How to Install Carpet in a Closet

Remove any items that are in the closet. This includes any hanging items, as they may obstruct your working area.

Remove the closet door, if there is one. You will need a screwdriver to remove the screws from the hinges. This step is needed in order to provide you easy access to the workspace and to be able to seam the closet carpet to existing carpet if necessary.

Pull up any old carpet, including the old tack boards that may exist around the walls, as well as the padding. You may need a carpet knife to cut the old carpet along the edges of the walls in order to remove it. You will also need a hammer with a claw end to pull up the old tack board, if it exists. Then clean the bare floor and ensure that all debris has been removed form the surface.

Measure the width and length of the floor, allowing for approximately an additional one inch of extra carpet all the way around the floor. The extra inch will allow you to tuck the carpet under the baseboards, if you have them. If you do not have baseboards, simply measure the carpet and cut it to the exact measurements of the closet using a carpet knife.

Cut the padding for the carpet using your measurements, if you are using padding. When you install rubber-backed carpet you will not need padding. For rubber-backed carpeting you will also not need tack boards.

Cut the carpet to correspond to the measurements that you have taken. This is most easily done by laying the carpet on a hard surface, such as a cement patio outside, turning the carpet over and using a carpet knife.

Install new tack boards along each wall in the closet, if you are using tack boards for the project. Use two nails per tack board and space the tack boards about ¼ inch from the walls.

Cut and lay down the padding, if you are using padding. Then lay the carpet that you have cut over the padding. You will need to tuck the carpet under baseboards, if you have them and stretch the carpet as much as possible for the smoothest fit. The easiest way to do this is to attach the carpet to the tack board on one wall, then stretch it toward the opposite wall, attaching it to the tack board there. Then attach the carpet to the tack board at the back of the closet and stretch it toward the door.

Seam the new closet carpet with existing carpet by turning both ends of the carpet over and applying carpet seam tape and glue to the edges, then connect them together and press down on the seam. Wait for the glue to dry before using the space, or reattaching the closet door.