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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

...to think I can fit my own carpet?

69 replies

stubbornstains · 04/07/2016 14:18

We're moving house in a couple of weeks. New build, empty house, get the keys on the 14th and have a week to move in. I had a carpet fitter booked for the morning of the 16th, but he's just blown me out. I've already bought the carpet- it's waiting for me at the shop- it's a Shetland cream wool (not as expensive as it sounds- it was a sale bargain). I'm planning to do the 2 bedrooms, upstairs landing and stairs.

I'm going to be fitting engineered wood flooring downstairs myself anyway - WIBU to think "sod running around trying to find another fitter, let's just buy the necessary gubbins (whatever they are! I don't even know what I need!) and crack on with it?

OP posts:

Boogers · 04/07/2016 15:24

Just don't. Not only will you have to buy a new carpet but you'll have to grow new fingers. Just... no.

Surely there must be someone in your area willing to fit a carpet? Could the shop recommend anyone? We got our living room carpet from Frank's Factory Flooring in Sunderland and they don't fit it as such but they do have self employed carpet fitters who will finish the job, though they were paid cash in hand upon fitting. Worth asking?

user1467491951 · 04/07/2016 15:24

I can only say it was a good job the house was empty that weekend and my dad was free to take over. (Dad being a master without the inverted commas!)

Yokebe · 04/07/2016 15:26

Do you have any carpets places on industrial sites? We have a brilliant one near us that supply carpet/fitters.

I used a fitter recommended by a friend, he is fully trained/experienced and it took him 7 WHOLE hours to do my small house. (Lounge, hall, stairs & 2 bedrooms)

I had to help him carry the carpet upstairs, & it was bloody heavy

It looks beautiful.

I ordered the underlay online, gripper rods from a shop, & carpet from the industrial estate.

DO NOT do it yourself!

MumOnACornishFarm · 04/07/2016 15:28

I've had a bash at plastering our own walls, wouldn't do anyone elses. But I'd rather do plastering than lay a carpet. I just think once you've cut it, that's it. At least you can fix dodgy plastering! Or learn to live with it.

Original poster

stubbornstains · 04/07/2016 15:30

OK, I have found a fitter willing to do it! Nice one Colin .

(he hasn't given me a price yet, mind. I tried not to sound too desperate).

OP posts:

GoudyStout · 04/07/2016 15:40

I think you're bloody brave to do the wood flooring yourself. We had a proper joiner do ours - his trick was to spend a long time planning before he started cutting anything.

Have your skirting boards been fitted yet?

SocksRock · 04/07/2016 15:44

Glad you found someone! I can do most things round the house, but I will always pay for plastering and carpet fitting...

x2boys · 04/07/2016 15:51

We had the whole house carpeted last yr even though the guy was a professional it stull didnt look easy and there was still a lot of carpet wasted dh once fitted a bedroom carpet but wouldnt attempt stairs or landing.

MumOnACornishFarm · 04/07/2016 15:52

Hope Colin hasn't read this thread! He'll triple his quote.

tinyterrors · 04/07/2016 15:53

I'd never try to fit another carpet myself again. Dh is very handy and works in construction and did ds's square 2m x 2m bedroom once and it looked okay, but it wasn't as neat as a professional would do and after a while started lifting up by the bedroom door.

I'd always have a pro do the stairs because it can be so dangerous if the carpet isn't tight/fitted properly, not a risk I'm willing to take with kids.

From now on its professional fitters all the way.

purplefox · 04/07/2016 15:55

Stairs and an amateur are a recipe for disaster.

NarcyCow · 04/07/2016 15:59

I fitted lino in a 1m by 2m ensuite a few weeks ago. It was very fiddly, but I think that was because it was a very small space with 4 pipes, a toilet base and a sink pedestal to work around. I'd be happy enough to try carpeting a room but I wouldn't touch stairs.

Hadenoughoftumble · 04/07/2016 15:59

A friend and I once fitted my bedroom carpet when my mum went out. We were about 9. By some fluke we did an amazing job and that carpet stayed down for years!

It's 21 years later and my dp and I have just had carpet fitted in our home (after ages of saving!)- would I have attempted it myself? No bloody way!! I would hate to live with badly fitted carpet for years to come!

FinallyHere · 04/07/2016 16:07

If you were desperate, one way forward would be to do the rooms, and leave the stairs for when a fitter is available. You could get some decorators floor covering (sticky back roll, brilliant) to protect the stairs until the fitter is available.

But if you can find someone, go for it. Moving is stressful, best not to give yourself any jobs, so you have time to sort out the inevitable stuff that just happens. All the best.

ZippyNeedsFeeding · 04/07/2016 16:47

I've never paid for a carpet fitter, joiner, plumber, roofer or decorator. I have a tool which is perfect for every job. Mr Zippy doesn't really enjoy being called a tool, but he lives with it!
MrZippy holds a lot of certificates in building-related trades, due to his preferring a nice warm classroom to a cold building site in the winter months. I do all the upholstery and related repairs and he does everything else, except electrics. If I lived alone I'd just pay someone to come and do the job for me, because I am a DIY disaster! I do make lovely cakes though, which can make it much easier to get tradesmen to come quickly.

Original poster

stubbornstains · 04/07/2016 18:39

This has been a near universal YABU hasn't it, at least as far as stairs are concerned!

OK, I accept it then, you're all right, IABU .

(Colin's given me his quote now- £150 for labour, doesn't sound too U).

Goudystout I feel quite confident doing the wood floor; I work with plywood as a job (it's engineered wood) and it's lots of bits that fit together, so if you fuck up, you've just ruined one small plank. It's arrived already, so I've already had some out of the box and fitted it all together to see how it goes. Yes, the skirting boards are on already, so I will just cover the expansion gaps with beading (slattern that I am ).

OP posts:

Esspee · 04/07/2016 18:43

While you might be successful initially a carpet stretches once down if it hasn't been thoroughly stretched when laid. I wouldn't attempt it myself but good luck if you decide to go ahead.

Tinklypoo · 04/07/2016 18:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

YouCannotPossiblyBeHungry · 04/07/2016 19:41

I have fitted a carpet once (2 rooms) and I got tendinitis from the stretching /fitting...was very painful and my wrist made the worst grating noise for weeks. Definitely agree to get someone to do it!

branofthemist · 04/07/2016 19:49

I have fitted bathroom floors, a new kitchen and all sorts of DIY.

No way would I for my own story's. Especially if you have to fit the grippers.

Glad you have found someone.

bluelady7 · 04/07/2016 20:01

10 years ago as a single mum, I fitted my newly allocated council house with the only carpet I could afford, cheap stuff from Cptrte. Brown with small squares in a line (£5 sm), and jumbo cord for the bedrooms. I had a tape measure, stanley knife, tacks and best of all, strong scissors! I remember doing the stairs and landing while listening to England lose to Portugal in the football (again!) on the radio and sweating buckets. Two girlfriends helped me lay it out in the living room and dining room, then I cut, pushed it under skirting with a screwdriver and tacked it. With the furniture on it, it didn't move and do you know what? It didn't look bad, the small squares helped me cut in a straight line. I was very proud of myself.

Original poster

stubbornstains · 04/07/2016 20:25

Fist bump bluelady .

OP posts:

amarmai · 05/07/2016 01:00

I am glad mn did not existwhen I laid carpet on stairs with tacks and a hammer and a sharp cacti knife,Lino in my many cornered kitchen , plastered, painted, cemented, etc etc Just do it.

amarmai · 05/07/2016 01:04

Not cacti knife fgs

X acto knife

FoxyLoxy123 · 05/07/2016 09:12

Previous owner of our house did it himself a couple years ago. We recently ripped it all out and sanded floorboards instead. Shoddy job with bulges and things. Maybe he was just rubbish at it, but I wouldn't want to try having seen what it was like.

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