Definition: A carpet tack strip is an essential material used for installing carpet. Carpet tack strips are strips of Douglas fir wood, usually 4 feet long by 1 inch wide, with highly sharp tacks protruding through them at 60 degree angles.
Carpet tack strips run around the entire perimeter of a room and hold wall-to-wall carpeting in place. Mostly, though, carpeting tack strips serve to keep carpeting stretched out and wrinkle-free.
Installation of Carpet Tack Strips
The carpet tack strips go on first, before padding and carpeting.- Perimeter of room is measured.
- Appropriate lengths of carpet tack strips are cut.
- Tack strips are nailed around perimeter of room, nail-end up. The nails are not vertical, but leaning at a 60 degree angle. The "lean" should be towards the room's walls, not the center of the room.
- Carpeting is stretched out by means of a power stretcher and hooked onto the nails of the tack strips.
Where to Purchase Carpet Tack Strips
Carpeting tack strips are available even at stores that do not specialize in carpeting installation (i.e., Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc.).Carpet tack strips are also available online. Buy Direct - Extra Wide Carpet Tack Strip Concrete Floor Nails 1 x 48 In. 100/Box 400 Linear Feet per Box
Also Known As: tacking strips, tack strips, tackless strips
Examples:
Rowan nailed the carpet tack strips in place around the perimeter of the room before laying the carpet.
