Carpet Tack Strip Replacement or Fix?
Mike Daniska
I became real familiar with carpet tack strips tonight as I have been
researching what sliced my 13 month old's foot last night. We've been
in our house for 3 years now, and I would notice the tacks every once
in a while but I thought it was just something that was perhaps
unfinished or not nailed all the way through - I did not realize they
were there on purpose.
But from all of my research, I can't figure out if these tacks are
supposed to stick up through the carpet so much so that they pose a
hazard to bare feet. I can't believe that this is the case, that I
have to live with sharp tacks poking up through the carpet along its
edges, but I haven't read anything on the net to indicate otherwise.
Are there any solutions, anything I can put down over the carpet tack
trip? Or maybe thicker carpet would be the solution? Anything that can
keep my 13 month old from accidentally cutting herself again?
Thanks!
Mike
hal...@aol.com
thin carpet is the problem.
install thicker carpet problem gone
David Nebenzahl
One of my clients had this very problem. I ended up very thoroughly
checking for sharp points through the carpet at a couple of doorways,
and when I found them I punched them down with a small nailset. Solved
the problem pretty well.
Just another reason to hate carpet altogether.
--
Personally, I like Vista, but I probably won't use it. I like it
because it generates considerable business for me in consulting and
upgrades. As long as there is hardware and software out there that
doesn't work, I stay in business. Incidentally, my company motto is
"If this stuff worked, you wouldn't need me".
- lifted from sci.electronics.repair
Don Young
"Mike Daniska" <mpa.pi...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:00f1c603-bfb2-413b...@x9g2000yqk.googlegroups.com...
into the carpet enough to solve your problem.
Don Young
cshenk
> I became real familiar with carpet tack strips tonight as I have been
> researching what sliced my 13 month old's foot last night. We've been
> in our house for 3 years now, and I would notice the tacks every once
> in a while but I thought it was just something that was perhaps
> unfinished or not nailed all the way through - I did not realize they
> were there on purpose.
Ouch! Poor thing!
Yes, they used a tack too tall for your carpet. You can fix it with a brad
nailer. Look for a small thin metal tool (4 inches or so is normal) with a
slight 'cup' at one end (the brad fits in there) and a flat base at the
other for hitting with a small hammer. Use this to bend them over at a
slight angle towards the wall or if extreme, pound them in a bit more then
bend towards the wall.
David Nebenzahl
> "Mike Daniska" <mpa.pi...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:00f1c603-bfb2-413b...@x9g2000yqk.googlegroups.com...
>>
>> I became real familiar with carpet tack strips tonight as I have been
>> researching what sliced my 13 month old's foot last night. We've been
>> in our house for 3 years now, and I would notice the tacks every once
>> in a while but I thought it was just something that was perhaps
>> unfinished or not nailed all the way through - I did not realize they
>> were there on purpose.
>>
>> Are there any solutions, anything I can put down over the carpet tack
>> trip? Or maybe thicker carpet would be the solution? Anything that can
>> keep my 13 month old from accidentally cutting herself again?
>
> It seems to me that it should be possible to hammer the sharp points down
> into the carpet enough to solve your problem.
It is, but see my other post; you need to use something like a nailset
to do the job right.
aemeijers
will reduce, but not eliminate, the chance of little feet and hands
getting nicked. Thicker carpet (or better yet, replace the carpet with
wood) is the real solution. Lotsa stuff lives in carpet, remember, even
freshly vacuumed.
--
aem sends...
Red Green
9f26-9ed...@x9g2000yqk.googlegroups.com:
Assuming the carpet install was new 3 years ago the possibilities are
thin (econo) carpet and/or thin (econo) padding. Also could be installed
bad. That all makes no difference at this point.
Until the carpet/padding is replaced, a quick hack solution to eliminate
the safety hazard is to just pound it down with a hammer to flatten the
tacks sideways. Hopefully it will still hold the carpet in place. If the
carpet does come loose at some point, go to the Borg or a carpet store
and look at the selection of carpet/linoleum binders and transitions to
see which would suite your situation. If carpet is on concrete vs wood
subfloor, it may cut your selection options or just make repair a bit
more difficult.
BobK207
> On 2/16/2009 4:53 PM Mike Daniska spake thus:
>
>
>
> > I became real familiar with carpet tack strips tonight as I have been
> > researching what sliced my 13 month old's foot last night. We've been
> > in our house for 3 years now, and I would notice the tacks every once
> > in a while but I thought it was just something that was perhaps
> > unfinished or not nailed all the way through - I did not realize they
> > were there on purpose.
>
> > But from all of my research, I can't figure out if these tacks are
> > supposed to stick up through the carpet so much so that they pose a
> > hazard to bare feet. I can't believe that this is the case, that I
> > have to live with sharp tacks poking up through the carpet along its
> > edges, but I haven't read anything on the net to indicate otherwise.
>
> > Are there any solutions, anything I can put down over the carpet tack
> > trip? Or maybe thicker carpet would be the solution? Anything that can
> > keep my 13 month old from accidentally cutting herself again?
>
> One of my clients had this very problem. I ended up very thoroughly
> checking for sharp points through the carpet at a couple of doorways,
> and when I found them I punched them down with a small nailset. Solved
> the problem pretty well.
>
> Just another reason to hate carpet altogether.
as per David's post
I did the same thing nearly 30 years ago for the same reason..... I
felt for, found and corrected ( bent slightly with pin punch & hammer)
the offending barbs. I didnt have to "fix" all them only a small
percentage.
The sloppy staple job on a very expensive custom couch sliced the top
of my three year old's foot.....
he (now 25) still has the "double staple tips" scar on his foot &
tells the story about how the snake under the couch bit him. :)
>>>I ended up very thoroughly checking for sharp points through the carpet at a couple of doorways,
and when I found them I punched them down with a small nailset<<<<
cheers
Bob
nor...@earthlink.net
Hard to imagine that a small child would step that close to the wall
very often....or is the problem strip along a doorway into a room? I
tore up carpet in a guest bedroom, leaving the strip because I was
undecided about whether to replace carpet or change to tile. Don't know
how many times I stepped on the darn thing in my routinely-bare feet. I
have never stepped on a tack strip with carpet in place.
If the problem is a doorway or a spot near the wall where she routinely
plays, I would hammer the points down. Sure there wasn't anything else,
like a piece of broken glass or a broken toy, that could have hurt her?
I vacuum up broken glass very carefully, but still occasionally miss a
piece because it can really fly when it shatters.
nor...@earthlink.net
During toddler years, I would rather have carpet than wood, considering
all the times little ones are likely to fall. A little stick from a
tack is probably less risky that a knock on the head or broken teeth; BTDT.
Mike Daniska
wrote:
> MikeDaniskawrote:
Thank you everyone for the tips! The place in question is where the
carpet in the living room meets the hardwood floor of the hall way, so
it is heavily traveled. I think I will opt for the quick fix of
hammering the points down, maybe thicker/better carpet in the future.
Thank you again! It will be a relief for my wife and I after I've
nailed these suckers down ;-)
Mike
mm
>
>Hard to imagine that a small child would step that close to the wall
>very often....or is the problem strip along a doorway into a room? I
I am not a small child, but I have the problem with my stairs. I am
barefoot pretty often at home, and my toes get stuck by the tacks.
The carpet is I guess pretty cheap and thin -- I'm sure that's the
problem -- but it's good enough everywhere else. The whole house is
one kind and color of carpet and I like that.
I took a hammer and went over every step on two flights of stairs,
hitting them pretty hard, and I think I got most of them, but I've
still been stuck a couple times.
I also try now not to stick my bare toes all the way up to the riser,
so maybe I didn't get most of them.
If the problem were bad enough, I'd pay attention and go hit them down
again.
rick rodgers
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/maintenance/Re-Carpet-Tack-Strip-Replacement-or-Fix-359942-.htm
:
I had the same problem and all I did was bend the nails over with a
hammer. The carpet stayed in place ad no nails sticking up. RR
-------------------------------------
David Nebenzahl wrote:
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mm
rodgers) wrote:
>rick rodgers had written this in response to
>http://www.thestuccocompany.com/maintenance/Re-Carpet-Tack-Strip-Replacement-or-Fix-359942-.htm
> :
>I had the same problem and all I did was bend the nails over with a
>hammer. The carpet stayed in place ad no nails sticking up. RR
Yeah, I wondered if the carpet on the steps would tear loose, but it
didn't, anywhere.