Question about power stretcher technique on tight stair landings

I keep fighting with my power stretcher on narrow stair landings where the angle is off. Last week I tried using a knee kicker approach instead and it actually held the stretch better on a tricky 3x4 landing. Has anyone found a reliable method for these tight spots that doesn't involve cutting extra seams?

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel_martin24d ago

On a 3x4 landing, I actually do the opposite and stick with the power stretcher 100 percent. I had a job last month with a 4x3 landing and I couldn't get a good hold with the knee kicker, the carpet kept shifting when I tried to tuck the edges. The trick for me is to brace the stretcher head against the wall opposite the stretch direction, not the baseboard. I use a small scrap of 2x4 wrapped in carpet to protect the drywall, and it gives me a solid anchor point even on those tight landings. Cutting extra seams is a last resort for me, I'd rather fight with the stretcher angle for a few extra minutes than add a seam that could fail later.

vera51424d ago

My buddy runs his own carpet crew and he told me about this nightmare job he had on a similar tight landing. He tried the knee kicker first and the carpet just puckered up every time he went to trim. Eventually he smashed his knuckle against the wall trying to get a proper stretch, blood everywhere. He finally gave up and cut a seam right across the middle. Said it looked fine but he still grumbles about it every time we grab a beer.

rubysingh24d ago

Nah I feel you on this one. What finally clicked for me on those 3x4 landings was using my knee kicker but not the way you'd think. Instead of pushing straight into the stretch, I angle it about 45 degrees and work from the middle of the landing out toward the corners. That way the carpet doesn't bunch up in one spot like vera514 was saying about his buddy. I had that same puckering issue until I stopped trying to stretch the whole thing at once. Doing it in small sections, like 6 inches at a time, lets the fibers settle without fighting you. It takes a little longer but beats the hell out of cutting a seam in a spot that small.