Knife slipped on a carpet seam and cut right through the backing

I was doing a bedroom in a house off Maple Drive last Thursday, trimming the edge along the wall, and my hook blade skidded off the seam tape and sliced straight through the backing. Ended up having to cut out a 2-foot section and patch it because the tear was too deep to hide. Anybody got a trick to keep the blade from catching on those seams?

3 comments

3 Comments

wrenh6519d ago

Oh man, I heard somewhere that putting a little bit of wax on the blade helps it glide over those seams without catching. Haven't tried it myself but it sounds like it might save you from patching another section.

daniel85719d ago

Man I feel your pain on this one. The way that blade just skids off the seam tape and CUTS through the backing is like a bad joke. My trick is to actually use a FRESH blade every time I hit a seam, because a dull blade catches way worse and then you get that tear you described. I also started running my thumb along the seam right before I cut to make sure the tape is pressed down flat, no bumps. Last resort is I just slow down to a crawl and let the blade do the work instead of trying to muscle through it. But honestly I've still got a few patched sections in my own house from messing this up, so I'm no expert either.

valw3619d ago

Funny you say that, but I actually have the complete opposite experience. New blades are the problem for me, they're too sharp and grab the tape before you even know what happened. I've had way better luck with a blade that's been used a few times already, dull enough to slide across the tape without biting into it. And running your thumb over the seam is just asking for a cut if you're not careful. Honestly I think you're overcomplicating it, just go faster and let the blade skip over the tape instead of fighting it.