Old veteran installer showed me something on a job in Phoenix back in 2004

I was doing a big commercial job with a guy who had been laying carpet since the 70s. We were stretching some heavy commercial carpet and he just stopped and showed me how to read the backing for waste before cutting. Said most guys don't even look, they just guess. He saved me probably two full rolls of waste that week alone. Anyone else learn a trick from an old timer that still sticks with you?

3 comments

3 Comments

faith_price727d ago

Oh man, did that old timer show you how to read the pattern repeat on the backing too? I had a guy named Dave who taught me the same thing back in 2007 on a hotel job. He could look at a roll and tell you exactly where to cut to save a foot and a half on every seam. I still do it to this day, it saved my butt on a tricky job last month where the pattern was off by a quarter inch. Old timers really know their stuff, I learned more from him in a week than I did in a year of school.

troy_gibson4327d ago

I used to think it was just old wives' tales, but that pattern repeat trick totally changed my mind.

drew_grant5213d ago

Dave sounds like a legend, that pattern repeat trick is pure gold. It's crazy how much waste you can cut out once you really understand the backing.