Tried a power stretcher vs knee kicker on a big living room job

I always used a knee kicker for residential work because that's what my old boss taught me. Last week I had a 20x15 living room with a tricky seam down the middle and finally borrowed a power stretcher from a buddy. The difference was night and day - no ripples at all and the seam practically vanished. Has anyone else switched tools for a specific room size and regretted not doing it sooner?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_thompson671mo ago

Did you try adjusting the knee kicker first before swapping tools? Ive been kicking carpets for fifteen years and a good knee kicker with proper block and stretching technique handles a 20 footer just fine. The secret is working in sections and never trying to stretch more than a couple feet at a time. Power stretchers have their place for commercial work but for a standard living room they just add time and hassle without much payoff. A clean seam comes down to the cut and the glue more than the tool you use.

leo_carr131mo ago

Ha, I had a buddy who swore by knee kickers until he blew out his knee on a 15 footer, @paul_thompson67.