Carpet Grippers are the unsung heroes of carpet installation, much in the same way that underlay is! Out of sight and out of mind, carpet grippers fulfil several essential functions. Without them, a carpet installation can look poor in some cases; not using carpet grippers makes a carpet almost unusable! Without grippers holding the carpet in place, you can expect the carpet to be wrinkled and look tatty.

What are Carpet Grippers?

Carpet Grippers are plywood strips with roughly the exact dimensions regardless of brand (6mm thickness and approximately 25mm width). These grippers are attached to the floor and are most commonly found in wood. They contain several sharp pins/nails, which are angled - and grip the carpet. There are some variations, though, with domestic carpet grippers having two rows of nails and commercial carpet grippers having three.

Carpet Grippers & Floor Types

Carpet Grippers can be used on any floor - although they require different fixings to different floors. Adhesives are often used instead of nails when working on flooring such as concrete.

Carpet Grippers & Obstacles

It’s unlikely that you will be able to place gripper rods exactly where you need to without any obstacles being in the way. If you come across an obstruction that you can not move, such as a vent of the radiator - just work around as best you can. We advise cutting the gripper down to size using either a strip cutter or a hacksaw. Place the gripper rods evenly between the carpet and the wall, all the way around the room, and ensure the gripper rod is well fastened to whatever surface it’s on.

Carpet Grippers Install

Installing Carpet Grippers is not too difficult, but it’s something that you need to get right. The first job is to measure the room in which you are laying a carpet and determine the lengths of gripper rods you need. The next step is to prepare the floor. Think about where you have pipes and wires running underneath the floorboards to which you will be attaching the gripper rods - in these areas, use an adhesive rather than nails.

The next step is to wear a pair of gloves! As carpet grippers are sharp to deal with. Lay the carpet grippers down close to the perimeter wall of the room, with the nails/pins facing towards the wall - allowing them to grip the carpet properly. Once they have been fixed to the floor surface, use a carpet stretcher to place the rug over them.

Carpet Gripper Tips

Always buy brand-new grippers; they are easily damaged when the flooring is removed or when they have been laid for several years. It’s always worth buying online for access to the best brands and prices, and although we have already mentioned it - avoid banging nails into floorboards where there are wires and pipes.

Carpet Grippers on Concrete

The adhesive is the best way to attach carpet grippers to a concrete floor. Mark out on the concrete floor where you want your grippers to be placed with a pencil. Then ensure that you have cleaned the subfloor properly before applying the adhesive and laying the carpet grippers down into place.