Carpet Stretcher

Carpets are one of the most important part of our home decor, aren't they? We choose them with utmost care, and most of the time, they are our prized possessions. Over a period of time, wrinkles are bound to develop on your carpet depending on its age and the usage. Replacing the whole carpet is not advisable when you can stretch it without any difficulty with the help of a stretcher. A carpet stretcher is a tool that helps you stretch your carpet at home, by yourself, or you also have professionals providing this service. If you don't want to buy the stretcher, you can rent it at a store.

Does your carpet really need to be stretched? To check this, hold your carpet in the center and lift it to your knee's height. Leave it and let it fall from that height. If your carpet falls back in place immediately, there is no need to stretch it. If it doesn't, you need to use the stretcher, with the methods mentioned below and stretch it as soon as possible.

How To Use a Carpet Stretcher
While using a stretcher, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. For example, the way you use one, the way you are not supposed to use one, and the best method to use one. The best way is by deciding one direction and stretching the carpet in that direction only. This also makes the carpeting look more uniform. For spaces around the cabinets, or spaces where the power carpet stretcher is too big to use, use the knee kicker. A knee kicker will help you stretch the carpet in all the places your stretcher can't reach. The best example of this are the stairs. If the stairs are carpeted, it is best to use a knee kicker on them. After you have stretched the carpet, cut the extra edges with a slotted blade knife.

How Does a Carpet Stretcher Work
A carpet stretcher is a tool that has a lever and teeth attached to its bottom. When you place this on the carpet, the teeth hold on to the carpet. These teeth are the main part of this stretcher. The carpet stretching kit might also include a knee kicker and some other tools such as an industrial carpet staple gun and a slotted blade knife. Each kit will come along with separate instructions, so you won't have a problem with carpet stretching in any area of the house. You might want to consider carpet cleaning before actually working on it.

These are some of the power stretchers that are available in the market as of today.

• Q.E.P./Roberts 10-254 Power Stretcher Kit - $550
• Crain Carpet JR. Power Stretcher #500 - $480
• QEP 10-222 Super Senior Power Carpet Stretcher - $1000
• QEP 10-237V Junior Power Stretcher Value Kit - $430
• Bon Tool Co. Jr Power Carpet stretcher kit 24-202-B5 - $670

(prices are approximate; will vary depending on location and offers available)

Now that you know everything about this stretcher, make sure you get one soon or at least rent one out. Remember that you don't have to stretch your carpet too much. Too much stretching might tear the carpet. Another thing you need to remember is that stretching a carpet on time is very important. Delaying this job might lead to permanent damage to your carpet. You have three options now, buy a new stretcher (their life is quite long), rent one out from the local store or hire services of a professional. Professional service might cost you somewhere around approximately 0.40 cents/foot while the maximum cost incurred won't be more than around $150. Choose wisely!