Yes you can install that carpet yourself

Let’s talk about carpet installation.

•First, gather your tools. In addition to specialty tools like a knee kicker and a seaming kit, you also want to consider renting a power stretcher to speed up the job (and save your knees). Other tools you’ll need include a hammer, utility knife, scissors, heavy-duty stapler, chalk line, double-sided tape and duct tape. You’ll also need to purchase tackless strips — thin wood strips with tiny spikes — to secure the edges of the carpet, and transition strips to mark where the carpet ends and different flooring begins.

•Set the transition strips first, nailing them into place. These strips can be made of metal or wood, or, if you’re just switching from one color carpet to another without change in height or texture, seaming tape can be used. Next, install the tackless strips along the edges of the room, spikes pointing up so they’ll catch the carpet backing.

•With the strips in place, roll out the carpet padding. The padding should be placed next to, but not over, the tackless strips and cover the entire floor. If you must roll out several pieces (you probably will), make sure the seams meet tightly and secure them in place with duct tape. Then, staple the padding into the subfloor every foot or so. (If you have a concrete instead of a wooden subfloor, roll out double-sided tape in X-patterns across the floor before rolling out the padding.)

•With the padding in place, bring on the carpet! Have a friend help you position the roll against one wall, letting the loose end extend up the wall about 6 inches. Get the roll as straight as possible and then unroll the carpet until you hit the opposite wall. Mark the back of the carpet where it first meets the wall, and make a second mark 6 inches higher. Fold the carpet back, stretch the chalk line across the carpet from the second mark, and snap the line to mark the cut point. Cut the carpet — you may want to put a plywood board under the cut point to protect the rest of the roll. Tug the carpet into place and press into the corners — you can make small cuts in the excess edges to relieve buckling.

•Position and roll out or unfold the next section of carpet, remembering that the nap (the direction of the weave) should all face the same way. Let the seam overlap the edge of the other section by 3 inches. Once all sections are in position, trim the edges so they match exactly, place seam tape centered under the edges, and use the seam iron to melt the adhesive and press the carpet into place. Hold the seams in place with a piece of plywood weighted with bricks.

•Once the adhesive has set, stretch the carpet into place, following the direction of the original layout with the power stretcher. Use the knee kicker to make final adjustments and secure the carpet onto the tackless strips, then cut away the excess carpet and tuck the edges under the baseboard using the putty knife.