Carpet Questions

Hello all.

I'm working on re-carpeting my 15' Foxcraft bass boat. I just have a couple of questions about the install:

1. I am worried about the casting decks. I have the carpet rough cut already - allowing myself about an inch overhang all the way around. Everything I have read says to glue the carpet 1st and THEN cut it. The carpet does lie in a recess all the way around on both decks. However, their are many rounded corners to deal with. The "lip" all the way around the recess area has a rounded radius, and I'm worried about my blade wandering around within that radius while I try to cut. Also, all the cutting I've done thus far has been on the backside of the carpet - I'm just a little afraid of the unknown when I go trying to cut from the face side of the carpet.

Has anyone tried cutting the carpet before gluing in a situation like this? I know it would be a pain, but I am sure that I could make up a good template to cut from. My fear of this idea is that the carpet might stretch a little as I glue it and roll it out - leaving me just a "skoosh" to have to try and cut off which I believe would be much harder than than the inch or so I have now.

If I go the route of cutting after gluing, is it advisable to wait for the glue to set up good?

Suggestions?

2. That darned glue! The glue I have, and the directions on all the other ones I have looked at says I have to maintain 60 degrees during the install and 48 hours afterwards.... That's a tall order in January - even in Texas. We're not up for a freeze the next few nights, and 60 degrees during the time of install is not a problem, but it is getting down into the 40's at night. My question is - Can I go ahead and proceed with installing during the day when it is 60 or above, and just know that the cure time will be longer? I was very diligent during the prep process and don't want to have to do this again.

Thanks,
Brian Anderson

Re: Carpet Questions

Well - There were no takers on my questions but I proceeded on. Just thought I'd let you know how it went. I know that all of this is old news to you pros out there.

For me personally, I found that I got better results by making a template, cutting the carpet, and then gluing it, as apposed to cutting last. Notice I said "better results".... I didn't say it was easier. I am sure that cutting last is faster, and if I had a lot of it to do, I would be forced to get good at doing that way. I tried cutting last on the rear casting deck and found it difficult to know precisely where I needed to be cutting. The results were "OK", but I am a hopeless perfectionist.... So, I decided to try the template idea for the front casting deck. It really worked well for me, and in case it might help someone else, here's what I did - (prep work excluded).

I took some large sheets of graph paper and made the template. Not huge pieces of paper - it's easier to work with something that's not too big. I just laid them on the deck, held them in place firmly, and ran a fingernail around the bottom edge of the recessed area I was fitting. Then, lift that section of paper out and cut it. It doesn't need to be perfect - I purposely cut it a little shy - roughly 1/4" or so. Lay that piece back in the boat, and using blue painter's masking tape, tape the paper in place. The tape holds the paper in place around the edges where the carpet will butt up to. Let the width of the tape extend past where the carpet will need to be cut. Then, keep adding more sheets of paper until you have worked all the way around the section you are carpeting. Once you are all the way around, add enough paper in the middle to join it all together - don't be stingy with the tape.

So at this point, the section you are carpeting is covered with multiple sheets of paper that are all taped together to make one piece. It is taped all the way around the edges, and the width of the tape is such that it holds the paper and goes past the edge where the carpet goes. Now, take a finger nail and run it firmly in around all the edges where the carpet would need to be cut. This will mark the tape. I followed up by running a pen in that edge so I would know exactly where I was cutting. Now, take a sharp razor knife and carefully cut the entire template out using the line you drew on the tape as a guide.

Carefully lift the whole template out of the boat. (Sorry to be so long here - didn't realize how hard this would be to put into words....) Now you should have a perfect template. Remember, it's not necessary to try and make the paper fit exactly perfect - you have the better part of the width of the masking tape that fills the gap. The template you end up with is the perfect size because of where you cut the tape - in other words, about 1/2 the tape stays with the template, the other 1/2 stays on the boat.

Now, lay the template down upside down and tape every seam of paper on the back. This will make sure it stays intact while you transfer the template to the carpet. Lay the carpet face down, and pin the template to the carpet making sure everything is smooth and flat. (And make sure you have it oriented correctly! - You don't want a piece of carpet that fits perfectly with the backside up!) I put a piece of scotch tape in each spot where I wanted a pin to make sure nothing wandered around. The back of the carpet is a little rough, so you do have to take care as you trace the template. I used a fat sharpie for this. It was easy along the lines. For curves you can make several marks - start the marks on the paper and let them run onto the carpet. This "paints" the corners clearly for you.

Take a carpet knife (enough has been said about a sharp blade - all I will say is using a sharp blade is very sound advice that should be heeded) and carefully cut the carpet out along the lines you transferred from the template. If you find that cutting is at all difficult, change blades immediately. For me, this was much easier cutting on the back of the carpet. And frankly, a LOT less nerve wracking.... I knew exactly where I needed to cut and could get in the perfect position to do so. I am so anal in fact (and if you've read this far you must be too ;-) ) that I made a real effort to cut exactly on the inside edge of the mark, knowing that should give me the perfect fit.

Now you can trial fit the carpet. I was beyond elation at how well it fit. I took some good advice and used glue that would not cure on contact. This allowed me to move it around a little as needed after making contact. I also found that once the glue starts to set, you can pull/stretch a little towards the edges (without moving all the carpet) if need be to make it really perfect.

Locker lids.....

Not knowing better, I tried my first one with slow setting glue..... I didn't like this for two reasons. First, I don't see how you could ever wrap the edges without clamping, as they just won't stick.... And, if you start trying to wrap the edges shortly after gluing down the face, the whole thing tries to move around.

Peeled that one off and started over......

Several have posted that liquid nails is good for the edges, but Lowes has a section the size of my house dedicated to various types of liquid nails and I couldn't decide which one to use.... Someone else posted that DAP contact cement would work. That's what I went with and have had excellent results. It's this stuff:

http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...adwords!6456&keyword=product_ad_2283&type=pla

Lay the lids down on your carpet and mark all the way around with a sharpie. This shows you where to paint on the glue - I just used a chip brush. Apply a liberal coat on the face of the lid and inside the area you marked on the carpet. Wait ~ 15 minutes for tack up. Then, lay the carpet face down on a smooth solid surface and carefully lay the lid onto it. Turn it over and press it down, then, lay the whole thing down on the floor face down and stand inside the lid for a couple of minutes. This makes it bond really well, and also starts the edges of the carpet to curl in the direction you want them to go.

That much is easy - I really struggled going around the rounded edges on the 1st one. I got good results, but spent way too much time on them. Then by accident and just trying things, I figured out something - You DON'T have to notch out any of the carpet when making a rounded corner!! (Yes, I was elated to figure this out). Just grab the carpet where it overhangs, right in the center of the rounded edge and pull it up really tight. Then work your way on either side of that by pulling up really hard. This does yield a "wad" of carpet that will have to be dealt with before you can turn the carpet all the way into the inside edge, but hey, we're out of sight now. (I was using 20oz carpet)

Anyway, sorry to be a rambling idiot here - just thought this might help someone else out. You pros feel free to correct me if you see anything here that's wrong.

Thanks,
Brian