Carpet and gripper bars

[Kram]

I've been removing the old lounge carpet. Its fitted over the original 1975, brown floor tiles, and the gripper bars are just nailed in, extremely hard nails!

Obviously a nail through a tile makes a smashed tile, and then it hasnt done any favours to the concrete underneath. Around the window area, concrete was all smashed loose and broken.
Im pulling the grippers up by a cold chisel to cut the wood around the nails and then to lift it out.

The gripper nails in the previously damp area, are rusted badly and impossible to get out, the heads just pulled off. The rest pulled out ok.

Im wondering if this is all the normal way of fitting carpet? Is there a better way to fit the grippers? And I imagine the stuck nails are a pain for the next carpet fitter when we have it replaced in a month or so.

 

[roblane65]

any nails left just bash em side to side till they snap off , or mole grips or pliers if you can get a hold
the fitters will probably just stick the new grippers down with gripfill or such like they don't like hard floors , do they ( carpet fitters ) know it's a hard floor they may want to fit the grippers the day before it can be while for the adhesive to cure .

 

[Bornfree]

I recently had a bungalow fully carpeted and the fitter used a spray adhesive

 

[angellonewolf]

ive had quite a few places where the concret floor was rubish and just cracked when you hit a nail in it and on the old tiled floors

ive used sticks like sh*t rapid from screwfix or if you got the time no more nails and leave over night

 

[123hotchef]

Hot glue is also another used to fit gripper on hard floors

 

[angellonewolf]

Hot glue is also another used to fit gripper on hard floors

that must take some time

 

[123hotchef]

that must take some time

No idea I know a mate uses it no waiting for it to go off

 

[Kram]

I'd think a fast cure epoxy would be a good bet for grippers. Strong bond, water resistant and a 5 min cure is not going to slow the job. By the time the other end of room is done the start end will be set.

 

[Kram]

any nails left just bash em side to side till they snap off , or mole grips or pliers if you can get a hold
the fitters will probably just stick the new grippers down with gripfill or such like they don't like hard floors , do they ( carpet fitters ) know it's a hard floor they may want to fit the grippers the day before it can be while for the adhesive to cure .

We havent chosen a carpet or fitters yet. One of the problems will be the impossibility of getting the room cleared and empty so it may have to be a diy job. Cant be that hard

 

[123hotchef]

my mate also uses pink grip

 

[roblane65]

I'm not so sure about 5min expoxy , average room say 10' x 12' forty foot of gripper rod how much epoxy are you going to need just my thoughts though ..

 

[123hotchef]

We havent chosen a carpet or fitters yet. One of the problems will be the impossibility of getting the room cleared and empty so it may have to be a diy job. Cant be that hard

i have a carpet stretcher if you need to borrow it

 

[123hotchef]

5 Minute Polyurethane Wood Glue Gel 310ml | Toolstation

• D4 strength • A thixotropic, transparent, gap filling gel • Sets hard in just 5 minutes • Conforms to EN 204 • Interior and exterior use

www.toolstation.com

I rate this gear

 

[DanZac]

I've been removing the old lounge carpet. Its fitted over the original 1975, brown floor tiles, and the gripper bars are just nailed in, extremely hard nails!

If your going to stick your grippers down you might want to check how well fixed down the old tiles are, as whenever I've come across old 1970's / 80's vinyl floor tiles they've normally been loose, so will probably be the weakest link.

And without scaremongering you might want to check that the tiles don't contain asbestos before you start messing with them too much.

Asbestos - Floor tiles, textiles and composites

www.hse.gov.uk

 

[brightspark]

i didnt want the fitters to smash the concrete or mark the new skirting boards with there hammers so i just drilled 6mm holes all round the room a foot apart and knocked wooden plugs in . didnt take long and the carpet fitter was chuffed because i nailed and fit the grippers

 

[angellonewolf]

No idea I know a mate uses it no waiting for it to go off

its just the using the hot glue and pumping it out not the going off bit

 

[Kram]

And without scaremongering you might want to check that the tiles don't contain asbestos before you start messing with them too much.

Yes probably do.
My dad and his dad before him, used to work with asbestos as powder. Its an old age disease and dad is still in good health, so it doesnt bother me all that much, I'll take the sensible precautions where needed.

 

[Dee J]

I've been removing the old lounge carpet. Its fitted over the original 1975, brown floor tiles, and the gripper bars are just nailed in, extremely hard nails!

Obviously a nail through a tile makes a smashed tile, and then it hasnt done any favours to the concrete underneath. Around the window area, concrete was all smashed loose and broken.
Im pulling the grippers up by a cold chisel to cut the wood around the nails and then to lift it out.

The gripper nails in the previously damp area, are rusted badly and impossible to get out, the heads just pulled off. The rest pulled out ok.

Im wondering if this is all the normal way of fitting carpet? Is there a better way to fit the grippers? And I imagine the stuck nails are a pain for the next carpet fitter when we have it replaced in a month or so.

Was a fairly standard way of fitting grippers to hard floors - gripper strips were (and maybe still are) supplied with heavy masonry nails ready fitted in the wooden strips - really messes up the Marley tile.

 

[angellonewolf]

We havent chosen a carpet or fitters yet. One of the problems will be the impossibility of getting the room cleared and empty so it may have to be a diy job. Cant be that hard

its hard with out a carpet strecher as its near impossable get a good job with out one

buy a good one if your young as will last a life time mine was a pro kicker from a carpet fitter that bought a new one as this was old and on its way out but still in use by me now

go on facebook local pages and see if you can get a local fitter to do the job for cash in hand

That's done by me I'm no carpet fitter but have been doing my own for 15 years so can do a fair job its a bit like plastering you learn as you do
I've got the stairs to do tommorw the underlay has just turned up today at 5pm

 

[123hotchef]

its just the using the hot glue and pumping it out not the going off bit

It didn't take him long decent hot glue gun