I've spent the last two days pulling up the carpet in my house to reveal already finished floorboards, Problem is that the built in wardrobes have been installed over the top of the carpet. In order to prevent the wardrobe dropping down and stuffing up the cornice at the top if I remove the carpet from underneath, i'm planning on leaving the carpet, cutting it very neatly around the edges and then taking down quarter pieces of dowl to hide the edge, which I will then paint the same colour as the wardrobe (white).

My questions are, is there a better way, and, what is the best tool to use to cut the carpet neatly? I've tried a standard box cutter and it was craptacular.

Carpet layers use a knife with a curved blade, like an eagle's talon, a bit longer than a box knife. Not sure how much they cost, but it might be worth getting one. I'd use a Stanley knife with the blade extended as far as possible, but I try to avoid buying a tool for a single short job.

Cheers,
Adam

Buy one of the green self-healing art mats that are sold for cutting on. You can get them for a few dollars at the Reject Shop/$2 Shop or equivalent. Slide under the carpet, and cut. (I love those mats - I must have at least a half-dozen scattered around the house!!)

Or - get some timber the same sort of thickness as the carpet, slide it in, and rip out the carpet entirely. PVA will hold the timber in place as a permanent spacer.

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Stanley knife, paint the quad first then just touch up the nail holes with filler and paint

Measure the dimensions of the room, where the carpet is to be laid. Unroll the section of carpeting on a flat surface that can hold up to scratching, such as the floor of the back patio, or the driveway. Place a series of marks in a straight line--the length of the carpet at the appropriate point of measure. Using the marks as a guide, position the tape measure so it creates a straight line down the length of the carpeting. Use the marker to draw a corresponding line. This will provide the guideline for the actual cutting. Use the carpet knife to score the drawn line.