One problem that faces home owners that they often fail to anticipate is what to do with those pieces of carpeting that are inevitably left over after a new installation. The first inclination may be to simply toss them out or let the installers take them when they leave. Since they will quickly sell them for a little extra income on the side, your installers will generally be quite happy to take care of them for you.
However, there are several ways to put those remnants to good use. You might want to consider some of the following suggestions before simply choosing to get rid of them.
One excellent use of odd-sized remnants is to use them to protect that brand new carpeting you just had installed. If you are having other work done on your house at the same time, then there are likely workers running in and out tracking sheet rock dust or some other form of construction dirt. Turn those pieces of left over carpeting into walk-off mats for all the entrances. To make them even more effective, dampen them periodically. This will keep even more dust and dirt out of your home. Why take the chance of damaging or staining your new carpet, area rugs or wood flooring? Once all the renovations are finished, you can simply toss the carpet pieces.
Carpet remnants come in handy in areas where you would like some sort of rug or mat but don’t especially want to invest much money. The garage, basement, a storage area or workroom are all good examples. It doesn’t really matter what the color or style is for these areas and a carpet remnant will often be the perfect solution.
Once in awhile, you may find yourself with some rather large left over pieces of carpet. It is actually possible to use these larger remnants in small rooms like a guest bedroom, den or home office. Because of the tendency to fray, it is best if the remnant is large enough to go from wall to wall. More often than not, however, that will not be the case. There are different methods that you can use to bind the edges so that the fibers will not unravel. You can have it done professionally, usually the best option for quality but also the most costly. There are also ways to do it yourself with your own sewing machine or with a special tape and glue gun. The results can be quite attractive and will extend the life of your carpet remnant significantly.
There are those who will advise you to keep remnants in case your carpeting is damaged or needs replacement in a small area. While this seems to make sense in theory, it rarely lives up to its promise. Only a professional can cut and patch carpeting to make it look halfway decent, and, even then, the colors will simply not match. Often the bright new patched area will stand out even more than the piece it replaced.
Keeping and using those left over pieces of carpeting can be a very good idea. The key is to be selective in how and where you use them.
Recent Comments