Gave that stretch-in method for stairs a try after years of knee kickers and I'm sold now

For maybe 8 years I refused to do stairs any way other than with a knee kicker. Thought power stretchers on steps were just asking for wrinkles or a bad fit. Last week I had a tricky curved staircase in an old house in Portland and my usual method was taking forever. Borrowed a Crain 618 from a buddy and gave it a shot. Got each tread tight and clean in half the time with way less strain on my back. I still dont think it works for every stair layout but for standard runs it honestly beat my old way. Anyone else switch methods and find out they were wasting time for years?

4 comments

4 Comments

kimfisher1mo ago

Yeah I gotta say maybe pump the brakes a little. I mean a Crain 618 is a great tool no argument there but Ive seen plenty of guys switch to a power stretcher on stairs and end up with more callbacks than they saved time. Its all about the specific tread width and the pitch of those steps man. A standard run with a 10 inch tread and a consistent rise sure it might fly but try that on some old clackamas house with 8 inch treads and a 7 1/2 inch rise and youre gonna fight it the whole way. My experience says it depends way more on the job than the tool.

barbara_grant41mo ago

Spare me the hypothetical clackamas house math. Ive seen guys overthink stair stretching so bad they end up with more wrinkles than a shar pei. If youre fighting a power stretcher on 8 inch treads maybe the problem isnt the tool its that youre trying to stretch a carpet like its a tarp on a truck. Meanwhile the knee kicker crowd is still on step three with a chiropractor bill higher than the carpet cost.

laura_chen411mo ago

@hugos46 with all due respect the knee kicker just gives way more control on tricky stairs than any power setup ever will.

hugos461mo ago

man I feel you on that. I was in the same boat for years, swore by the knee kicker even on stairs, thought power stretchers were just gonna mess everything up. finally gave in on a tough job last month and I was kicking myself for not trying it sooner. my back thanked me and the fit was actually better on most of the treads.