Tried using a spur roller for the first time on a commercial job

Everyone swears by power stretchers for commercial carpet, but I grabbed a spur roller last week on a 2000 sq ft office install in Phoenix. Figured it would speed things up, but man, I got a ton of ripples near the seams that I had to go back and fix. I think power stretchers are still the way to go for bigger rooms, at least for me. Has anyone else had luck with spur rollers on heavy traffic carpet?

2 comments

2 Comments

norab2122m ago

Did you have any issues with the backing showing through after the spur roller, or was it just the ripples that were the problem? I'm wondering if maybe the glue hadn't tacked up enough yet when you rolled it, idk. I've only used those little hand rollers for tight spots near walls, and even then I feel like I get weird stretching if I'm not careful. Maybe it's just me, but heavy traffic carpet seems like it needs that extra tension from a power stretcher to really lock in flat, especially in Phoenix where the heat can make everything soft.

the_elliot2m ago

Man, you just hit on exactly what I’ve dealt with before. I had this job where I used a spur roller on some loop pile carpet, and the next day the backing was totally showing through in lines like a grid. It drove me nuts. I think the glue hadn’t set enough, like you said, but also the roller just mashed it down unevenly. And yeah, those little hand rollers are a pain, I’ve had them pull the carpet sideways near the walls if I’m not real careful. The power stretcher is the only thing that gets it flat without all that mess, at least in my experience. Did you ever have to redo a room because the backing showed through like that?