Carpet grippers – a nightmare to stand on, and tricky to work with. They might be pricklier than a rose bush, but the fact is that we can’t lay carpets without them.
They might all look the same at first glance, but there are actually five different types that are worthy of our attention. Choose the right one for the job you’re working on, and no one will get their toes pricked. Read on for five types of carpet grippers you should check out.
How Carpet Grippers Vary
Gripper rods all work on the same basic principle. They are rods of plywood and resin, with nails set into them at an angle. They are generally 1.5m long x 2cm wide.
You position them close to the edge of the carpeted area, beyond the underlay.
Position them with the nails pointing towards the wall or door bars. The little nails sink their teeth into the backing of the carpet and help to hold it in place using tension. Incredibly simple and effective, and very little to them.
Variations come depending on the type of carpet you’re working with. Choose the wrong one, and your client will not be very happy. There’s a good chance someone could end up with bloody toes.
It’s worth taking the time to make sure what you’re ordering is up to the job.
Make sure that they have a bevel edge. This will make it easy to create a pleasing roll-edge appearance on the finished carpet. You can also abut them with the skirting board without the need to use scotia beading.
Can’t I Just Recycle the Old Carpet Grippers?
It’s tempting, especially now when we try to salvage and reuse whatever we can. The fact is though they are really single-use items. They just don’t work as well if you try to use them again.
When you’re laying a new carpet, the best thing is to take them up and lay one of the following types down.
If you’re laying new carpets, consider radiator pipe covers. They make a stylish addition, and it is easier to fit them before you lay your new carpet rather than after.
1. Commercial Carpet Gripper Rods
In commercial applications, clients will sometimes opt for very stiff, heavy-duty carpet laying. Additionally, in commercial settings, there may be extra traffic that taxes the gripper rods.
To keep these heavy-duty, stiff carpets in place, commercial gripper rods might be a good choice. Fundamentally, they are the same as domestic ones. The only difference is that they are wider, and they have three rows of pins.
This extra width and grip afforded by the three rows of nails help to keep the carpet even more secure. They are nailed to the floor in the same way.
While these are available, usually domestic carpet grippers are up to most tasks.
2. Standard Wood Carpet Gripper Rods
One of the most common types of carpet grippers, standard wood carpet gripper rods are designed for wooden subfloors. These could be true wood floors, such as wooden floorboards. They also work on boarded floors.
The main difference? They are pre-nailed with tempered nails. This explains why carpet grippers are such a menace to try to take out later.
These specially tempered nails provide an extremely secure bond between the gripper rods and the wooden floor.
They have a medium pin height, which is suitable for carpets that are slightly thicker. For a cord or very low-pile carpet, shorter pins would be more suitable.
3. Standard Concrete Carpet Gripper Rods
Standard concrete carpet gripper rods are perfect for fixing carpet to concrete or screed subfloors. They’re ideal for both commercial and domestic use.
They are pre-nailed with masonry nails. These nails are able to grip the concrete subfloor, making a strong bond. They are quick to install as they are pre-nailed.
If the concrete floor is especially hard, you have a couple of options. You could secure them using flooring adhesive. This will form a strong bond, but the disadvantage is that you would have to leave it to cure before laying the carpet.
Lay it too soon, and the tension would simply rip them up.
An even better solution is using a hammer drill and small pieces of dowel. Simply mark out where the nails will go on the floor. Drill holes and instead of rawlplugs, put small pieces of dowel tightly inside instead.
Now you can simply hammer the gripper rod nails into the dowels and secure them.
4. Standard Dual Purpose Carpet Gripper Rods
The dual-purpose part of these gripper rods means that you can use them on both wooden and concrete subfloors. Dual-purpose nails can grip either subfloor well.
“Standard” – refers to the pin length. Medium length is the standard length for pins and is suitable for all but the thinnest of carpets.
5. Short Pin Dual Purpose Carpet Gripper Rods
If you need to lay a very short pile carpet or a cord carpet, you will need short-pin dual-purpose carpet gripper rods.
Their small pins will grip the carpet in place. But they won’t protrude and get into anybody’s toes.
Choosing the Right Carpet Gripper Rods
As we’ve seen, the choices come down to two main factors: subfloor and pile length.
Most carpets are fine with standard, or medium-length pins. Cord carpets are a budget option that benefits from a good underlay. Make sure you buy carpet rather than laminate underlay to get a good level of comfort underfoot.
Choose Buy Flooring Online for Your Gripper Rod Needs
Choosing gripper rods should be easy, with all your options found in one place. You should also be able to pick up all the other things you need for the job – like adhesives, door bars, and underlay.
At Buy Flooring Online, we’ve got you covered. We’ve got everything you could need for carpet laying, all in one convenient online store. Take advantage of bulk discounts for tradies too.
Click here to check out our range of carpet grippers and more today!
