The laying and trimming technique used for woven carpets is broadly similar to that of foam-backed carpets, with two important exceptions: the edges of the woven carpet are secured on toothed gripper strips, and the carpet must be tensioned across the room to ensure that it wears evenly and cannot ruck up in use.
Start by nailing the gripper strips to the floor all around the room, using a hardboard or cardboard spacer to set them about 10 mm/1/4 in away from the skirtings (baseboards). Then put down a good-quality foam underlay, paper side up, cutting it to fit just inside the gripper strips.
Unroll the carpet, trim it roughly and make small diagonal cuts at internal and external corners. Use a carpet fitter’s holster or a clean brick bolster (stonecutter’s chisel) to press one edge of the carpet down on to the gripper strips, then trim off excess carpet and use the bolster to tuck the edge into the gap between the strips and the wall.
Use a carpet stretcher to tension the carpet along the adjacent walls and across the room, hooking it on to the gripper strips as each section is stretched. Tension the carpet along the other walls too, and finally fit the carpet neatly into the doorway, securing it with a threshold (saddle) strip.
- Nail gripper strips all around the perimeter of the room, using a spacer to set the tape slightly away front the skirting (baseboard). Lay underlay, trimmed to butt up to the gripper strips. Tape pieces together as necessary, then staple the underlay to a wood floor at intervals.
- Unroll the carpet and trim it roughly all around. Then make cuts at external comers so that tongues of carpet will fit around them. Press one edge of the carpet onto the gripper strips with a carpet fitter’s holster to ensure that the angled teeth grip the carpet backing securely.
- Cut off the excess carpet along this edge using a sharp utility knife – along the angle between the gripper strip and the skirting, as shown.