New Carpeting in the Winter House
There’s always something going on at my Bedford, New York farm.
Owning a farm is a huge responsibility. Not only must I look after all my animals and gardens, but I also have to maintain the safety and upkeep of every house and structure on the property. I have several buildings here at Cantitoe Corners, and the one I use the most is called the Winter House where I live. This year, it was time to change the carpeting in several rooms. For this task, I enlisted the help of our friends at Westport Carpet and Rugs in nearby Westport, Connecticut - they've been taking care of my carpeting needs for many years. The process took several days to complete, but everything was done neatly and efficiently.
Enjoy these photos.
-
- Westport Carpet and Rugs arrived right on time with my new sisal carpets. The team carried the rolls of carpet and carpet padding into the Winter House from their van.
-
- For most of the rooms, I used the same sisal. I like its durability, natural color, and coarse, slightly scratchy feel. Sisal comes from the long green leaves of the cactus plant Agave sisalana and is stronger than other natural fibers. After the padding is rolled out, the carpet is also rolled carefully over the space.
-
- Here, the team adjusts the carpet, so it is completely centered in the room.
-
- To help flatten the carpet, the edges are rolled in the opposite direction.
-
- Carpet edges are often bound with fabric. I prefer my carpet edges serged liked this. Serging wraps yarn continuously around the edge.
-
- The new rug looks excellent in this room. This was my smaller dining room, but I am now reconfiguring the furniture to create more seating areas.
-
- In the foyer, the rug is down and the padding is trimmed to fit.
-
- Because the carpet is cut slightly smaller than the space to expose the wood floors, the area between the carpet edges and the walls must be measured several times. This carpet is about four-and-a-half inches from the wall along every side.
-
- And every time the carpet is moved, the spaces are measured all over again.
-
- The carpeting on the stairs is also replaced. A carpet knee kicker is used to stretch the carpet. The tool grips the carpet with a set of tines on the head and then pushes it into place.
-
- This area of the foyer is all complete.
-
- And within a couple of hours, the stairs are also done. The brass carpet rods and brackets will be put on next. Did you identify them correctly when I posted the rods on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48?
-
- After the old carpeting is removed, the floors are cleaned of any dust and stuck on old padding. Then the floors are polished with a rotary floor buffer.
-
- I have long used Christophe Pourney’s floor products. This Furniture Tonic Color Reviver refreshes dark wood finishes and hides any small nicks or scratches. And it is made using organic and virgin oils that are safe and environmentally friendly.
-
- In my Brown Room, the padding is unrolled and stretched flat.
-
- Next, the carpet is unrolled and fit into place. Two pieces are needed for this very large room.
-
- A special pair of carpet scissors is used to trim the overlapping piece before the two pieces are glued together.
-
- Carpet seam glue is placed on the edges of the carpet so the seams can be sealed.
-
- A carpet-seam iron is used to heat the adhesive. Once the pieces are glued together, the Seamer Down Now follows behind to set and cool it.
-
- The carpet kicker is used again to stretch the carpet where needed.
-
- Look, the seam is barely noticeable.
-
- Here, one can see how the edges are serged. The matching colored yarns are placed on spools and the machine quickly wraps the threads over the edges of the carpet.
-
- The machine is equipped with little wheels so it can be pulled along as it sews, making a very neat edge.
-
- The serged corners and edges look neat and tidy. It all looks great – thank you Westport Carpet and Rugs!
-
- My beautiful Empress Tang checks out the new carpeting in another room – I think she approves. I can’t wait to show you the new furniture layouts in a future blog. What home projects are you doing this weekend? Share them with me in the comments section below.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
