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Shoutout to the guy who taught me the wet towel trick on a tricky stair job | Carpet Installers - Discusd

Shoutout to the guy who taught me the wet towel trick on a tricky stair job

I was installing carpet on a set of curved stairs in an old house in Cincinnati last month. The wood underneath was uneven and the padding just would not stay put on the curve of the first step, no matter how many staples I used. I was getting ready to call it and tell the homeowner we needed to re-level the tread when another installer, Mike, who was working next door, came over to see what the hold up was. He told me to grab a clean towel, soak it in hot water, wring it out, and lay it over the stubborn section of padding for about ten minutes. I was skeptical, but the heat and moisture relaxed the backing just enough that it formed to the curve perfectly when I stapled it down. I never would have thought of that. Has anyone else used a trick like that for stubborn padding on older stairs?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavincampbell6mo ago

Ever try a hair dryer on low heat? I had this same fight with some old padding that just would not bend right. Tbh, the towel trick is solid, but a hair dryer lets you work the spot with your hands while it gets warm. You gotta keep it moving so you don't scorch anything, but it gives you a bit more control.

iris_adams6mo ago

Oh, good call... I always forget my hair dryer exists for anything but my hair.

ericfox5mo ago

Gotta disagree with you on the hair dryer thing, honestly. I've tried it a few times and the problem is you're fighting against the material shrinking back as soon as the heat stops hitting it (which happens fast if you're trying to staple at the same time). The wet towel keeps that moisture and heat trapped against the backing for a solid ten minutes, letting it actually relax into the curve instead of just getting a quick warmup. Plus on those old Cincinnati houses you don't wanna risk scorching anything near the wood if the padding is super thin. Just my two cents, but the towel trick has saved me more times than I can count on those tricky curved steps.