Carpet and seams

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

I am getting new carpet for my rental property after the last %&)%#@ tenants ruined the old with stains, candle wax and burn marks.

I went to Home Depot for a quote. They had someone come out and measure and creat a floor plan. The floor plan they came up with has 11 seams. Now it just feels like the seam is going to be a point where the carpet fails unless these people are really - really good at their job.

The second floor plan has 3 seams, but the are major, full width of the room on 2 of the seams and the other is pretty large too.

The carpet that is in there now has a seam, but it terminates at a door, and I guess they don't like that idea. The current carpet is 10 years old, so it can't be too much of a problem because it hasn't failed. It would have less seams and not in an area where furnature is moved across it like their first attemp would.

Anyone have seam or carpet installation experience that can help me figure out what I need to do?

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Does the installation with the 11 seams use significantly less yardage than the installation with the 3 (or whatever it was) seams? If yes, then go with that.

Often you can't even see the seams, they don't wear that fast, and the carpet will "ugly" out before it wears out. You've seen that yourself, in your rental--the carpet itself would have been fine if not for the tenants' spilling and staining, right?

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

Not really. I figure based on their price that it would be 530 sq ft.
The second version with the 3 seams would have used 563 sq ft.
My cheap version that I drew would use 480 sq ft, but turns the carpet 90 deg which they don't like. I guess they feel the carpet run will show differently because of rotating the carpet. It has 5 seams, but they are not a furnature vs. seam issue because of the seam location.
The better version has only 2 seams, but uses the most carpet (and leaves me extra for a throw down piece in the hallway), but would still cost only a $1 more than their second version.

[jericap Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close jericap]

My husband has been doing flooring for the past 40+ years, he would be able to answer you, but he's not home yet. We can touch base later.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Not really. I figure based on their price that it would be 530 sq ft.
The second version with the 3 seams would have used 563 sq ft.
My cheap version that I drew would use 480 sq ft, but turns the carpet 90 deg which they don't like. I guess they feel the carpet run will show differently because of rotating the carpet. It has 5 seams, but they are not a furnature vs. seam issue because of the seam location.
The better version has only 2 seams, but uses the most carpet (and leaves me extra for a throw down piece in the hallway), but would still cost only a $1 more than their second version.

Okay, in that case, yes, try to minimize the seams. (They're right about turning the carpet--that does show. I just did my basement in carpet tiles, and you can definitely see which way the fibers are running.) The reason to use all those seams is to try and save some money or materials; if there's no benefit, then just do the simpler installation with the fewer seams.

I'm kind of surprised that they prefer the multi-seam installation; I thought cutting and matching the seams would be a pain for them.

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

I am not sure what I am going to do at this point.
I would like to have it replaced because the new carpet would look good. I have so tired of trying to deal with these people.
The carpet that is in is not wore out, but stained. Maybe I have someone from a good carpet cleaning place see if they can clean it and put off this issue for a couple years.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

I am not sure what I am going to do at this point.
I would like to have it replaced because the new carpet would look good. I have so tired of trying to deal with these people.
The carpet that is in is not wore out, but stained. Maybe I have someone from a good carpet cleaning place see if they can clean it and put off this issue for a couple years.

I dunno. I haven't had much luck with carpet cleaners in the past. It's almost like they take off the top layer of stains, but within a few days, it's like they were never there--the carpet looks dirty again. Maybe you'll have better luck!

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

After going through 3 carpet seam plans and quotes, I finally gave into the first seam plan as that would be the least expensive. They tell me they are going to have strong seams I won't have problems. I still signed off thinking they are in a bad place, but I pretty much gave up.

Today, the carpet guys get there and ask if they can change the seams around to the same way I had proposed, which is how the old carpet was installed. Maybe I am not as crazy as some people think.