Does anyone know the best way to cover a wooden platform with carpet??

Question

My husband built a platform to put our couch on in his 'home theater room'. Its about 1 foot high and about 8 feet wide and 5 feet deep if the dimensions help.

I have carpet to cover it with, but I am not sure if nails would be the best way to secure it or if I should use staples or a glue of some sort, or all of the above.

Any help with this would be great!

Thanks!

Answer 1

You can buy nails called carpet tacks from the hardware store - these would probably be the best as they have small heads which are well hidden in the pile of the carpet.

Answer 2

Hi, if you can raise the platform, tuck the carpet under it and tack it with large staples used for electrical wiring, it will hold jute better than a nail. You can also glue it down, on the top of the platform and the sides. Use glue sparingly if it is a jute backed carpet so it won't ozz through. You can also get what's called "Z" bar used for carpet that ends and other florring begins. Turn the Z bar facing down, trim carpet and place it in the z, lightly hammer the z closed on it, might use a board on the z bar so you don't bash it. You could use tact strip too, nail it at the bottom edge with the nails pointing down, stretch the carpet down and tuck behind the tack strip. Tack strip goes about the width away from a wall as the carpet is think, it just sets in and use a chesel to hammer the carpet between the strip and the wall, just do it in reverse on a side letting the floor hold it as the wall would normally. it kinda  depends on what kind of carpet it is, but use staples, not nails. b

Answer 3

Carpet tacks are short (half an inch to an inch) nails made for holding carpet and can be purchased at any hardware or home improvement store. Tacking one side then stretching tight and holding it down, along the other side, while someone tacks that side for you should provide a good wrinkle free installation.