Padding and pedestal base question

[NailerB]

Om my front deck the pedestal base is flush with the deck. Adding 1/4" padding and new carpet. Should the pedestal based be shimmed up 1/4" to offset the padding height or should I put them on top of padding and pull down tight?

Any advice would be welcome.

Nailer

[Generator]

Don’t raise the seat base. Glue the padding down then take a razor knife and cut the seat post hole out. Then glue your carpet down over the pad. After the carpet is done use a soldiering iron to burn the carpet where the seat hole is. This will keep the carpet from fraying.

[Scott S.]

I use a 2.5 pound weight, barbell weight. I set it over the hole and cut around it, when I glue down the carpet i put that same weight on it with a couple of 10 pound plates, it holds the carpet down tight. This keeps the carpet tight to the boat, no fraying.