I hear ya on the epoxy-issue CFB. I'll definitely take it easy on the glue - maybe 2 dabs per strip. I just feel more comfortable that the strip will not pull out with a combination of glue and nails.
If it makes you feel better, then sure, but epoxy is totally unecessary and a waste of your valuable time. I've never had a strip of tackless pull out in two different houses. If you're concerned that the carpet might not have enough pointy ends to pull on, or that the pull will be too strong for the tackless to hold, then you could lay down a couple parallel rows of tackless strips.
Someday someone is going to want to remove those tackless strips, and they are not going to be amused to find epoxy. Hopefully it won't be you.
At w*rk, they laid carpet squares, and it looks pretty nice actually, but it is a little bit lacking in the cushioning. That would be a very easy option, but the hard surface is what is holding me back from choosing this option.
I'd buy the highest-quality padding you can find. Don't skimp on this step. New synthetics are much springier and more comfortable on the feet, and it'll last at least the life of the carpet.
Has anyone else actually laid carpeting themselves, and if so, would you do it again or pay to have it done?
Thanks for all responses.
Bob
Yes, and I'll never do it again. It's well worth paying a guy who's been doing it for even a few months, who's 5x faster than us, and who knows just a few tricks.
Even the power carpet spreaders are difficult to work into all the corners & nooks, while the knee-kickers will definitely build up your muscles. It'd take me forever to have the confidence to slash into a carpet roll the way these guys do, and to make sure that all the seams are laid with the correct grain & fit. Then there's the techniques of seaming the carpet correctly.
Steps are a whole 'nother level of complexity to lay the carpet in the correct direction, go through the turns in the right way, and match the patterns. Then there's the challenge of getting everything tight on the bullnoses & risers. It's a skill that can't be learned in one pass by the average DIY homeowner. If you're as anal as you claim to be, then every time you look at those steps you'll only see the things you could've done better. You have far better ways to spend your time.
When we recarpeted an 1800 sq ft house it took a four-man crew less than half a day. While we were there we were able to spend our time working on the yard, fixing plumbing leaks, touching up paint, cleaning windows, and generally doing all the tasks that hardly anyone can hire someone to do properly. Carpeting is a high-skill task, and the money you pay those guys frees you up to do the low-skill tasks that not even a handyman or a housecleaner would want to tackle.
But I'm not trying to change your mind. If you're dead-set on doing this yourself then it will no doubt be a very educational experience...