Hot take: I was wrong about using a knee kicker on every job

For years I swore by my old knee kicker for stretching carpet, especially in smaller rooms. Then I did a big open floor plan in a new build over in Springfield last month, about 800 square feet. My boss made me use the power stretcher he keeps in the van, and man, the difference was night and day. The tension was way more even and I had zero wrinkles to fight with after the fact. Anyone else find the power stretcher is worth the setup time on bigger spaces?

3 comments

3 Comments

haydenp952mo ago

I mean, it's just carpet. A knee kicker gets the job done for most normal sized rooms. The power stretcher is a pain to set up for what, a slightly smoother finish? Most homeowners won't even notice the difference.

iris3941mo ago

I mean, come on, a power stretcher for carpet in most homes? That's like busting out a torque wrench to tighten a loose screw on a picture frame. Yeah, maybe on a giant basement theater or some open concept space it matters, but in my experience, most people are just happy if the carpet isn't bunched up in corners. Half my friends wouldn't notice a wrinkle if it was a foot long.

perry.avery2mo ago

Funny how we get stuck using the same tool just because it's what we know. It's like my neighbor who still washes his car with an old t-shirt and a bucket when a microfiber mitt would do it better in half the time. The right tool for the job seems obvious until you're the one who has to change your habit. That power stretcher probably felt like a hassle at first, but you can't argue with results on a big floor like that.