Carpet glued or not????

[tailpilot]

Hello all,

As soon as my plane gets back I am going to start installing my Airtex interior. The question I have is: Do I glue the carpet down to the floor or let it just lay there, that is how my old carpet was but I dindnt like that because it moved around too much. If so How do you get to the inspection panels on the floor.

[N2865C]

I used strategically placed strips of industrial type Velcro available at most hardware stores.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Sean

On my airplane the carpet more or less just lays there. It is attached in front to the floor with one stainless sheet metal screw which keeps it from sliding back and in the rear floor with another screw which keeps it from sliding forward.

I would suggest that velcro could do the same job.

I would NOT glue it down as you will want to remove it for inspections and routine cleaning.

[170C]

Don't glue it to the floor OK to glue it to the tunnel, but you won't be happy at annual time if you glue the main carpet to the floor. As was mentioned above, getg some good quality Velcro and that will work just fine. My interior man did that on mine and it works really well.

Good luck.

[c170b53]

If its an airtex carpet the floor section will come with a foam backing which resists movement. Also the cutouts for the seat rails will position it and prevent movement. The heel pads will move around, a strip of velcro sounds like a good plan, I just let mine flop around. The tunnel, best to use a few screws, glue is just plain messy.

[kloz]

My carpet came with snaps.

[4stripes]

Carpet tape has adhesive on both sides and is quite wide. It sticks well. The only downside is that the foam backing on the carpet will separate from the carpet before the tape, should you wish to peel it back.
Some strategically placed screws worked for my main carpets. The tape worked well for the tunnel.
Cheers Eric

[bradbrady]

Sean,
As Carl mentioned above snaps work quite well. I've never known carpet to come with snaps, but you can pick up a snap kit at most bigger farm or empliment stores (ie, farm and fleet , Tractor Supply, or the likes) also Granger and McMaster Carr catilog Co's have them but they seam pretty pricy. Just lay out your carpet drill the holes where you want the snaps, screw down the male ends, then install the female ends in your carpet with the tool that comes with the kit. good luck.
brad

[tailpilot]

thanks for all of the ideas..........I almost made a big mistake I was going to glue the carpet down, then cut out the inspection holes and glue the carpet on the inspection covers.....way tool much work

[GAHorn]

If you have scuff-plates in front of the rudder pedals, they will sit on top of the carpet and prevent it's movement at the front. The seat tracts,etc. will keep a closely fitted carpet in place sideways...and the rear bench seat bolted down upon the rear will keep the carpet from moving forward. Those are the original methods.
Snaps is how Beechcraft keeps their carpets in place, but they have long, straight carpet runners that have no other methods pr equipment to assist.

[flyguy]

I have used a tried and true method for holding my carpet in place. Double back tape! There are thousands of airliners flying around the globe that depend on the 3M double back tape for securing carpet to the floor panels. It is especially good where foot traffic is minimal and for us 170 owners it firmly holds the narrow pieces along the seat rails in our Cessnas. Removal is simple. Carefully pull up both tape and carpet. Clean-up just takes a little solvent. NOTE: If you use Mek or lacquer thinner be sure you "mask" with a class 3 respirator and use extreme care in ventilation.

[Kyle]

I'm in the process of my annual and had to remove glued carpet from the tunnel. What a pain in the tail ! Also discovered inspection holes on the center hump that were not looked through since the carpet was installed in 2000 - not a comfortable feeling. They even glued next to the seat rails which when combined with dirt and the rub-off from the carpeting had worked its way onto and under the T- section of the seat rails.

I spent two days cleaning the junk off the rails, off the hump, out from around and under the rudder pedals etc .......

Screws, velcro, whatever ... just no glue as your inspection and accesability (and your back) will suffer.

[mit]

Unless you are planing on flying inverted everywhere you go! A couple of screws will be fine.

[mrpibb]

As working for the airlines, I have a unlimited supply of double stick tape.
I placed a few strips at strategic locations, at annual time if im gentle I can pull the tape off with the carpet. The tape is sticky enough that when i reinstall the carpet it stays put.