Basic Installation Guidelines
Carpet installation must be properly planned, estimated, and coordinated. The installation plan should include accurate measurements, indicate seam placement, and detail areas requiring special considerations such as unusual room shapes, closets, borders, etc.
Installation specifiers
Provide drawings with the approved location of seams, edge moldings, carpet direction, and accessories (adhesives, cushion, etc.).
General contractor
Provide an appropriate surface upon which to install carpet, including confirmation of concrete moisture and alkali conditions, cleanliness, surface quality, and floor levelness. The contractor must also set appropriate room temperatures (65 to 95 degrees) 48 hours prior to installation and provide ventilation during and 48 to 72 hours after installation.
Installation contractor
The installation contractor must use qualified labor and specified tools and accessories; provide accuracy of measurement; and coordinate with the general contractor on all applicable details including the installation date and material delivery, storage, security, and insurance.
Installation Standards
CRI 104/105 Carpet Installation Standards
The industry’s gold standard resource for commercial and residential carpet installation, the CRI 104 (commercial) and 105 (residential) standards, provide installers, retailers, specification writers, and building professionals with detailed principles and guidelines for carpet installation.
Representing more than 25 years of information gathering and installation expertise, CRI’s residential and commercial carpet installation standards are the only carpet installation standards created and supported by the industry.
In 2015, the CRI convened industry leaders to update the 104 and 105 standards to address innovations that require new approaches to carpet installation including planning and subfloor preparation. These changes reflect the industry’s ongoing dedication to quality and customer satisfaction.
Stretch-in Installation
An installer may wish to utilize the stretch-in method to:- Provide enhanced underfoot comfort and acoustical properties (i.e., higher noise reduction coefficients and higher impact noise ratings) when installed with a separate cushion
- Increase thermal insulation (R-value)
- Use over floors that are unsuitable for glue-down
- Make corrective measures, such as seam repair, easier to perform
- Decrease removal costs (as compared to removal of an adhered installation)
- On ramps and inclines
- Where office systems furniture and demountable partitions are utilized
- Where heavy rolling traffic is likely
- Where there is excessive humidity
- When carpet has a unitary backing or other backing systems designed only for glue-down installation
