How to Install Carpet Tile

Remove all the furniture from the room. This makes it easier to measure, prep the subfloor and apply the carpet tile. Gather all the tools and materials you’ll need to avoid a supply run mid-project.

One of the most important things when laying carpet tile is the subfloor. You want a smooth, clean surface to install your carpet tiles. Depending on your existing flooring, you may need to strip down to the subfloor using a pry bar or hammer.

Existing wall-to-wall carpeting needs to be removed, but you might be able to install carpet tiles over a smooth surface like laminate. Pay attention to grout lines or any distinct cracks in the flooring because you’ll feel them through the carpet. Carefully remove baseboards too.

Patch a cracked subfloor with putty or correct an uneven floor with self-leveler. Once you’ve prepped the floor, clean it thoroughly with a vacuum to remove dust and debris.

If you have concerns about moisture, use a floor sealant to protect the newly installed carpet tiles. Use the right version based on what your subfloor is made of. Follow the instructions and allow the floor to dry thoroughly before installing the floor tiles. While the floor is drying, unbox the carpet tiles and let them acclimate to the new environment.

It might seem tempting to start against one wall with your tiles, but the best place to start is at the center of your room. Use your tape measure to find the center of each wall and mark each point. From there, use a chalk line to connect parallel walls. Where the chalk lines intersect is the center point of the room.

Using the lines, lay out your carpet tiles in a single line on the chalk lines across your room. Pay attention to the last tile closest to the wall on each side, if you have to cut the carpet tile in less than half, consider readjusting your arrangement. You want to avoid small pieces of tile at the edges of the room that could look off.

Once you feel confident about your carpet tile pattern and layout, it’s time to stick the tiles to the ground. Before you stick or glue any carpet tiles, check to make sure the pile of the carpet is being adhered in the same direction. The tiles should have arrows on the bottom indicating pile direction if needed. Also, carpet tile color might vary slightly between boxes, to keep the color looking consistent rotate using carpet tiles from different boxes.

Once you’re ready, stick your tiles to the ground. Peel-and-stick tiles require you to pull backing off, adjust the carpet tile to its desired position and press it firmly against the ground. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for individual product best practice.

For glue-down carpet tile, spread the adhesive using a trowel, adjust the tile and then press down. Don’t apply more than two or three tiles worth of adhesive, you don’t want it to dry before you can apply the tile.

For a seamless look, stick the tiles as close together as you can. For tiles that need to be trimmed, stick them down after you finish the rest of the room. Check that your tiles are being applied in a straight line as you go.

Measure the space between the closest carpet tile and the base of the wall. Flip your carpet tile over and using your T-square, cut the carpet tile (using your utility knife or carpet cutter) to the size of gap. Adhere as you did for your existing carpet tiles and smooth. If there’s a small gap close to the wall and the baseboards should cover it once you reinstall them.

Using a clean floor roller, roll over your newly install carpet tiles. It ensures that the carpet tiles are completely stuck to the floor and removes any air bubbles. Start from the middle of the floor and work outwards, overlapping your path until the room is done.

One of the best things about carpet tiles is that unlike wall-to-wall carpet, if a section gets worn, stained or ruined you can pull up only the one square that needs to be fixed and replace it. When you install your carpet tiles, hang on to info about the style and color you purchased just in case you need to replace carpet tiles later.

These are tricky cuts to make, so take your time. Using a separate piece of paper, work to create a template that you can then trace onto the back of your floor tile. Again, if there’s baseboard trim you can be a little less precious with getting the cuts exactly right. Don’t be afraid to measure twice before making any final cuts to the carpet tile.

Not all carpet tiles require you to use an adhesive. If you’d rather skip using an adhesive, buy peel-and-stick carpet tiles. With a peel off back panel, they’re easy to use and still offer great results.

Depending on proper installation and how high traffic the area they’re installed in, carpet tiles can last up to eight years.

It depends on the adhesive, but whether you use peel-and-stick or an adhesive, it’s strong enough that it’s possible that the floors underneath could be damaged and would need to be redone if you were to remove the carpet tiles. Consider the state of the floors before you install carpet tiles.