Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - power stretcher
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : power stretcher
KEN456h
07-24-02, 12:42 PM
can a bedroom carpet be installed without a power stretcher? i would like to do it myself and no rental place seems to rent out one. they only have a kicker, cutter and seamer.
Carpets Done Wright
07-24-02, 07:53 PM
You won't get a lasting installation. You must stretch 1½% to stretch the carpet to manufacturers specifications. You will void any warranty on the carpet by not installing it to specifications. Inspectors can tell if a carpet has been pole stretched or not!
terrywouldbe
07-25-02, 01:36 AM
What C D W said !!!
Don't be a carpet layer; do it right and install it !
-Terry
Don't be a carpet layer; do it right and install it !
-Terry
Rodney706
11-26-07, 08:06 AM
I am having the same problem hiring a carpet power stretcher. All the tool hire companies in Cambridgeshire UK have knee Kickers but don't have power stretchers.
I suspect that most of the carpet fitters in the UK don't use power stretchers. Some manufactures installation guides on the web state that only power stretchers can be used. These guides also recommend that the carpet is stretched 1.0% to 1.5% to stop crinkles.
With my first carpet I managed to stretch it with a knee kicker and a lever I built out of 1 3/4 inch (44mm) square wooden polls. I don’t think homemade levers like this in the UK will pass health and safety regulations. The reason why I used a lever was to increase the force on the carpet from the knee kicker.
Also to use homemade levers requires a step of faith as you have to cut the carpet 1% smaller than the room size; this is a point of no return. Would you have confidence in your design? The lever I design changed my knee kicker into a homemade power stretcher. Power stretchers work by using the opposite skirting board to push the carpet towards the near skirting board. After doing this job once with my DIY power stretcher, I would not stretch the carpet more than 0.75%, it is very difficult to get the carpet to stretch to 1%. I would not recommend stretching your carpet with homemade adapted knee kickers unless you have a degree of intuitive engineering skills, see if you can find a professional fitter that has a power stretcher.
One more consideration: If you have a door way right of centre, you need to be aware that the whole carpet, including the left edge, in the doorway will move to the right when the carpet is stretched
I am interest if there is anyone who has managed to hire a carpet power stretcher in the UK, where from?
I suspect that most of the carpet fitters in the UK don't use power stretchers. Some manufactures installation guides on the web state that only power stretchers can be used. These guides also recommend that the carpet is stretched 1.0% to 1.5% to stop crinkles.
With my first carpet I managed to stretch it with a knee kicker and a lever I built out of 1 3/4 inch (44mm) square wooden polls. I don’t think homemade levers like this in the UK will pass health and safety regulations. The reason why I used a lever was to increase the force on the carpet from the knee kicker.
Also to use homemade levers requires a step of faith as you have to cut the carpet 1% smaller than the room size; this is a point of no return. Would you have confidence in your design? The lever I design changed my knee kicker into a homemade power stretcher. Power stretchers work by using the opposite skirting board to push the carpet towards the near skirting board. After doing this job once with my DIY power stretcher, I would not stretch the carpet more than 0.75%, it is very difficult to get the carpet to stretch to 1%. I would not recommend stretching your carpet with homemade adapted knee kickers unless you have a degree of intuitive engineering skills, see if you can find a professional fitter that has a power stretcher.
One more consideration: If you have a door way right of centre, you need to be aware that the whole carpet, including the left edge, in the doorway will move to the right when the carpet is stretched
I am interest if there is anyone who has managed to hire a carpet power stretcher in the UK, where from?