A fitted carpet is a carpet that is attached to the floor. They are used to carpet homes, offices and public places. They come in many forms and varieties and can be fitted to the floor in a number of ways. A fitted carpet offers stability and comfort when attached properly.
The size and shape of the fitted carpet depends on the room or space being carpeted. They, however, tend to follow the dimensions of the room or space. This is often referred to as wall-to-wall carpeting. Other fitted carpets may be employed to provide carpeting to a specific route such as a red carpet for a cinema or to carpet a specific area such as the seating area of a hotel reception. In these cases, the carpeting does not cover the whole floor.
A fitted wall-to-wall carpet will require an underlay; this is especially the case if the fitted carpet is covering a wooden floor. First the floor is swept and leveled. Before either the underlay or the carpet is put in place, gripper strips or tack rods are nailed around the edges of the room. A carpet gripper strip is a rectangular strip or rod containing tacks that attach to the carpet and underlay placed over them.
The underlay is then fitted over the area where the carpet will be placed. Underlays are cut to size and joined together using carpet tape. Once in place, the actual carpet is unrolled in strips and cut to size. Where two rolls of carpet join, sticky carpet tape is applied to the entire length of the underside of both panels in order to join them together. Such seams and joins tend to be placed in areas of low traffic if possible.
Installing a fitted carpet is safer for homes and offices because it reduces carpet movement across the surface on which it has been placed. Any carpet movement and loss of stability means a person walking on the carpet is liable to slip as the carpet slides on the surface. Loose carpets can also get rucked so ridges form, which can trip people over. For companies or buildings that are not private residences, loose carpeting breaches health and safety regulations and can be a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Fitted carpets provide a number of benefits to home owners. First, they provide a high level of comfort when walking around the house. Second, they help keep the house warm and reduce heating bills. Third, they also reduce noise.