Old timer told me power stretchers are for lazy installers, changed my mind on the spot

I was working a job in a 1950s ranch house in Denver last month, and this guy who's been doing carpet since the 80s walked by and said 'you're wasting your time with that knee kicker on a room this wide.' He showed me how he adjusts his power stretcher for curved walls and now I use it for everything bigger than a half bath. Anyone else get advice that completely flipped how they work?

2 comments

2 Comments

leohart1mo ago

You ever try using a knee kicker on an old hardwood subfloor and end up looking like you're trying to start a lawnmower? I respect the feel argument but my back ain't what it used to be. I figure a power stretcher just saves me from crawling to the chiropractor every week. That said, I did pop a tack strip once trying to pull too tight on a concrete slab and it sounded like a gunshot in the basement.

holly_williams1mo agoMost Upvoted

I’ve been running a knee kicker on rooms up to 18 feet wide for years and never had a callback. My old mentor swore that overstretching with a power stretcher can warp the subfloor or pop tack strips on concrete slabs, which I saw happen once in a basement job. For long straight runs in a ranch house, sure maybe a power stretcher saves time, but I still think the feel of a knee kicker lets you catch soft spots and transitions better. Are you really trusting a machine over knowing exactly how your carpet sits on the pad?