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Carpet Laying And Estimating Website

FITTING UNDER AND AROUND RADIATORS

Radiators are used with either steam or hot water systems. When you have to lay carpet under or around a radiator, find out which kind it is —before you attempt to disconnect or remove it—because you must never attempt to disconnect or remove a circulating hot water radiator. When a steam radiator can be removed, and if there is enough play so that the main pipe can be drawn up and made to join with the radiator, remove the radiator, lay the carpet up to the pipe, anchor the carpet, rough-in around the pipe, and replace the radiator.

When the radiator can't be removed, there usually isn't space enough to work under it, so all the cutting has to be done from the outside. Before making any cuts for radiators or pipe, spread a layer of rubber latex on the back of the carpet, to keep the wires from raveling. Then lay the carpet back from the radiator and cut straight back from the inside of the legs, as shown in Fig. 8.62. Follow the same procedure with the intake pipe, then drop the carpet into place around the intake Pipe and trim to fit.

After trimming the carpet around the intake pipe, lay the carpet back to the wall, crease with shears at the crotch of baseboard and floor, lay back and trim off extra carpet in one cut, provided carpet and walls are squared. Then use the cut piece as a template to trim off the end of the piece that is to go under the radiator, as in Fig. 8.63, lay flush to the wall, and tack at either end of the radiator as close to the legs as possible.

FITTING AROUND A PIPE

When a pipe—especially one that is 3 or 4 in. in diameter—is encountered in the carpet installation, it is possible to fit around it so as to do a neat job and yet cut the carpet without actually removing any material from it. This technique is very helpful in permitting the carpet to be relaid in some other location—there won't be any hole to patch.