I know, "why do they respond if they have not tried it"? Well maybe to give encouragement. I think using the previous carpet as a template has its' pro's and con's. I don't know if the process is similar to house carpet laying. But in residential laying I know the carpet is stretched in all directions and secured to a tac strip. The old carpet may have also been stretched so the new carpet would need to be stretched also. As a guide I think the template is a good start keeping that in mind.