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Carpet Tiles & Carpet Squares
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Carpet tiles have become more popular in residential homes in the past few years because of their versatility. The design and continuity of carpet tiles has also improved significantly. In the 1980's, when the idea of carpet tile was first introduced, someone walking into your home could see the distinction between each separate carpet square.
Today, however, the textures used are such that it is extremely unlikely you will ever even notice carpet tiles in someones home. They are great for rooms with high traffic areas and are also great for rooms where you want to spice things up with an interesting geometric design.
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Installing Carpet Tiles
If you're trying to save money, you may also want to consider installing carpet tile yourself. It is a pretty straight forward process and can often be compared to installing linoleum flooring or ceramic tile in a home. The difference between installing regular carpet that covers an entire room and carpet tiles is that you can install tiles a little at a time. This makes for a great do-it-yourself home decorating project.
To get started on installing your carpet tiles, you will first need to determine the square footage that needs to be covered in the room. Carpet squares are almost always 18x18 inches, so you can determine from here how much you will need. If you aren't the best mathmatician, simply take your measurements to a few carpet stores and an associate will help you calculate.
Remember that you may want to go ahead and purchase some extra tiles in case you have to change out a few squares because of high traffic or a stubborn stain. You don't want to be stuck in a situation where you can no longer find the carpet tiles you need.
To get started, you will need the following materials:
A carpet or utility knife
A carpenters square
A measuring tape
Tape
A chalk line
Installing Carpet Tiles:
1. If you will be using one consistent color and carpeting the entire floor, you can simply start at one corner of the room and work horizontally in rows or columns until you reach the other side of the room. If you are not covering the entire room, such is the case if you are making an area rug type design, you will need to start in the center of the room and divide the width of all the walls and mark it to find the center of each.
2. With a horizontal design, you will need to divide the width of the carpet square in half as well to find the center starting point for each row or column. From here, you will need to mark the correct measurements with a chalk line and then lay down tape to be sure you will be laying down the carpet tiles evenly.
3. The majority of carpet tiles will have an adhesive disk on the backing, so once you have determined where the first row begins, you will simply need to remove the covering for the adhesive disk and place each tile within its correct setting.
4. Once you have finished placing full tiles for the majority of the room, you will need to go back and cut smaller pieces to fill in gaps along the walls. Be sure to make cuts marked on the carpet side of the tile. You may also want to consider cutting on a scrap board and use a carpenters square to make sure the cut is clean and straight.
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