What Is A Carpet Stretcher

Whether it s coming up by itself or you pull it up to get it out of the way while remodeling you ll want to reinstall carpeting quickly.

What is a carpet stretcher.

A few special tools are required. Then a smaller stretcher a knee kicker is called upon for the tight corners. There are usually tack strips along floor edges that are used to hold down carpet. A carpet stretcher also called a power stretcher is an essential tool for installing wall to wall carpet this is because carpeting is not just laid onto the floor.

Also use the knee kicker to stretch confined areas where the power carpet stretcher won t fit photo 9d. Carpet stretching is the process of pulling your carpet tight and securing it along the perimeter of the room. After stretching the length use the knee kicker to set one side the door side. Lengthen the adjustment rod of the power stretcher until its head is about 6 inches 15 2 cm from the carpet s un anchored edge.

Read more about which carpet power stretcher for home use that is the best for your specific needs. First a power stretcher is needed for a bulk of the work. Find the best carpet kicker based on our professional carpet stretching reviews. A carpet stretcher has teeth with different depths that grip onto the carpet that you are working with.

Press down on the lever of the power stretcher to smooth out the carpet wrinkles. Set the teeth of the knee kicker into the carpet about 6 in. Away from the wall and kick against it with the area above your kneecap photo 9. This should be done upon initial installation and to repair a carpet that begins to form bubbles or ripples.

Your carpet stretching cost will depend on the age of your carpets and whether more than one room s carpeting will require stretching. Place the base of the stretcher against the wall the carpet is anchored to. This is why carpet stretchers are sometimes called carpet kickers or knee kickers. If carpet buckling occurs in a hallway follow the same process but use a knee kick carpet stretcher instead of a power stretcher which is too large for most hallways.

In most cases though you can expect to pay anywhere between 40 and 80 for a single room and between 120 and 350 if all of your home s carpets require stretching services. Use the power stretcher to pull the carpet into place. It s actually stretched and hooked onto tack strips along the edges so the carpet backing is taut.