Tools of the Trade: Carpet Installers

At first glance carpet installing seems pretty…cut and dried…and if you go in with just your normal toolbox you’ll probably be able to get by. But here at Haus of Tools we feel that getting by isn’t good enough and we want to encourage you to get tools that will do a good job and keep you working for years. Here’s a look at some tools that are great for carpet installers!  

Carpet installation requires a lot of time on your hands and knees and a lot of dealing with tiny, pointy edges, so protecting yourself is the first step. Kneepads are a must, otherwise after a day or two doing carpet, your knees will be destroyed. CLC Workgear has many different kinds of kneepads that are either hard and shell-like, soft and gel-filled or some combination of the two. Klein Tools’ Tradesman Pro Knee Pads are a great option made from strong materials, but also contains a gel insert. A good pair of work gloves will be a smart idea too, but you might want something softer that gives you some more dexterity, something like deer skin or softer cow hide gloves. They’re thick enough to protect you, but supple enough to be flexible. Last but not least, you need safety glasses. The last thing you want is something to pop up into your eye as you’re hammering some carpet down.

From there you’ll want some common tools, like the right kinds of hammers and mallets, good utility knives, tape measures and a good hammer stapler. All of those will help you cut carpet to the right size and get it attached to the floor. A couple specialty tools you’ll need though are unique to carpet installation. Firstly, the knee kicker which grips the carpet and lets you kick it with your knee to move the carpet towards the wall and onto the carpet nails. Another similar tool is the power carpet stretcher which uses the opposing wall to provide the pressure to stretch the carpet to the opposite wall. These might be used in conjunction with a carpet tucker.  

With the right basic tools, any carpet installation will be easy enough to do, but if you invest in the couple of specialized tools and good quality basic tools, you’ll have some tools that will keep you installing carpet for years.