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Original poster

Why can I just lift up my carpets? Moved into new home ..

19 replies

T1gerEye · 27/09/2019 20:12

We moved in 4 weeks ago and it's a lovely house. Built in 2015, one previous owner

It has immaculate cream carpets but I've noticed something weird. They all fit each room perfectly, there's underlay and gripper rod laid down. But I can go to any corner of any room and just lift up the carpet. It just lifts straight off - exactly like someone just popped them all down and walked off

Shouldn't they be secured in by hooking them over the grips and pushing them in right? They've literally been cut to the right size and just popped down

I was alerted to this by a little fraying in a couple of places. They don't budge or move around at all

So do I leave them? Or do I pay a carpet fitter to come and do them properly?

OP posts:
user1471504234 · 27/09/2019 21:15

Um, that’s quite normal...

Yoohoo16 · 27/09/2019 21:18

Normally they tuck just under the skirting. I guess it depends on whether it bothers you or not.

Ginnymweasley · 27/09/2019 21:18

I'm confused what you mean tbh... we can lift our carpets up as well.... otherwise you wouldn't be able to get them up. They are still secure. Could be worse you could realise that none of the carpets upstairs are fitted with griper rods etc and have instead being laid on top of old pavlova boxes.....

YetAgainNameChanged · 27/09/2019 21:31

Old pavlova boxes? There's certainly a good story to go with that!

Solina · 27/09/2019 22:07

Sounds like what it should be like?

Ours were mainly carpets cut to size with no underlay or grippers apart from one room where there was underlay but it had been put in wrong way up.
We were quite happy about it as we were going to take it all up anyways and it made the job so much easier and faster.

westcountrychicken · 27/09/2019 22:10

How do you think carpet should be?

Stroller15 · 27/09/2019 22:15

I was also perplexed by this OP. Vigorous hoovering around the edges give me anxiety as it all seems loose. Our landlord is a carpet seller so it must be normal!

Ginnymweasley · 27/09/2019 22:17

yetagain I would like to know why they were used as underlay and who ate the pavlovas. It was our bedroom carpet which was about 12 ft square. Pulled it up to see what the floorboards were like after we moved in and realised that there was no underlay, just about 50 cardboard boxes. The landing carpet had newspaper from 1983 underneath it. The same pavlova boxes had been used to fill up a hole in the kitchen floor underneath the floor tiles instead of filling it in with cement. They must have really liked pavlova.... we are taking up the hallway carpet this weekend so wish us luck haha

madeyemoodysmum · 27/09/2019 22:23

I’ve never had a lifty carpet. How annoying when you hoover

confusednorthner · 27/09/2019 22:23

Ours were paid by a carpet fitter when we moved in 5 years ago. You definitely can't lift any corner as they are all fitted on gripper...

confusednorthner · 27/09/2019 22:24

Laid not paid!

IncrediblySadToo · 27/09/2019 22:27

O it’s not normal - they should be stretched over the gripper rods

However, it’s only a problem if it bothers you or is a trip hazard.

desperatehousewife2 · 27/09/2019 22:54

I’ve never seen carpets laid like that either OP, agree with a pp about the anxiety over hoovering!

Original poster
T1gerEye · 27/09/2019 22:55

@user1471504234 it's not normal. Carpets should be tamped into place over the gripper rods. I should not be able to just wander round my house literally lifting it up casually if I feel like it

Here's a pic. It's a 'new' ish carpet - excellent condition and not thin or cheap.

Why can I just lift up my carpets? Moved into new home ..
OP posts:
Original poster
T1gerEye · 27/09/2019 22:57

It's not a trip hazard and there's no movement in the carpets but I'm just so puzzled by it.

I'm half thinking lazy fitters just laid it down when house was built and sauntered off, job done

OP posts:
Jayaywhynot · 27/09/2019 22:57

I'd ask a carpet fitter, I always thought you hooked the carpet over the gripper rods and tapped the edges down with a hammer to secure the carpet. A carpet fitter stretches the carpet out with a knee kicker and secures it with the gripper rods. The carpet shouldn't lift away easily or their would be no need for gripper rods, my last carpet had to be torn away at one edge, definitely didnt lift easily. A carpet fitter will tell you, ring around

Original poster
T1gerEye · 27/09/2019 22:58

@Jayaywhynot I think I'll do that. If left I'm sure it'll start to fray eventually

OP posts:
Gooseygoosey12345 · 27/09/2019 22:59

Doesn't look like it's new gripper? I can't really see the hooks on the gripper in the picture. It definitely shouldn't lift at all. I'd get a carpet fitter to come and rectify it

Tweetingmagpie · 27/09/2019 23:00

No definitely not normal, get a deeper fitter to finish it properly or have a go yourself, not sure what tools you’d need.

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