Carpet tiles for the building, done in phases. Phase 1 (foyer and lobby) is finished; the auditorium is next.
Where we are: Phase 1 (foyer and lobby) is done (10/24). Auditorium tiles ORDERED 10/27 ($3,646.87) plus 61 tiles for the toddler room (10/28, shipping to be refunded). Next: buy glue and set William's install dates.
After Phase 1: work out the auditorium price with William
Micheal / William · He's willing to do it; rough guess about $2,200 for labor. Confirm the price before he starts
To do
Get the missing box of tiles (1 of 12 never arrived)
Micheal · Carpet USA is asking their FedEx rep to find it; if not found they'll send a replacement box (10/27)
Waiting
Buy 4 pails of the carpet-tile glue (same as Phase 1)
Micheal · About $137 a pail
To do
Set the auditorium install dates with William
Micheal · About $2,200 labor (his rough guess); church moves the pews and pulls the old carpet
To do
Replacement tiles (20) for the odd-sized ones from Phase 1
Carpet USA · Shipped 10/27, FedEx 879305037665 (added to order #261683). Check they're the right size when they arrive
Waiting
Auditorium tiles delivered (1,556): check every box and that all tiles are the same size
Evan / Micheal · Ships to Evan at the church
To do
Ask William to add the toddler room to the auditorium install
Micheal · 176 sq ft
To do
Carpet USA: refund $91.51 shipping on #262419 and ship it with #262379
Carpet USA · Emailed 10/28
Waiting
Done (17)
✓
Measure, total + 20% overage
Micheal · 7,274 sq ft measured; 8,729 sq ft to buy
Done
✓
Find best price (compare 6+ suppliers)
Micheal / Claude · Carpet USA options with live freight quotes are below. Cheapest inspected: Refurbished Gray Plank, $7,395 delivered
Done
✓
Pick the tile for Phase 1
Church · 10/14: Refurbished Gray Family Designer Plank
Done
✓
Call Carpet USA: what does "refurbished" mean? (questions on the carpet page)
Micheal · 10/14: older stock, never used, just dusted off. All brand new.
Done
✓
Order Phase 1 tiles (309 tiles / 832 sq ft)
Micheal · 10/14: Order #261683, $930.81 delivered (Ground Home Delivery). Receipt sent to Rock Solid.
Done
✓
Ask Carpet USA to correct the shipping ZIP to 38834 (order shows 38835, the P.O. box ZIP)
Micheal · Fixed by Micheal (10/15). Order #261683
Done
✓
Carpet delivered (309 tiles)
Evan / Micheal · Delivered by 10/16. FedEx 878709289348
Done
✓
Buy the glue
Micheal · 10/19: bought, $137. Works for carpet tile and vinyl.
Done
✓
Pick an installer for Phase 1
Micheal · 10/19: William (handyman) for $400 flat. CM Carpet's quote was $1,251.80.
Done
✓
Buy the transition strip (carpet tile to vinyl)
Micheal · Bought at Lesley's Floor Designs, about $16. Didn't work well where new tile meets the old carpet (piles too different); fine once the auditorium is tiled
Done
✓
William installs Phase 1
Micheal · Finished Sat 10/24. 4 days, 17 h 29 min total ($400 ≈ $22.90/hr)
Done
✓
Pay William for Phase 1 ($400)
Church / RSM · Paid in full 10/24. Signed invoice #001 marked PAID: download at the top of this page
Done
✓
Phase 2 (auditorium): confirm the price and freight in the Carpet USA cart (1,556 tiles, ZIP 38834)
Micheal · Quoted $3,696.87 delivered (10/27)
Done
✓
Fill the low spot in the slab before William carpets over it (Quikrete Concrete Repair)
Micheal · Bought at Lowe's, about $9. Let it cure before gluing tile over it
Done
✓
Ask Carpet USA for a bulk discount on the auditorium order (about 4,200 sq ft / 1,556 tiles)
Micheal · 10/27: $3,696.87 for 4,200 sq ft delivered
Done
✓
Order the auditorium tiles: 1,556 Refurbished Gray Family Designer Plank (Carpet USA)
Micheal · Ordered 10/27: $3,646.87 delivered ($3,318.95 + $327.92 freight). Paid by Rock Solid Ministries' card
Done
✓
Order tiles for the toddler room
Micheal · 10/28: order #262419, 61 tiles, $221.62 ($91.51 shipping to be refunded; ships with #262379)
Done
Phase 1 finished: Oct 24, 2026
Foyer, finishedLobby, finishedFoyer toward the auditorium doorsLobby hallway to the side doorOffice/lobby along the wall
What we saved on carpet
First quotes / list price
What we're paying
Saved
Phase 1 install (foyer + lobby)
$1,251.80 (CM Carpet)
$400 (William)
$851.80
Auditorium install + glue
$5,966.10 (CM Carpet: labor + 8 pails of glue at $150)
$2,748 (William ≈ $2,200 + 4 pails at $137)
≈ $3,218
Auditorium tiles (4,200 sq ft)
$4,998 at list price ($1.19/sq ft)
$3,318.95 ($0.79/sq ft refurbished)
$1,679
Auditorium freight
≈ $500 (our estimate)
$327.92
≈ $172
Total saved
≈ $5,920
Compared with CM Carpet's quotes and the tile's list price. William's auditorium labor (≈ $2,200) is his rough guess, so the final number may move a little.
Phase 2: the auditorium (tiles ordered)
Just the auditorium (70 × 50 ft). The other rooms don't need new carpet, and the fellowship hall and its hallway already have good carpet. Same tile as Phase 1, so it matches the foyer: Carpet USA still has 10,168 sq ft of the refurbished gray plank in stock (checked Oct 27), more than enough for the 4,200 sq ft we need.
Room
Size (ft)
Sq ft
Auditorium
70×50
3,500
Total
3,500
The math
3,500 sq ft + 20% extra for cuts around pews and walls
4,200 sq ft
÷ 2.7 sq ft per tile
1,556 tiles
Tiles + freight: 1,556 Refurbished Gray Family Designer Plank, ORDERED 10/27 ($3,318.95 tiles + $327.92 freight, no tax)
$3,646.87
Glue: about 4 pails × $137 (what Phase 1's cost)
$548
Install: William's rough guess for the auditorium
$2,200
Phase 2 estimate (before tax)
$6,395
Price and shipping
Ordered 10/27 for $3,646.87 delivered ($3,318.95 tiles + $327.92 freight, no tax), paid by Rock Solid Ministries' card. That's $50 under the $3,696.87 quote.
Shipping beats picking it up: the order weighs about 3,100 lb and a U-Haul run to Rome, GA would be roughly $850–1,000.
Tiles go around the pews and up to the platform; the extra cuts are why we keep 20% extra.
Glue: about 1 pail per 1,100–1,200 sq ft, so 4 pails. Same releasable carpet-tile glue as Phase 1.
The tear-out makes a big debris pile: the dump at 2664 S Harper Rd takes it for $20 a load (see Debris removal).
Doing the auditorium also fixes the doorway where the new foyer tile meets the old auditorium carpet (the joiner strip there didn't work well).
Add-on: toddler room
Size
Sq ft
Toddler room
11 × 16 ft
176
+ cuts
about 200
Ordered 10/28 (#262419)
61 tiles
about 165
Plus auditorium overage (about 700 sq ft extra in that order)
covers the rest
The nursery already has carpet, so only the toddler room needs tiles. 61 tiles plus the auditorium order's extra is plenty.
Glue: the 4 pails for the auditorium should cover it. Install: ask William to add the toddler room to the auditorium job.
For Kristin: carpet orders and refunds
Date
What
Amount
Notes
10/14
Phase 1 tiles: 309 tiles, order #261683
$930.81
Delivered; 1 box missing (Carpet USA tracking it down or replacing it); 20 replacement tiles for odd sizes shipped free 10/27
10/27
Auditorium tiles: 1,556 tiles, order #262379
$3,646.87
$3,318.95 tiles + $327.92 freight, no tax
10/28
Toddler room: 61 tiles, order #262419
$221.62
$130.11 tiles + $91.51 shipping. Carpet USA will REFUND the $91.51 shipping and ship it with #262379, so expect a $91.51 refund
All billed to Rock Solid Ministries' card. Invoice downloads are at the top of this page.
Background and research
Phase 1 costs and how we chose the tile
Phase 1: front foyer + small hallway (budget under $1,500)
ORDERED (10/14): 309 Refurbished Gray Family Designer Plank tiles (832 sq ft) from Carpet USA, Order #261683, paid with the Rock Solid card. $659.10 tiles + $271.71 Ground Home Delivery = $930.81, no tax. That's about $1.12/sq ft delivered, vs. $1.47–1.85/sq ft at Lowe's / Home Depot before tax. DELIVERED (shipped 10/15, FedEx 878709289348) in boxes to Evan at the church. 'Refurbished' = older, never-used stock, just dusted off. Glue bought 10/19 ($137, rated for carpet tile and vinyl). Installer: William, $400 flat.
Evan's office & Lobby (front foyer) 26×23 + Lobby hallway 19×5 = 693 sq ft, or 832 sq ft with 20% extra (309 tiles at 2.7 sq ft each).
Confirmed by Micheal (10/14): these are the first two measurements he and Kari made. 26×23 + 19×5 = 693 sq ft.
Budget: $930.81 tiles + $137 glue + $16 transition strip + $9 slab patch + $400 William's install = $1,492.81, just under the $1,500 budget.
Install: William (handyman) agreed to lay Phase 1 for $400 flat (10/19). That's well under CM Carpet's $1,251.80 quote.
Random-mix tiles vary by lot, so later rooms may not match exactly. Keep the leftover tiles as spares.
Lesson learned: the joiner strip where the new tile meets the old carpet didn't work well; the two carpets' piles are too different in height and feel. It won't matter once the auditorium gets the same tile (Phase 2), but any spot where new tile meets old carpet needs a different kind of transition.
Lesson learned: about 15 tiles in the Phase 1 order were a different size. Carpet USA agreed and is sending replacements; for the auditorium order, ask them to make sure every tile is the same size.
Install quotes received
#1351 (10/16, labeled 'Invoice')
Phase 1: lobby + hallway (≈ 693 sq ft)
CM Carpet Cleaning & Installation (Charlie McDaniels)
$1,251.80
Labor $804.00 (≈ $1.16/sq ft)
2 pails pressure-release glue × $150 = $300
40 'tean strips' (transition?) × $2.50 = $100
1 tube adhesive $18.50
Tax on materials $29.30
Quote #1313 (10/16, valid until 11/15/2026)
Auditorium + pulpit (≈ 3,500 sq ft)
CM Carpet Cleaning & Installation (Charlie McDaniels)
$5,966.10
Labor $4,250.00 (≈ $1.21/sq ft)
8 pails glue × $150 = $1,200
Transition 12 × $2.50 = $30
Upholster steps and risers $400
Tax on materials $86.10
Church moves the pews and old carpet
pending
Phase 1
William (handyman)
—
Coming out to quote
Labor is fair: about $1.16–1.21 per sq ft is inside the usual $0.75–1.50 range.
Glue: he charges $150 per pail; Lesley's sells 4-gal buckets for $59. One releasable pail usually covers about 900–1,200 sq ft, so the lobby needs about 1 pail (not 2) and the auditorium about 4 (not 8). Supplying our own glue saves about $240 on Phase 1 and about $730+ on the auditorium.
Phase 1 budget: $930.81 tiles + $1,251.80 = about $2,183, over the $1,500 budget. With our own glue it's about $1,875.
Auditorium all-in: about 1,556 tiles (≈ $3,700 with shipping, from the earlier quote) + about $5,966 install = roughly $9,700, less with our own glue.
Ask Charlie: (1) #1351 says 'Invoice', due 10/16. Confirm it's a quote with nothing owed until the work is done. (2) Can we supply the glue, and why 2 and 8 pails? (3) What are the 40 'tean strips': 40 ft of transition strip?
Glue
Glue (bought)
Use a releasable, pressure-sensitive carpet-tile adhesive. It holds tiles in place but lets you lift and swap one later. One 4-gallon pail covers the 693 sq ft. Roll or trowel it on and let it dry clear (tacky) before laying tiles.
Bought: carpet tile + vinyl adhesive
Bought by Micheal 10/19 · Pricier than Lesley's $59 pail because it's rated for vinyl too. Done.
$137
4-gallon carpet glue at Lesley's Floor Designs
Lesley's Floor Designs, Corinth · (662) 287-9430 · BEST PRICE (Micheal, 10/14), local pickup. Before buying, confirm it's a releasable, pressure-sensitive carpet-tile adhesive (not permanent carpet glue).
Where the new carpet tiles meet the dark vinyl floor tiles, you need a vinyl carpet-to-tile joiner. It covers the cut edge of the carpet tile and ramps down to the thinner vinyl so nobody trips. The old brass carpet bar (with teeth) and the wood strip were made for stretched carpet and should come out. The new strip goes in the same place.
Where the carpet meets the vinyl tileThe edge run along the vinylOld brass carpet bar + wood strip (remove)
How it fits
What to buy
Roppe #177 Tile Carpet Joiner (vinyl)
Joins 1/8″ tile to 1/4″ carpet · 12 ft piece · glue-down · colors incl. Dark Gray, Black Brown
FIRST CHOICE. Ask Lesley's: flooring stores usually stock Roppe or Johnsonite and can get it fast. Online: HD Supply $21.79 (Dark Gray), ShagTools about $14.
Measure every place the carpet tiles will stop at the vinyl tile (and any doorway), add them up, and buy enough 12-ft pieces. From the photos it's probably 1–2 pieces (estimate). Pick dark gray or black to match the floor.
Transition strip: Roppe #177 or Johnsonite CTA-XX-C, 12-ft pieces
Lesley's, or online
≈ $14–25 each
Measure first; dark gray or black
Glue for the transition strip (cove base / transition adhesive)
Lesley's or Home Depot
≈ $10–15 (estimate)
Strips must be glued down
Cement-based floor patch for the old tack-strip nail holes and any low spots in the concrete
Home Depot / Lowe's
≈ $20 (estimate)
Only if William says the floor needs it
Pull old pad, tack strip (nailed into the concrete), staples and the brass carpet bar
Volunteers / William
$0
Scraper, pry bar and pliers; sweep the slab clean before he starts
Carpet installers
Phase 1 is small (about 693 sq ft: foyer + lobby hallway), so ask for a small-job price. Ask each one: Will you install tiles we supply (labor only)? Price per sq ft, or a flat price for the job, including pulling the old carpet? When can you do it? Small local shops first; also ask who they sub installs to, which is how to reach the one-man installers. Phone numbers came from listings and search results, so confirm when you call.
Questions to ask installers
Will you install carpet tiles we supply (labor only)? About 693 sq ft: the front foyer/lobby (26×23) and lobby hallway (19×5).
What's your price for the job: per sq ft or a flat price? Does it include pulling up and hauling off the old carpet and pad?
What floor prep is included: scraping old glue, patching, leveling? Is anything extra if you find problems under the old carpet?
Will you use the glue we buy (4-gal releasable carpet-tile adhesive from Lesley's), or do you want a different one?
When could you do it? The tiles are arriving by FedEx (Order #261683). How long will it take, and how long before people can walk on it?
Can you work around Sunday and Wednesday services?
Do you have liability insurance? Can you show a few carpet-tile jobs you've done (photos or a reference)?
How do you want to be paid? We'd rather not pay a big deposit since we're supplying the materials.
DONE: laid Phase 1 for $400 flat (paid in full 10/24), starting Wed 10/21 at 3:00 PM, done Thu or Fri night. Very knowledgeable. Willing to do the entire auditorium; price to be worked out after Phase 1 (Micheal's guess: about $2,200). Available after 2:30 pm. Also does drywall and general handyman work. Also willing to do other jobs, like tiling the bathrooms. Plan: the foyer carpet is the test run, then move him to other work. Reliable: said 4:00 and showed up at 3:50. Hours are being logged to compare against future jobs.
CALLED 10/14: recommended Charlie McDaniels of CM Cleaning & Installation (already coming out), and sells 4-gal carpet glue for $59. On Facebook. Flooring store with install, free estimates. Ask whether their own install crew could quote the job as a second option.
Same phone and Hwy 72 W location as 'Vicki's Flooring', so likely the same business under a newer name. Locally owned, 20+ years in flooring. CALLED 10/14: left a message. Try again.
NUMBER DISCONNECTED (Micheal, 10/14). Likely closed. Skip.
Post in the Corinth / Alcorn County Facebook groups to reach independent installers. Ready to paste: "Looking for an experienced installer for about 700 sq ft of carpet tiles (front foyer and hallway) at Battlefield Christian Church on Hwy 2 in Corinth. We supply the tiles and glue. Please message with your price, including pulling up the old carpet, plus your availability and photos of past jobs."
Get one per-sq-ft price in writing covering tear-out and haul-off of old carpet/pad, adhesive removal and floor prep, transitions/trim, and who buys the adhesive.
Plan around services: ask crew size and sq ft per day (one person ≈ 500–1,000), work room by room so the sanctuary is usable on Sunday, and ask about adhesive dry time.
Ask for liability insurance naming the church, 2–3 carpet-tile references with photos, and no big deposit (we supply the material).
Used before by Micheal. Not inspected, as-is, no returns. Mixed sizes make a clean install much harder. Product page says 'plus applicable freight', but the cart showed no freight. Call to confirm.
Combo A: planks in the auditorium, squares everywhere else
Refurbished Gray Plank for the auditorium (4,200 sf, 1,556 tiles, $3,318.95) + Gray Family Squares for all other rooms (4,529 sf, 1,678 tiles, $4,335.29). Freight $499.10, one shipment.
$8,153
Combo B: one pallet for the fellowship hall, planks everywhere else
One unsorted pallet (1,672 sf) for the fellowship hall + back right room ($586.87 after discount) + Refurbished Gray Plank for everything else (7,057 sf, 2,614 tiles, $5,575.66). Freight $414.28. The pallet's own freight may be billed separately.
$6,577
All refurbished plank
Same as option 1: one look throughout, inspected tiles.
$7,395
Other sellers (not chosen)
Uniform look
Milliken Grey pallet (FIBR)
18″ squares, repurposed commercial, 1,000 sf per pallet
Totals are material only, before freight and tax. Adhesive: use releasable pressure-sensitive glue so single tiles can be swapped (e.g. Henry 650R, ~$162 per 4-gal pail, covers ~1,200 sf → 8 pails ≈ $1,300). Install labor typically $0.50–$1.00/sf (≈ $4,400–$8,700); a volunteer install is realistic on a clean, flat floor. No retailer advertises a church discount — ask anyway, and ask HD/Lowe's Pro desks for a volume quote. Dalton GA liquidators are ~4–5 hrs away; picking up with a trailer saves freight. Local stores to call for quotes: Adair Carpet & Flooring, Tupelo (662) 842-4000 · House of Carpet, Tupelo (662) 844-2000 · Five Point Carpet Center, Corinth (662) 287-2044 · Lesley's Floor Designs, Corinth (662) 287-9430 · Corinth Carpet Center, 1805 Shiloh Rd. Prices researched Oct 12, 2026; Home Depot/Lowe's/Pentz numbers come from search snippets, so confirm them before ordering.
