How to Seam Carpet: Tools, Tape and Technique

carpet

When a room is wider than the carpet roll, you need a seam. Done right, you can barely find it afterward. Done wrong, it shows up as a line, a peak or a gap. Hot melt seaming with seam tape and an iron is the standard method for most residential and commercial carpet. Here is what you need and how the process goes.

The tools

  • Row finder: Pulls the pile apart so you can see the row you will cut along. Shop row finders and seaming tools.
  • Seam cutter: Cuts a straight edge along the row. Different models suit cushion back, loop pile and other carpet types. See seam cutters.
  • Seam tape: The hot melt adhesive tape that goes under the seam. It comes in several widths and weights for residential and heavy commercial traffic. Shop seam tape.
  • Seaming iron: Melts the adhesive on the tape. A tray keeps it safely off the carpet when you set it down.
  • Seam weights and a seam roller: Hold the seam flat while the adhesive sets.
  • Seam squeezer or awl: Helps line up the pile at the edges.

The basic steps

  1. Cut both edges. Find the row on each piece and cut along it so the two edges are straight and match.
  2. Position the tape. Lay seam tape adhesive side up under where the two edges will meet, centered on the seam line.
  3. Heat it up. Slide the hot iron slowly along the tape, melting the adhesive just ahead of where you lay the carpet down.
  4. Press the edges together. Follow the iron, pressing both edges into the hot adhesive so the pile blends. Do not let the backing edges overlap or pull apart.
  5. Weight and roll. Place seam weights or roll the seam as you go so it sets flat.
  6. Let it cool. Keep the seam still until the adhesive has set before you stretch or walk on it.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Going too fast with the iron, which leaves the adhesive under-melted.
  • Going too slow, which can scorch the backing.
  • Using the wrong tape weight for the carpet, so the seam is weak.
  • Placing the seam in a high traffic line, like in front of a door, when you can avoid it.

Browse everything you need in our carpet installation tools section, and if you are not sure which tape or iron fits your job, contact us.

Tags: Carpet, How-to, Seaming