WCIF Carpet / carpeting

[quote=“TheLostSwede”]That sounds more like an overgrown rug…
Carpet to me isn’t something you can roll up and mop the floor underneath…[/quote]

Carpet and rug are really synonymous; they are merely of Latin versus Scandinavian derivation. Think about ‘magic carpet’ and ‘roll out the red carpet’, and you’ll see that a carpet is indeed something you can roll up, and mop underneath. But it’s true that in some areas carpet has generally become associated with wall-to-wall carpeting, while rug has become associated with those of limited size.

I looked up some stuff on binding carpets yourself: instabind.com/
(if you watch the “how to” video, skip the first 25% - a bit annoying). Then I realized you don’t have the actual carpet yet.

I am a bit carpet fan (I agree with DB about the names - synonymous - some insist they (carpet/rug) are different, but I grew up calling the Persians “carpets”.

I have bought some really nice wool carpets at IKEA over the years, although a couple have been destroyed by puppies :cry: . I think they are nicer and easier to clean than full wall to wall carpets as they are much easier to roll up (since they generally go to the edge of the furniture, rather than under it). Dehumidifiers are a necessary expense.

I may be able to come up with a white carpet for you, but it probably isn’t wool. PM me if you are interested. I would need to check the condition first.

Is it possible to find carpets in rolls in Taiwan? I know they have those carpet tiles but they are cheap and thin and from what I have seen, they tend to curl up at the seam and peel off in a few months. I want to put some carpets in the new room I am moving into because it’s got crappy looking floors and I want to make it better… don’t need much, just a few pings…

Sure, there are one or two Oriental carpet places up in Tianmu, on the east side of Zhongshan N. Rd.; one is next to a Subber and Wellman’s, just before TAS. I think there might also be another further south on the same side.

I am looking for carpets not rugs though… as in the kind that are designed to be permanently installed

Ah, like carpeting! Ok, I’ve merged this for you.

I managed to find some Taiwanese carpets, not too expensive either. Now the problem is I laid it down and it tends to picker up in places, I really want to try for a professional installation, but I can’t find the required supplies like tack strips and seaming tapes. I found a kicker on yahoo auctions but without tack strips that doesn’t really help. Or should I just try making my own tack strips?

Then seaming is another problem, I got two pieces of carpets that needs to be joined together, and for the piles to run in the same direction a long piece will need to be cut into three and joined to the main carpet. I have some book binding tape which they say is used for joining carpets, but I read you need those heat activated adhesive strip for a professional installation, but I got no idea where to get that either!

Man… still no reply, and hours spent searching any chinese words for carpet seaming tape comes up empty. I guess installing carpets in Taiwan is like trying to drive a 50cc scooter up a 50 degree incline (while carrying 3 adults in it)

地毯膠帶 (“carpet tape”)?

No that won’t do, because real carpet tape needs to be heated first then stuck to the carpet… that would work if I wanted a temporary bond in a zero traffic area but not for any serious installation. I called the supplier I bought my carpets from, turns out they’re willing to sell me a roll for 500nt… problem solved. Now I just need a heat source… I will probably use a blow dryer or a heat gun for this

By the way any former tradesman or whatever: Can anyone tell me the best way to use these heat activated carpet tape? I used an old iron to heat the tape but the adhesive gets all goopy and sticky, so I was wondering is it ok to just flip the carpet over, and put the tape on the back and just iron right over the back of the tape? I’d buy one of those special carpet seaming irons but for the small room it’s not worth it…