Carpet Stretching Tools
The two main tools are the aptly named power stretcher and the knee kicker. Both have flat, aluminum heads that are fitted with rows of adjustable steel teeth, angled forward so they can better bite into the carpet.
Knee Kicker
A knee kicker is about 20 inches long, with a square toothy head on one end and an equally-sized knee pad at the opposite end.
Power Stretcher
A power stretcher has a larger rectangular head, usually about 15 inches wide, that’s connected by a spring-loaded lever to a series of telescoping tubes that terminate in a padded block.
Depending on the model, the tubes can be extended up to nearly 40 feet in length so that the stretcher can bear against the opposite wall. A good-quality kicker costs less than $100, but power stretchers start at around $500. So unless you’re going into the carpet business, it makes sense to rent, rather than buy. Here’s how to use them:
Steps for Stretching Carpet
When you’re installing new carpet, the first thing you’ll need to do is nail tack strips around the perimeter of the room.
How to Repair Loose Carpet
Tack strips resemble old-fashioned wooden yardsticks pre-nailed with small, very sharp pins. These strips bite into the carpet and keep it in place.
Leave a space of a couple of inches between the strip and the wall. Install the carpet pad, which should cover the floor within the boundary established by the tack strips. Use a hammer tacker to staple down the pad, then you can roll out the carpet.
The first carpet stretching tool you’ll use is the knee kicker.
Put New Life into Older Carpets
These same stretching tools can be used to work their magic on older wall-to-wall carpeting that has developed loose spots and ripples.
Start by peeling the carpet from the perimeter tack strips. If the tack strips are rotting due to water damage or have lost their grip because they’ve been pounded down from foot traffic, it may be necessary to replace them with new strips. Roll the carpet back into place, and, using a knee kicker, lock down the carpet along the first wall, then continue the process with the power stretcher.
