A chat with an old timer at the supply yard flipped my view on seam rollers

I was picking up some padding in Cincinnati last week and got talking to a guy who's been laying carpet since the 80s. He said, 'Kid, a heavy roller isn't about weight, it's about the heat you build up from going over it enough times.' I always used a light touch to avoid crushing the pile, but I tried his method on a glue-down job yesterday, doing five full passes per seam. The seam practically vanished. How many passes do you all usually do?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles_hall12d agoMost Upvoted

That old timer's advice works on glue down, but it's a different story with stretch in. I've been doing this since 1995 and I only do two passes, maybe three if the seam is being stubborn. More passes than that on a stretch install just risks stretching the carpet out of shape at the seam line. You get a flat seam but a visible dip later. The heat helps, but you can overwork it.

wilson.joseph12d ago

Exactly! That old timer knows his stuff. I do at least four slow passes, letting the heat do the work.

the_claire12d ago

Slow passes are key, just don't let it sit too long.