I finally switched from a knee kicker to a power stretcher on every job

For about 8 years I used a knee kicker for almost everything, even big rooms. Then last summer I did a 14x20 living room in Charlotte where the carpet was wrinkly a week later. The homeowner called me back and I had to redo the whole thing for free. Now I use a power stretcher on any room over 10 feet wide and I haven't had a single callback since. Anyone else make that switch later than they should have?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_eva24d ago

even big rooms" for 8 years? Man, I still use a knee kicker on rooms way bigger than that and never had a callback. Maybe your technique was just off.

sarah77424d ago

Right. Technique is everything with a kicker. You can't just slam it and hope. Gotta find that sweet spot, angle it just right, and get a good stretch on the carpet. I've seen guys wreck a whole room by not staggering their seams or leaving a ripple near a doorway. If you're getting callbacks after 8 years, you're probably rushing the final stretch or not using a trimmer clean enough.