I've been reading on some DIY carpet sites, as I plan to lay some carpet in my house this weekend. Specifically, a 12 x 12 room and an adjacent staircase. I have questions; surely someone here has done this before:

1) They say to put the pad over the tack strip and staple along the perimeter? I don't get it - how will the tack grab the carpet if the spikes are covered in padding? Is it supposed to go through the padding and into the carpet backing?

2) Based on the size of my project, do I absolutely need the stretcher, or will a kicker do? I'm thinking of these tools from Harbor Freight: stretcher, kicker.

3) Can I just trim against the wall with a utility knife, or should I get one of these loop cutters? I don't want this to look like a hack job.

4) Any idea where I can get a seamer and some seamer tape? Would these be Home Depot items?

5) After stretching and attaching the carpet, should I "mash" down the spikes so my kids don't step on them?

Thanks in advance!

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