Are you currently considering carpeting your garage floor? Even though a garage is traditionally used for practical reasons – such as to keep cars or tools, garages are typically designed to have a concrete floor.
This isn’t just for practicality, but it is also to ensure that they will be able to withstand floorage damage for longer.
However, there are plenty of other ways that garages can be used, and in recent years – many people have opted to convert their garages into a laundry space, games room or even a “man cave”.
In these such instances, it only makes sense that you should want to make the space more homely – which is why many opt to carpet their garage.
By opting to cover your garage floor with carpet, you will instantly be able to elevate the space with a cozy, warming feel.
Not only that, but making the decision to carpet your garage floor will also ensure that the temperature of the space will be far warmer than if you were to leave the stone/concrete exposed.
The only question is, how do you carpet a garage floor, exactly? If you’re currently asking yourself this question, then rest assured that you have clicked on the right article.
In this post, we are going to be sharing with you everything you need to know about carpeting your garage floor – from top tips on how to take care of it, as well as how to install it correctly.
You know what to do – just read on!
What To Keep In Mind Before Carpeting
Before you go ahead and carpet your garage floor, there are a few things that you will need to make sure that you have kept in mind.
First things first, you are going to need to make sure that you are refraining from purchasing regular carpet that you would use to furnish your home.
Even though it might be tempting to purchase carpet roll intended for this use (especially given the fact that it is more generally more affordable than other types of carpet) it is very important to keep in mind that this type of carpet just isn’t suitable for being laid on top of cold,concrete floors such as that of your garage.
Along with that, it is also important to note that regular, normal carpet is typically designed to be exposed to feet, furniture and not much else.
With that being said, in the case of carpeting your garage floor – you are going to need to make sure that you have opted for a carpet that has been designed to withstand much more.
As well as this, you should also make sure that your carpet of choice also comes complete with the promise of fire safety ratings.
If it is within your budget to do so, we strongly recommend that you select a carpet that has been specifically designed to be able to stand up to the carpet without becoming damaged or deteriorating after it has been laid over the top of it.
One of the very best types of carpet on the market that is suitable for being laid on top of concrete floor is olefin face fiber carpet.
This is because this type of carpet has been carefully made with a chemical-resistant fiber that has been specifically designed to be able to withstand exposure to harsh chemicals such as bleach, all while being able to resist damage from the cold temperature often associated with a garage floor.
While it might not be as aesthetically pleasing as a regular carpet, it will be able to withstand being laid in your garage, all while offering longevity.
Besides making sure that you are using the appropriate carpet for your garage – you are also going to need to make sure that you are considering the space of your garage, too.
It’s highly likely that one roll isn’t going to be enough to carpet your garage floor, so measuring your garage will be helpful when it comes time to begin flooring your garage.
Along with this, you are also going to need to make sure that you have cleared out your garage of any furniture and other items that might presently be inside the garage.
Last but not least, you should also take the time to consider whether or not carpeting your garage is going to really be the right option for you.
Given the fact that garages are typically designed to be used for storing tools and keep cars – it means that things such as oil spills, paint spills and other type of spillages are common – which is why we recommend that you take the time to ask yourself whether or not opting for a carpet in your garage is going to be a good idea.
How To Carpet The Garage Floor: Basic 3-Step Checklist
As we have already mentioned above, there’s plenty to consider when it comes to carpeting your garage floor correctly – and we’re here to make that process as easy as possible!
As we’re sure you’re already well aware, leaving the concrete in your garage exposed can actually take away from the overall appearance of your garage space – especially if you are planning on converting it into an additional room or living space.
Even though it might seem a little bit daunting, the process of carpeting a garage floor is actually a lot easier than you might think!
So long as you make sure to take the proper preparatory steps and follow the correct technique while installing it – you should find that you are able to effortlessly install a carpet in your garage without a problem.
Below, we are going to be providing you with some guidance on how you can properly install a carpet in your garage floor in 3 quick steps, read on:
1. Measure Your Garage
First things first, when you are planning to carpet your garage floor – the first thing that you are going to want to do is first take the time to measure the surface area of your garage – including both the length and the width.
By doing this, you will be able to get an idea of how much space you have to work with, as well as have the accurate measurements to then go ahead and purchase the right amount of carpet that you will need to complete the installation process.
Once you have taken the measurements, you will then be able to go ahead and convert those calculations to square footage, which you will then be able to take to your local carpet store.
From there, the carpet salesman that will assist you will be able to recommend the most appropriate types of carpet for your garage to choose from, while also ensuring that you are given the exact amount of carpet that you will need.
Along with this, you should also make a note of what type of material the flooring of your garage currently consists of.
Even though the most common type of flooring used in a garage is concrete, there are some garages that contain wood flooring.
It is important to keep in mind that different types of flooring require different types of carpet, so you should make sure that you inform your carpet salesman of what flooring your garage currently has, to make sure that you purchase the right type of carpet to go over the original garage flooring it currently has.
As a side note, even though you might be able to make a close guess as to how much carpet you might need for your garage, ensuring that you take the time to get accurate measurements will make sure that you don’t purchase too much or too little, all the while making sure that you get the very best value for your money, too.
2. Choose The Style
After you have taken the time to gather the accurate measurements for your garage, you can then go ahead and select which style you would like to go for.
If you are planning to convert your garage into an additional living space, we recommend that you consider taking small samples of the paint/colorway that you are going to be using in your garage.
By doing this, you will be able to ensure that you select a carpet that complements the other colors that you will be using in your converted garage space.
Along with this, we also recommend that you choose carpet that has been made out of synthetic fibers instead of natural/organic – as synthetic fibers tend to bond better with concrete as they are far more durable in composition.
We also recommend that you take a few moments to consider what color/style of carpet you would like to use to carpet your garage floor from a practical standpoint.
Is the carpet you are choosing going to be easy to take care of? Is it a color that will show stains easily? These are all questions that you should make sure that you ask yourself.
3. Decide How The Carpet Will Be Installed
After you have measured the garage and then gone ahead and selected the carpet that you would like to use – you will then need to go ahead and decide how you would like the carpet to be installed.
On one hand, you will be able to hire the assistance of a professional contractor who will be able to come in and install the carpet professionally for you.
This can be a little bit expensive, however, which is why many people often take the decision to go ahead and install the carpet themselves.
Even though installing a carpet can be a little bit daunting to consider, if you are thinking about installing it yourself, the good news is that it’s a pretty easy thing to do.
With that being said, if you do decide to go ahead and do it yourself, the rest of this post is going to be very useful to you.
Let’s go ahead and move on to our next section to discover how to manually install a carpet in a garage yourself.
How To Carpet The Garage Floor: Preparatory Steps
After you have carried out the basic 3 step checklist that we have outlined above, you will then be ready to move onto preparing the garage to be installed.
Again, to help make this process as smooth and as easy as possible, we are going to be outlining the main things that you will need to do when readying your garage for carpeting.
By making sure that you are taking the necessary steps to properly prepare your garage for carpet installation, you will help to make sure that any and all moisture issues will be prevented – all the while ensuring that your carpet will be able to provide a much longer service life before needing to be replaced and swapped out for a new one.
Along with this, making sure that moisture is kept to a minimum will also help to make sure that the carpet will remain in a secure place once it has been installed, all the while lowering the chances of any bubbling, lifting or damage to the fibers of the carpet.
Top tip: Giving your carpet time to air out for a few hours after you have purchased it will help to get rid of any lingering smells that might still be present from the manufacturing stage.
Moving on, let’s take a look below at some of the essential steps that you should take to ensure that your garage is ready for a carpet to be installed in it:
1. Remove Furniture And Other Items From The Garage
First things first, you are going to need to make sure that you have removed all of the furniture and other items that might currently be present in your garage.
Not only will this ensure that you will be able to effectively install the carpet, but it will also provide you with the ability to effectively prepare the entirety of the garage floor ready to be carpeted.
As a side note, if you happen to have some particularly large tools or furniture in your garage that you will need to remove in order to both inspect the garage floor as well as lay the carpet – you should be sure to ask a friend or loved one if they would be able to assist you in moving items out of the garage.
2. Locate Problem Areas
Once you have taken the time to clean out your garage and your garage floor is totally bare you will then be able to go ahead and scan the floor to make sure that everything is as it should be.
While you are doing this, it is important to make sure that you locate any problem areas of the garage floor so that you can effectively treat/repair them before installing the carpet that you have chosen for your garage floor.
Even though the main purpose of carpeting your garage floor might be to cover up any imperfections, it is important to keep in mind that holes, bumps and other problem areas can actually be visible underneath a laid carpet.
For that reason, it is important to make sure that you are identifying these problems prior to laying the carpet so that you can help to ensure that you end up with a professional finish, all while covering up flaws in the surface of your garage floor.
For example, if you happen to have an area of your garage floor that is particularly bumpy, we recommend that you take the time to file this down as much as you can in order to ensure that the surface is as smooth as possible before the carpet has been laid.
On the other hand, if you notice some holes in the surface of your garage floor, you should take the time to fill them (you can use concrete filler or something similar) to make sure that the carpet will have a smooth surface to be laid on.
While this might seem like a tedious step, making sure that you address any problem areas in the surface of your garage floor will help to ensure the longevity of your carpet once it has been laid, all while making sure that you end up with a professional-looking result.
3. Clean The Garage Floor
Once you have taken all of the furnishings out of your garage and you have taken the time to inspect the garage floor for any imperfections, you will then be ready to begin preparing the floor ready for the carpet to be installed!
To make sure that you end up with a professional carpet result after it has been laid, it is important that you ensure that your garage floor is as clean as it can possibly be.
For this reason, before you attempt to install the carpet in your garage – we first strongly recommend that you take the time to thoroughly clean the garage floor.
By doing this, you will be able to ensure that any mold, mildew, dirt, oil and other unwanted surfactants will have been removed from the garage floor.
This will then help to make sure that once the carpet has been laid, nothing left behind on the surface of the garage floor will interfere with the appearance and quality of your laid carpet.
As a side note, once you are done cleaning your garage floor, you should ensure that you have given your garage floor enough time to thoroughly dry.
How To Carpet The Garage Floor: Step-By-Step Instructions
Now that we have covered everything that you need to know (as well as everything that you’ll need to do) before going ahead and carpeting your garage floor – we are now going to be sharing with you a simple method for how you can easily lay carpet in your garage floor by yourself.
Whenever you’re ready, let’s check out the following steps to learn how to successfully lay your carpet after you have made sure to follow the preparatory steps shared above:
Air out the carpet: After you have prepared your garage floor and it is ready to be laid with the carpet that you have purchased, we first recommend that you allow the carpet to air, as this will ensure that any lingering fumes from the manufacturing process will be removed before the time comes to begin the process of laying it.
Lay the tack strip and padding strips: While the carpet is airing, you can then go ahead and lay your tack that you are going to be using. To do this, cut a tack strip the length of one wall and then fasten it with nails. Once you have done that, you can then go ahead and lay the padding strips, making sure to place them side by side with each other across the garage floor.
Cut your carpet: After you have prepared the tack strips and padding strips, you can then cut your carpet to size, while making sure that you have left around 6 inches of wiggle room just in case.
Lay the carpet: Now, you will be ready to lay the carpet. Using a power stretcher (or similar tool if you do not have one) begin to stretch the carpet across the garage floor until smooth. Alternatively, this can be done entirely by hand, although it can be a much longer process.
Tidy the edges: After the carpet has been laid and is now smooth and flat, the final step will be to simply tidy up the edges with a blade knife (Also check out The Best Carpet Knives).
As a side note, if you do not feel confident or comfortable with laying a carpet in your garage by yourself – then the good news is that you will be able to easily source external help so that you won’t have to do it yourself.
There are many contractors that specialize in carpeting, so if you would like to, you can always hire someone in your area to install the carpet that you have chosen for your garage floor for you.
Keep in mind, however, that if you would like to hire help when laying a carpet in your garage – this could potentially be quite expensive depending on how much floor space your garage has.
Final Thoughts
There we have it. You have made it to the end of our guide to garage carpet installation!
Now that you have taken the time to read through everything that we have outlined above, we are hoping that you now feel much more confident about how to go about correctly installing a carpet in your garage – regardless of whether you’re a keen DIY’er or this is going to be your first home renovation project!
Of course, even though the process of installing a carpet is a relatively simple one – it is still important to make sure that you are making sure to carry out the necessary preparatory steps and following the correct installation techniques to ensure that the process is a smooth one.
But, the good news is that so long as you are making sure to follow the guidance, tips and advice that we have shared with you above – you will find that you are able to install carpet in your garage and transform it with a homely ambience in no time at all!
As a side note, before you go ahead and click off this guide – why don’t you consider giving this page a bookmark?
That way, you’ll always know where to find us should you need to refresh your knowledge on garage carpet installation.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this guide, we hope that you have found this helpful. Good luck with your garage transformation!
Hi, my name is Johnathon Gooder and I have been in the flooring industry for almost 20 years. I’ve done it all - lay flooring, painted carpets, repaired sections of an entire floor - you name it, I’ve probably had a hand at it.
I like to help wherever I can, which is why I’ve seen more than most. I could diagnose an issue with your carpet over the phone, within 30 seconds, with the amount of knowledge I have on all types of carpet repairs!
Anyway, I have made this website to share my tips and tricks on all things carpet related. From DIYs to maintenance, the best products to use to useful information on your chosen flooring, I’ll cover it all.
So, get ready to get to know your carpet on a more personal level, and let’s see if we can’t solve whatever problem you’re facing right now.
