Talking to a retired installer at the supply house made me change my tack strip method

I was picking up some 1.5 inch smooth edge in Tacoma last week and got talking to an old timer named Frank. He said he never uses a rubber mallet on tack strips near walls anymore, just a small hand sledge with a block of scrap carpet pad on top. He claimed it seats the tacks better without cracking the strip or damaging the wall. I tried it on a job yesterday, a 400 square foot living room, and it was way faster and cleaner. The strips held tight on the first hit every time. Anyone else use a trick like this for setting strips?

3 comments

3 Comments

eva_adams686d ago

My old foreman in Spokane swore by a scrap of plywood and a 3lb hammer. Saved my knuckles more than once.

terryk286d ago

That's a solid trick from your old foreman, @eva_adams68... a piece of scrap wood has saved me from a few busted fingers too.

reese1242d ago

Honestly, why trust a scrap of wood to save your hand? That plywood can split or slip at the wrong moment. I've seen a guy get a nasty splinter that got infected because his "safety block" broke. A proper clamp or a dedicated push stick is way more reliable and costs almost nothing. Seems like an old habit that's more about luck than real safety.