Well I'm nearly done covering my walls with fabric frames with Linacoustic & GOM. Next step is getting carpet installed. Many of the places we have talked to have warned us that the carpet installation process might result in some dings on our walls that we'll have to touch up. However, the bottoms of my walls are covered with the fabric frames. Now I'm terrified that the carpet installers will tear up my GOM frames that I've spent so much time making. I've got a call into the installer, but I wanted to get your opinion here based on your experience.

Should I be worried about them ripping my fabric?

Any ideas how to prevent ripping and protect my fabric?

Did I screw up by putting up my panels before carpet?

Thanks,
Guy

I used a shop that serves a lot of high end neighborhoods. The owner came to my house to measure. He took one look at the stage, the riser and the fabric on the walls and said.
I will only be using Dave on this job because "he is the best". However in the back of my mind was the fact that his contract said he was not responsible for walls or woodwork, damaged during the install.

Dave came with his helper Jimmy on a Saturday and spent 12 hours without a break putting in my room. Not one problem with the fabric but some of the painted moulding needs touching up.

If you go to HD who knows who you will get to do the install. They do sell some 2-3 ft wide rolls of paper (normally used to project wood floors) and I imagine that you could tape it to the bottom few feet of the fabric.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Well I'm nearly done covering my walls with fabric frames with Linacoustic & GOM. Next step is getting carpet installed. Many of the places we have talked to have warned us that the carpet installation process might result in some dings on our walls that we'll have to touch up. However, the bottoms of my walls are covered with the fabric frames. Now I'm terrified that the carpet installers will tear up my GOM frames that I've spent so much time making. I've got a call into the installer, but I wanted to get your opinion here based on your experience.

Should I be worried about them ripping my fabric?

Any ideas how to prevent ripping and protect my fabric?

Did I screw up by putting up my panels before carpet?

Thanks,
Guy


Does the fabric go all the way to the floor, or did you at least use a few inches of baseboard molding between the floor and the fabric

I left 1.5" gap between the bottom of the frames and the concrete. They will be covered by base moulding after carpet install.

Guy

I left 1.5" gap between the bottom of the frames and the concrete. They will be covered by base moulding after carpet install.

Guy

You need to plan for where you want the Carpet layers to install the tack strip. Left un-addressed they will butt them up some what close to the wall. You then come along and install your base molding and the carpet is trapped between the tack strip and the moulding. If you ever need to pull up the carpet you will have to remove the moulding.

So mock-up your base moulding and go around the room and draw a line where the inside of the moulding will be. Instruct the layers to keep the tack strip inside the line. On-site supervision will be required for this step other wise you will come home from work and find that you've been screwed.

You need to plan for where you want the Carpet layers to install the tack strip. Left un-addressed they will butt them up some what close to the wall. You then come along and install your base molding and the carpet is trapped between the tack strip and the moulding. If you ever need to pull up the carpet you will have to remove the moulding.

So mock-up your base moulding and go around the room and draw a line where the inside of the moulding will be. Instruct the layers to keep the tack strip inside the line. On-site supervision will be required for this step other wise you will come home from work and find that you've been screwed.

Actually I didn't tell the whole story. I left a 1.5" gap between the concrete and the bottom of the frame. But then I'm putting some 1x material on top of the concrete so there will be something to nail the bottom of the base moulding to. Without this 1x material, there would have been about a 1" space (depth of the frame) between where the base moulding would be and the wall. Kind of hard to explain I guess. So since these spacers stick out from the wall the same depth as the frames, it should be OK for them to put the carpet tack strip just an inch or so out from the spacer I think.


Guy

it should be OK for them to put the carpet tack strip just an inch or so out from the spacer I think.

Sounds good, just be sure they do.

My carpet installers are actually in the basement right now. I removed the proscenium panels from the front and rear walls and they butted up a tack strip RIGHT against the front proscenium wall. That took away 3/8" from the available height, meaning my panels and screen wouldn't fit (I engineered the tolerances so that the screen is actually friction fit into the wall). I had to have them remove the front strips and put new ones in an inch away from the wall so I can get the panels and screen back in.

-drin

My carpet installers are actually in the basement right now. I removed the proscenium panels from the front and rear walls and they butted up a tack strip RIGHT against the front proscenium wall. That took away 3/8" from the available height, meaning my panels and screen wouldn't fit (I engineered the tolerances so that the screen is actually friction fit into the wall). I had to have them remove the front strips and put new ones in an inch away from the wall so I can get the panels and screen back in.

-drin

I saw that one coming.

When I built my friction fit GOM front end proscenium panels I laid some scraps of 1/2 inch mdf on the stage and built them to fit with the scraps in place. I also drew a line where the front edge of the panel would sit and made sure the tack strips were outside that line. The carpet tucks under the panels.

I took the panels to a different room during the carpet install. Now they fit just right.

I saw that one coming.

I thought I had. I planned on having them simply put the carpet up to the edge of the bottom proscenium panel. I even left the panel in when I dismantled the walls prior to the arrival of the installers, although I removed all the others. I had drawn lines on the concrete as well to indicate where the carpet install should stop. Then I saw what the front bottom panel looked like with the carpet butted up against it. The nice taper on the panel edge that I so painstakingly made with molding on 1x2's and countersunk screws all but disappeared when the carpet came up against the edge of it.

So now they've moved the tack strip and all is well again. :)

-drin

To me it's a double edged sword. On the one hand I should be happy that I'm finally at the point in my build where the carpet is installed (after more than a year of construction). On the other hand, I'm worried about all the damage the carpet installers can do to my freshly painted walls, and my riser, speaker columns and GOM panels which are all trimmed in cherry. I plan on buying a bunch of rolls of painters tape and red rosin paper to cover as much as I can before they come. Don't know how much this will help but it's all I can think of to do.

I told the installers as soon as they arrived that the walls were not to be scratched, and then I hovered around while they worked to make sure it didn't happen.

I also provided them with lots of cold water to keep them happy - it's in the 90's here today, which I know isn't as bad as other parts of the country right now, but it's hot for here.

They didn't scratch the walls at all. :)

-drin

To me it's a double edged sword. On the one hand I should be happy that I'm finally at the point in my build where the carpet is installed (after more than a year of construction). On the other hand, I'm worried about all the damage the carpet installers can do to my freshly painted walls, and my riser, speaker columns and GOM panels which are all trimmed in cherry. I plan on buying a bunch of rolls of painters tape and red rosin paper to cover as much as I can before they come. Don't know how much this will help but it's all I can think of to do.

I'm in the same boat as the carpet installers are due out next Friday. I have the trim installed and the walls are freshly painted with Ralph Lauren Suede. If anyone has any experience with this type of paint, it cannot be touched up! Instead the whole wall has to be repainted! A second/third coat of the suede involves using a 3" brush as the sole applicator. This process took me over 8 hours to do a 18 x 10.5' room! I thought I was playing it safe by painting BEFORE the carpet install, so I wouldn't have to be careful not to drip or spill. Now I'm wondering if I should've waited. Fingers crossed.....

f you ever need to pull up the carpet you will have to remove the moulding.

Not really. It could be just cut and new tack strip put in further in.

CARPET TILES!!


They have come a long ways and you can install them yourself. If you don't like some check into commercial ones.

Scott

Not really. It could be just cut and new tack strip put in further in.

Yes you are right that would work, but, you would want the new carpet to tuck under the moulding for a nice clean look and the old would kind of be in the way.

If you have a chance to do it right the first time, do it.

That's a tough one.

Sort of depends on your room dimensions and the size of the carpet roll. I did have to do some touch ups on a few walls. Carpet backing is worse that sand paper and if your paint hasn't had a chance to cure for a while......it's pretty impossible not to have the backing rub the walls just a bit. Cure time for dark paint is certainly longer than lighter colours, darn that pigment!

How the carpet backing would affect fabric? Depends on the toughness of the fabric. If it's like speaker cloth then I would be a bit concerned.


Jay