What should i know to avoid being scammed or over charged for a new synthetic (debating between polyester polyester nylon) carpet pad for a Living room stair case. What is the average amount of additional carpeting needed?
i went to the home depot and they were SOOOOOOOOOO helpful and honest (since they pay an outside contractor to do the work, they dont try to bs you more). it will cost a lot to do stairs... the carpet comes in precut rolls of so many feet. what they SHOULD do is first come out to your house and chart the rooms... the contractor that did ours had a handheld device that he keyed the lengths into and it calculated the best way to lay the carpet out with the least excess... and seaming. if the flooring underneath is bad, they will not install over it. ours was plywood and just fine. ask about tear out and disposal fees for the old carpet. also ask about removal of furnature. the contractor we had charged like $100/item. $50 for a lamp. make sure to get a water retardant pad. do scotchguard!
Go to 3 different carpet stores. Choose the carpet you like and ask for an estimate. Most reputable carpet stores will give you a free estimate. It will tell you how much carpet you need. How much padding. What you need to prep. It is cheaper to have the room cleared. If you can't then you have 3 different estimates. When choosing the carpet. Bend the sample in half. If you can see the backing choose a different carpet. You don't want to be able to see the backing if possible. The denser the carpeting the better it will hold up to wear. Get the best padding you can afford. If you have pets get a vapor proof liner pad. If it is a berber carpeting it should be stretched drum tight.
