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Chatted with a veteran installer at the supply house last Thursday
I was grabbing some tack strip and this guy who's been laying carpet since the 80s starts talking to me. He said he stopped using power stretchers for residential jobs over 15 years ago. He told me a good knee kicker with proper technique gives you way more control on standard rooms under 12x12. I always thought power was better but he showed me a few tricks with his setup. Now I'm thinking about trying his method on my next 10x10 bedroom job. Any other old school tips people have ditched over the years?
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rowanhernandez3mo ago
Wait is this guy still alive or did he ascend to carpet guru heaven? lol I feel like every time I try the old school knee kicker method I end up with wrinkles that look like a map of the Himalayas. But honestly I am 100% trying that power stretcher free life now because I swear the thing weighs more than my car and half the time I just trip over it. My last 10x10 job I spent more time fighting the power stretcher than actually laying the carpet. Old school tip I still use? Wear kneepads even if you think you look stupid because I learned the hard way that knees dont bounce back like they used to.
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evan_cooper733mo ago
Nah, the old school knee kicker has its place if you know how to finesse it. Power stretcher or not, if you're leaving wrinkles you're probably not stretching in the right direction, that tool ain't the problem.
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phoenix5733mo ago
Did my buddy screw up his knee so bad with one of those kickers that he limped for two weeks?
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