Carpet Tack Strips: Product Guide

Type and Width of Carpet Tack Strips

Regular The most economical type of carpet tack strips available. Plywood is approximately 7/8 inch wide. Use during routine residential and commercial installations, when cost is the most important consideration.

Extra Wide The most widely used type of carpet tack strips. Plywood is one full inch wide. Front and back rows of pins are moved farther apart for extra strength and easier hooking with stiff carpets or thick cushion. Use during residential and commercial installations when extra holding power is desired. Meets the requirements of CRI - 104 and CRI - 105 for residential carpet installation.

Tri-Tack Introduced in the mid-1990s, Tri-Tack is now the fastest growing type of carpet tack strips sold. Offers a full 3 rows of pins set in a 1-1/4 inch wide plywood strip. An economical alternative to double stripping and full width commercial carpet strip. Provides extra insurance on difficult residential installations. Excellent for use on Berbers. Meets the requirements of CRI-104 and CRI-105 for residential and commercial carpet installation.

Commercial The traditional carpet tack strip product used on difficult installations of any kind. Three rows of pins are spaced equally over a 1-3/4 inch wide carpet tack strip. Anchoring nails are positioned closer to the wall to prevent carpet tack strip from lifting during heavy stretching. Use on large installations when maximum holding power is required. Meets the requirements of CRI-104 and CRI-105 for residential and commercial carpet installation.

Carpet Tack Strips are Supplied in Several Widths

CRI-104 and CRI-105 recommend the use of commercial carpet tack strips for areas over 30 ft long.

CRI recommends the use of one inch wide carpet tack strips for all materials less than 30 ft long.

Regular widths of carpet tack strips are less than one inch wide and are satisfactorily used in most installations. Regular carpet tack strip widths do vary and the narrower widths cause additional problems for the installer.

Why Wider Carpet Tack Strips are Better

The anchoring nails are closer to the wall in narrower carpet tack strips and can cause more missed hits and increased baseboard damage.

The pins are closer to the wall in narrower carpet tack strips, making hooking more difficult, especially with stiff backed carpet or over a thick cushion.

Narrower widths of carpet tack strips are not as strong as wider ones, causing a greater risk of broken carpet tack strips and an increased need for double stripping.

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