That "you need a power stretcher" comment I overheard at Home Depot made me rethink my whole setup

So I'm at Home Depot grabbing some tack strip and I hear this older installer telling a new guy "if you ain't using a power stretcher you ain't installing carpet." Felt a little called out since I've been using a knee kicker for small bedrooms for years. Tried a power stretcher on a 12x15 room last week and man the difference was night and day. No ripples at all. Anyone else stick with the knee kicker for too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

benclark18d ago

Wait, you were using a KNEE KICKER for years on carpet? No way.

victor_jones9914d ago

Dude I remember my first big room with just a knee kicker. My back was sore for a week and the carpet still looked like a wrinkled mess. My wife walked in and asked if we installed a deflated bouncy castle. Had to borrow a power stretcher from a buddy and it was like magic. Now I won't touch anything bigger than a walk-in closet without one.

terryk1018d ago

@benclark nailed it. The knee kicker works in a closet or a hallway but that's it. Did a 14x20 living room with just a kicker once and had to restretch it three times over the next year. Power stretcher fixed it in one shot. Never going back.