A shining carpet plays a big role in impressing your passengers that you're giving a lift to and maintaining the value of your vehicle as one of your many assets on top of keeping your vehicle in tiptop condition.
Carpet replacement can be easier than you think if you learn the right step-by-step order in how to replace it. Know which items should be removed and which type of carpet should be changed first. This will save you time and needless effort when maintaining the integrity of your beloved car's floor care textiles and covers.
The Smart Steps to Carpet Replacement
- Take Out The Front Seats: First off, remove the front seats by removing the four bolts underneath them. Unless the carpet is detachable by default and you can remove it and access the metal floor immediately, you usually need to remove your front seats altogether.
- Remove the Back Car Seats: The back seats are the next to go or at least the cushion where you sit down instead of the backrest. Usually, it's easier to remove the back car seats than the front ones. Just grab the corner and tug.
- Remove Seat Belts: Once you've taken out the car seats then the seatbelts are a breeze to remove. In older cars, one side of the belts is connected to the frame rail while the other is connected to the floor. After seat removal, the attaching bolts will be easier to unbolt.
- Remove Kick Panels and Sill Plates: Start with removing your door sill plate. Hold the screws to the body then use the screwdriver to slide them to the end. Kick panels might require prying push pins, unscrewing screws, or removing the trim first without too much force.
- Remove The Old Rug: Now you can remove the old rug or carpet. Just pull it out since all those items before were kind of holding it down then lay it on the ground. Install the new carpet right after.
- Cut Holes In The Carpet: Cutting holes in your new carpet based on the old carpet should be done to make it fit better in your car. You should cut holes in your new carpet unless it's been pre-cut with OE-standard holes that perfectly fit your make and model of car.
- Install The New Carpet: When cutting your carpet, you can start from the rear or the edges but check carefully to not cut it all the way through. Afterwards, just put your carpet in your car and check to see if it fits your vehicle floor perfectly. Adjust as needed.
- Reinstall The Seats And Other Items: Reinstall everything in reverse order of their uninstallation. So that means you should start with the kick panels then move on to the sill plates, seat belts, back car seats, and finally the front car seats. From there, you're all done!