How to Repair Loose Carpet | This Old House

This Old House general contractor Tom Silva fixes a stairwell tripping hazard. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)

Shopping list for How to Repair Loose Carpet:
- _-inch-long staples, for use with the pneumatic stapler

Tools for How to Repair Loose Carpet:
- hammer
- knee kicker
- flooring chisel
- pneumatic narrow-crown stapler and air compressor

About This Old House TV:
This Old House is the No. 1 multimedia home enthusiast brand, offering trusted information and expert advice through award-winning television, a highly regarded magazine, and an information-driven website. This Old House and Ask This Old House are produced by This Old House Ventures, LLC and are presented on PBS by WETA Washington, DC.

Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House:

How to Repair Loose Carpet | This Old House

[RicardoJunqueira]

Oh Richard! How dare you to blame the carpet when you were wearing CROCS on your way downstairs?!

[petersmith]

It’s great having talented friends. You can get lots done

[superiorcarpetpaintllc]

He used the right tools, but he should have added some more long nails to the tack strip, the chisel he is using is called a "stair tool". The stair below should have been loosened, then set the carpet back into the tackless on the step being repaired, then using the stair tool push the carpet into the crevice on the stair below that was loosened, use the stair tool and a hammer to drive the carpet deep into the crevice that meets at the riser and tread. Staples can be placed in the crevice, not anywhere else unless the stairs are installed cap & band aka. Hollywood, the style on these stairs is called waterfall. Also the kne kicker should have been about an inch away from the riser to set the carpet into the pins.

[SuperLocoloco]

This is hilarious! Never seen that, repairing thier own houses.

[lisamccarthy]

that carpet will come loose again over time because the carpet isn't properly tucked down the gripper

[Keithmurray]

Maybe reinforce the tackless with longer nails so the strip doesn’t fail again?

[MrMcCoy-lhtm]

When a water line burst in Tom's cashed in that favor....

[AshCatsup-bzie]

"Dont Take the ring shank nails and drive then into the same holes. So what Im going to do us slide it 1/4 of an inch to the left and then I'm just going to tack it down."

*Immediately drives it back down the original holes.*

[pedropacheco]

When I used to install carpet stretch more then what he stretch.

[sdjnwhyNZ]

Maybe a bead of Maxbond or PVE under the strip might just fix the thing down forever. ;-)

[bmc]

In the UK we call it carpet gripper or gripper sticks.

[becton]

Love these but as a carpet fitter what's up with American names for things, it says gripper right on it

[jimorfanelli]

Sorry your a great contracter but that is not the right staple gun for steps

[oldtwinsna]

I thought Richard would've been living in a nicer home than this.

[triforcecarpetstretchers]

Have you seen our Universal Stair Adapter? This is the perfect tool for installing stair carpet.

[sdaniels]

He put it back the way it was and left it to just fail again. Now Richard's other knee is doomed a few years from now. Longer nails would have been better. Those little nails really only work under ideal conditions. They're just cheaper and are more likely to stay in the strip when you pull it out of the box; but not necessarily strong enough.

[frijhfr]

adravade panchik broccoli 🥦 adravade panchik broccoli 🥦 luv u! Putosing R Adravade panchik broccoli 🥦!

[Dominick_Calvitto.]

And Fastening the Carpet to The Tackless wasn't even Done Correctly.That's Not How to Repair a Loose Carpet on the Steps.Sorry Try Again.