The Foundation of Comfort: What to Expect During a Professional Carpet Installation
When you invest in a premium carpet from DeGraaff Interiors, you aren’t just buying a roll of fabric—you’re buying a transformation for your home. While picking the perfect texture and color is the fun part, the secret to a carpet that looks flawless for twenty years lies in the professional carpet installation.
In Grand Rapids and Hudsonville, we pride ourselves on a “white-glove” approach. We know that having installers in your home is a big deal, so we want to pull back the curtain on the craftsmanship that goes into a DeGraaff installation. Here is a step-by-step look at how we turn a house into a sanctuary.
Carpet Installation: What to Expect
1. The Critical Prep Work
A great installation starts before the new carpet even arrives. Our team begins by removing the old flooring and, most importantly, inspecting the subfloor.
Subfloor Integrity: Whether you have plywood or concrete, it must be clean, dry, and level. Any squeaks in the floorboards are addressed now—because once the carpet is down, you don’t want to hear the floor talking back to you.
Tack Strip Placement: We install new tack strips around the perimeter of the room, leaving a slight gap from the baseboards to allow the carpet to be tucked neatly for a “built-in” look.
2. The Power of the Pad
If the carpet is the “face” of your floor, the cushion (or pad) is the “soul.” A common mistake in DIY or budget installs is using a pad that is too soft or too thin.
At DeGraaff, we match the density of the pad to the specific type of carpet you’ve chosen. A high-quality pad doesn’t just feel better; it acts as a shock absorber, preventing the carpet fibers from breaking down under heavy foot traffic. It also provides a vital thermal barrier—a feature our West Michigan clients appreciate during those chilly January mornings.
3. Mastering the Seams
Modern homes often have large, open-concept rooms that are wider than a standard 12-foot carpet roll. This means seams are inevitable. The mark of a master installer is making those seams virtually invisible.
Our professionals use high-heat seaming irons and specialized tapes to fuse the edges together. We pay meticulous attention to pile direction; if the grain of the carpet isn’t facing the same way on both sides of the seam, the light will hit it differently, making the joint stand out like a sore thumb.
4. The Final Stretch
This is the most physically demanding and technically precise part of the job. Carpet is a flexible material, but it needs to be under tension to stay flat.
The Power Stretcher: We don’t just “kick” the carpet into place. Our installers use a power stretcher—a long tool that uses leverage to pull the carpet tight across the entire room.
Why it Matters: If a carpet isn’t stretched properly, you will eventually see “ripples” or “waves” develop over time. A professional power-stretch ensures your floor stays drum-tight for the life of the product.
5. The DeGraaff Walk-Through
We don’t just pack up and leave. Once the last corner is tucked and the transitions to your hardwood or tile are seamless, we perform a final walk-through with you. We’ll show you how to care for your new investment and ensure that every door swings freely over the new pile height.
Shop Capet Flooring by DeGraaff Interiors in Grand Rapids, MI
Your Home Deserves the Best A professional installation is the difference between a project that looks “good enough” and one that looks extraordinary. At DeGraaff Interiors, our 2026 installation standards are higher than ever, ensuring your Grand Rapids home gets the precision it deserves.
Ready to feel the difference?
Visit our showrooms in Grand Rapids or Hudsonville today to browse our latest collections. We offer free in-home estimates to get your project started on the right foot!