Recent project · Baltimore, MD · Carpets Etc., the flooring division of Mid-Atlantic Remodeling Co.
Living room carpet
Plush stain-resistant carpet, power-stretched over an 8-pound pad, in a bright Baltimore living room. In and out in a day.
In-home samples, free measure
Carpet, hardwood, vinyl & tile
4.9★ · 202 Google reviews
Serving Maryland since 1986
Project at a glance
| Location | Baltimore, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Scope | Remove old carpet and pad, new pad, new carpet, power-stretched, furniture moved and reset |
| Carpet | Stain-resistant plush, 50 oz, warm beige, solution-dyed nylon |
| Pad | 8-pound rebond, 7/16 inch, moisture barrier |
| Area | Living room and hall, about 380 square feet |
| Crew time | One day |
| Warranty | Manufacturer stain and wear warranty; our workmanship warranty |
Services on this job: Carpet · Flooring · Carpet cleaning
The situation
The living room in this Baltimore home had a berber carpet that had been down for fifteen years. It had a run along the hall where the dog had caught a claw, a traffic lane worn flat from the front door to the kitchen, and a ripple near the fireplace where the original installer had not stretched it properly. The owners had a baby on the way and wanted something soft, warm and easy to clean before the crawling started.
They called Carpets Etc. thinking about berber again because it had been durable. We talked them through the options. Berber is tough but it snags, which is exactly what had happened. A dense plush in a solution-dyed nylon would feel better underfoot, hide footprints better than they expected, and clean up after a toddler, because the color is part of the fiber rather than applied to it. We brought three samples to the house so they could see them next to the sofa and in the afternoon light, and they chose a warm beige.
What we did
- Three samples brought to the house to check in the room's light
- Room measured by our installer so the quote and the cut were exact
- Furniture moved to the dining room; old carpet, pad and tack strip inspected
- Old carpet and pad removed and hauled away; subfloor vacuumed and checked for squeaks
- New tack strip where the old had rusted; two subfloor squeaks screwed down
- 8-pound rebond pad with a moisture barrier, seams taped
- Carpet cut and seamed in the planned pattern to put the one seam under the sofa
- Power-stretched in both directions so it will not ripple
- Edges tucked, transitions set at the hardwood and tile; furniture reset and vacuumed
How the job went
A carpet install is a one-day job when it is planned right, and the planning is what the owners never see. Our installer measured the room himself rather than working from a sketch, which is why the carpet arrived cut to size with the seam already planned to fall under the sofa where it will never be seen or walked on. The crew moved the furniture to the dining room, pulled the old carpet and pad, and found two things worth fixing: a rusted run of tack strip along the exterior wall and two squeaks in the subfloor near the fireplace. Both were fixed before the pad went down.
The pad is where a lot of installers cut corners, and it is where most of the comfort and life of a carpet comes from. An 8-pound rebond pad is dense enough to support a plush carpet without letting it crush, and the moisture barrier on top means a spilled bottle does not soak into the pad. The seams in the pad were taped so there is no ridge.
The carpet itself was power-stretched, which means a lever-action stretcher pushes it tight across the room in both directions before it is hooked onto the tack strip. Knee-kicking alone, which is what the previous installer had done, leaves the carpet loose enough to ripple within a few years. Power-stretched carpet stays flat for its whole life. Edges were tucked, the transitions to the hall hardwood and the kitchen tile were set, and the furniture went back exactly where it had been.
Materials and methods
The carpet is a 50-ounce plush in a solution-dyed nylon. Face weight is the amount of fiber per square yard; 50 ounces is a dense residential carpet that will not crush in traffic lanes. Solution-dyed means the color goes all the way through the fiber, so bleach, sun and pet accidents do not leave a light spot the way they do on a piece-dyed carpet. The fiber has a built-in stain treatment and the manufacturer backs it with a stain and wear warranty.
The pad is a 7/16-inch, 8-pound rebond with a moisture-barrier film. Rebond is made from recycled foam; the density rating is what matters, and 8 pounds is the right spec for a plush. Tack strip is standard, replaced where the old had rusted at the exterior wall. Transitions are a low-profile metal at the tile and a wood reducer at the hardwood.
Why it matters for Baltimore homeowners
Baltimore rowhouses and the brick homes in the surrounding neighborhoods have a lot of carpet over wood subfloors, and a lot of it was installed quickly during a flip or a rental turnover with a thin pad and a knee kicker. That is why so much of it ripples and wears through in five years. A good carpet over a good pad, power-stretched, is a fifteen-year floor.
The other local reality is moisture. Carpet in a Baltimore basement or a ground-floor room on a slab needs a moisture-barrier pad and, in a basement, a moisture check of the slab first. We will tell you if luxury vinyl is the better choice for a room that has ever been damp.
Cost, insurance and what the owners paid
Carpet is quoted by the square yard installed, with pad, take-up and haul-away, furniture moving and transitions as separate lines so there are no surprises. This room ran about 42 square yards. A denser carpet and a better pad cost more than the builder-grade combination the owners had before, but the difference over a fifteen-year life is small, and the carpet is under warranty against stains and wear.
Nothing on this job was an insurance claim. When carpet is replaced after a flood, our restoration division dries the room first and the carpet is part of the claim; see the water damage project for how that works.
What to expect if you hire us for a job like this
Every Carpets Etc. install starts with samples brought to your home, because flooring looks different in your light than under ours. Our installer measures the rooms himself so the quote and the cut are exact, and the quote itemizes material, pad or underlayment, prep, transitions, furniture moving and haul-away so there is nothing hidden. On install day the crew moves the furniture, removes the old floor, fixes squeaks and flattens the subfloor, and installs with the method the material needs: power-stretching for carpet, a leveling system for large tile, acclimation for hardwood. Furniture goes back where it was and the old floor leaves with us. We stand behind the workmanship, and the manufacturer backs the material. If the floor is going in after a flood, our restoration division dries the room first and the flooring becomes part of the same insurance claim.
Questions about this kind of project
How long does new carpet last?
A dense carpet over a good pad, power-stretched, lasts 12 to 15 years in a normal household. Stairs and hallways wear first.
Do you move furniture?
Yes. Our installers move and reset furniture and haul away the old carpet and pad. Clear the small items and anything fragile.
Which carpet is best with pets and kids?
A solution-dyed nylon or a high-quality polyester with a stain treatment, in a plush or textured cut pile rather than a loop. Loops snag on claws.
Can you clean carpet instead of replacing it?
Yes. Our hot-water extraction cleaning, done once a year, can add years to a carpet’s life. This one was past that point.
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Serving every county in Maryland
From Baltimore and Harford County to the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland, our crews work across Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester counties. Based at 1012 Saddle View Way, Forest Hill, MD 21050.
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Ready when you are
Tell us about the job and someone from Mid-Atlantic Remodeling will call you within one business day. Storm or water emergency? Same number, we answer 24/7.