.
as far as pad,if you can give your carpet a pull and look at your pad you can decide what you have. pad that never had a pet on it and in a bedroom will last a long time,20 yrs? living room where there is a traffic pattern,at 3 yrs it's getting pretty beaten down in those areas. so if you can pull the carpet back you can decide .bad news to have carpet layer there and find out you need pad,some will have pad with them,if not it's a 2hour delay getting it there.
tack strip really doesn't ever wear out,unless it's been real wet and rusted.
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MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE
DUCT TAPE.
Thanks everyone.