Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - Stretching carpet

We are trying to get financed for a house and some work needs done to get approved. One of the things is the existing carpet thats in the living room and runs into the hallway needs stretched. Can someone please give us some tips on the best and easiest way to do this.
We only have a certain budget to do all the repairs with so we cannot afford to go buy any expensive tools.

Thanks Sherry

You can rent a pole stretcher, knee kicker, seam cutting tools, seam iron, and buy a roll of seam tape.

When you said hallway, that usually means cutting the carpet open somewhere stertching and reseaming to get the proper stretch without pulling gaps and holes at doorways and walls.

You better know what your doing or total replacement will be your next option.

Consumers think it is easy, well it isn't. It is an art. It depends how good of an artist you are, as to what the final picture looks like. Do you like Picaso?

"You better know what your doing or total replacement will be your next option. "


All I am doing is trying to get it to pass inspection. Once we move in it will be ripped up and the hardwood floors underneath redone. When the previous owner laid the carpet he didn't tack it down or anything so there are wrinkles. All we are required to do is get the wrinkles out and tack it down then clean it. This is all I needed advice on.

Thanks Sherry

It is loose laid? No wonder there are wrinkles everywhere.

How bad are the wood floors beneath? I wouldn't put a nail into a wood floor I'm going to redo.

Why not just pull the carpet up NOW, and expose that beautiful wood beneath?

If you just want to hack the old carpet in, I guess you could bang a kicker around until your knee hurts.:o

Unfortunatly the wood floors do need work and since the inspection HAS to be approved for the loan approval we want to just straighten out the carpets. We don't want to sink alot of money into the place to start with until the loan and everything goes through and we move in then we will put money into it.
We are on a $300 limit for repairs so can't do anything drastic till we move in. Also we plan to just tack the carpet down at the edges. As long as it is cleaned and has no wrinkles and isn't a safety hazard it will pass inspection.
Again thanks for the advice.

Sherry

Tack it and stretch away from the tacks. Stretch down the hallway and the wall directly opposite the hallway door, into the living room. Then work the bubbles, making sure not to pull it off a wall and leaving a gap.