Rugs by Roo. Custom Carpet.
The Wool Carpet Installer Checklist
How to find an installer who'll treat your natural wool carpet — and your healthy home — the right way.
Installing natural wool carpet is not the same as installing synthetic. The method, the pad, the adhesives, even the air circulation all matter more — and the wrong choices can shorten the life of your carpet or bring materials into your home you were trying to avoid.
Use this to find an installer who knows the difference, and to make sure your healthy-home choices are respected from day one. Print it and keep it handy as you talk to installers.
1. The most important question: how will they install it?
There are two main ways to install carpet, and with wool it's worth being deliberate about which one:
Stretch-in (tack strip) — usually the better choice
- The carpet is stretched over a separate pad and held on thin tack strips around the edges. No adhesive under the carpet. That means no glue off-gassing, a separate natural pad underneath, and a carpet that's far easier to lift and replace later.
- - or -
Glue-down — only with the right adhesive
- The carpet is glued directly to the floor across the whole surface. If your installer prefers this method, the adhesive becomes the thing to get right (see below).
- Ask directly: "Do you have experience installing wool carpet with the stretch-in / tack-strip method?"
- If they prefer glue-down, ask: "Will you use a low-VOC, CRI Green Label Plus–certified, high-solids adhesive — or one I specify?"
- Confirm they're willing to use the pad and adhesive you choose, not just their default.
2. Tell them it's a healthy home — and why it matters
Most installers default to whatever is fastest and cheapest, which often means a petroleum-based pad and a standard high-VOC glue. You've chosen natural wool on purpose, for a healthier, lower-tox home — so say so clearly and early. A good installer will respect that. If someone brushes it off or talks you out of it, that tells you what you need to know.
Language you can borrow: "I've chosen natural wool specifically for a healthier, low-tox home. I'd like the installation to match — a natural pad, and either tack-strip installation or a low-VOC adhesive I'm comfortable with. Are you happy to work that way?"
- You've told the installer this is a low-tox, healthy home and the materials were chosen deliberately.
- They've agreed to honor your pad and adhesive preferences — in writing.
3. Wool installs differently than synthetic
These are the marks of an installer who actually knows wool. You don't need to quiz them line by line — but if they mention several of these naturally, you're in good hands.
- Uses a power stretcher (mandatory for wool) — not just a knee kicker. Wool needs precise stretch or it ripples and buckles over time.
- Acclimates the carpet in the room for 24–48 hours before installing.
- Uses the right pad — never a petroleum-based pad. For wool, that means a wool pad, a felt pad, or a Greenguard-certified frothed polyurethane pad. The wrong pad causes wrinkles, delamination, and seam separation down the road.
- Seals every seam with latex seam sealer so seams don't come apart or peak.
- Ventilates well — ideally 48 hours before, during, and 72 hours after install — so any adhesive or pad off-gassing clears the space.
- Bonus: holds a Natural Fiber Installers Certification (NFIC), or can show you real wool / natural-fiber jobs they've done.
4. Finding candidates & getting quotes
- Search local flooring/carpet installers — not big-box only.
- Prioritize anyone with natural-fiber or wool experience.
- Ask friends, your builder, or designers you trust for referrals.
- Read reviews — look for comments on measuring accuracy and clean seams.
- Get 2–3 quotes so you can compare scope and price.
5. Before you order (the step that saves money)
- Installer has measured in-home and confirmed the exact quantity.
- You have that quantity in writing, signed off by the installer.
- You've accounted for the 12-ft roll width — if a room is wider than 12 ft, the length doubles to cover it.
- You've ordered enough the first time.
Why ordering enough the first time matters: our carpet is 100% undyed wool. If you come up short and reorder, the new batch may come from a different production run, and the color can vary slightly. On a staircase especially, a mismatched seam shows. Getting the quantity right up front matters far more with natural fiber than with synthetic.
6. On installation day
- Confirm subfloor prep and that the pad/underlay matches what you agreed.
- Unwrap your carpet and let it breathe for 48 hours before installation. This allows the fibres to bounce back and take shape again.
- Talk through where seams will fall (away from high-traffic sightlines where possible).
- Keep the space ventilated, and hold off on heavy foot traffic for about 24 hours.
- Walk the finished job with your installer before final payment.