Carpet, as anyone who has it in their home, will tell you, is a timeless flooring option that adds comfort and style to any room. However, as with most things, time can take its toll on the carpet in a variety of ways. Fortunately, there is a way to restore your carpet to its original condition that goes beyond cleaning and does not require you to replace it entirely. In this blog post, we will discuss carpet stretching, its cost, stretching services, carpet stretching and cleaning, as well as the tools used in carpet stretching.
Carpet Stretching
This is a phrase that many people haven’t heard before, but it’s actually quite simple. Carpet stretching is the process of pulling the carpeting tighter and re-securing it to the tack or anchor strips located in the sub-flooring around the perimeter of the room. Isn’t it simple?
What Is the Purpose of Carpet Stretching?
Over time, your carpet experiences a great deal of wear and tear in a variety of ways, some of which go a little deeper than the surface.
Heavy foot traffic: Even though carpets were designed to be walked on, even the best and toughest carpets will eventually wear down.
Moving furniture: Though you may not notice it at first, dragging heavy furniture across the carpet multiple times can cause rippling and loosening at the edges.
Wrong padding: When it comes to selecting the right carpet for your home, there is always more to it than meets the eye. While it is important to choose a carpet that is visually appealing, it is equally important to take the time to select padding that complements it. An incorrect carpet and padding combination can cause the same rippling and loosening that we discussed previously.
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Poor installation: If your carpet was not properly installed, it may have been stretched and/or secured improperly in the first place.
This wear and tear can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Have you ever noticed your carpet bunching up or bubbling up in specific areas of the room? Is your carpet beginning to lift in doorways, and where does it meet wood or tile floors? Then it’s time for professional carpet stretching! Time is of the essence when it comes to carpet cleaning. It is critical to act quickly in order to prevent further damage. The longer you wait, the worse it could get. The worse it gets, the more difficult (and expensive) it is to fix!
Carpet Stretching Cost
The cost of carpet stretching will be determined by the age of your carpets and whether more than one room’s carpet requires stretching. In most cases, however, you can expect to pay between $40 and $80 for a single room, and between $120 and $350 if all of your home’s carpet requires stretching services. While it is possible to shop around for carpet installers, it is not always a good idea to go with the cheapest price. Instead, choose a company or individual with extensive experience and who is willing to provide a guarantee on their workmanship, as this will usually result in a far more satisfactory end result, irrespective of their cost for stretching carpet.
Carpet Stretching How To
At this point, you might be wondering how tight the carpet should be stretched – or how to get wrinkles out of the carpet. If so, this step-by-step procedure can assist you in achieving your carpet stretching objectives, ensuring that your carpet looks great for years to come.
Step One: Clear And Clean
The first step is to remove all of the furniture from the room. You can work around any built-in pieces, such as a cabinet. Vacuum thoroughly to remove any dirt or dust from your workspace to make it cleaner and healthier.
Step 2: Unscrew the corner and start tugging.
Put on a pair of work gloves to protect your hands. Step to a corner of your carpet and begin to untack it from the tack strip. This step will necessitate the use of pliers. Although you will need to use some force, be careful not to fray any fibers.
When you’ve lifted the carpet enough to grab it, start yanking it away from the wall, working your way down. The goal is to lift the carpet from three sides of the room while leaving the fourth side in place.
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Begin removing any staples or tacks that secure the carpet to the padding with your pliers once more. This step will necessitate the use of a flathead screwdriver. If they are particularly stubborn, a pry bar may be required. Leave the tack strips alone as long as they are in good condition.
Step 3: Make Use of a Power Stretcher
One of the most frequently asked questions is how to stretch a carpet with a power stretcher. This is a simple step that improves the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the process. Begin by positioning the power stretcher on the side of the room where the carpet is still attached. Position it against the baseboard or in front of a piece of 24 that is then placed against the wall. Lay the power stretcher with the tooth side down, extending the length of the shaft so that it’s about 6 inches from the wall. When you press the lever, the teeth will become embedded in the carpet.
Step Four: Remove Any Excess
Cut off any excess carpet material before reattaching the carpet. Simply use a sharp utility knife to cut a piece large enough to tuck under the baseboard. You can also use a carpet cutter during this step, but you’ll need to cut a slit to fit the cutter inside.
Step 5: If necessary, use a knee knife.
A knee knicker is your best bet if you’re working in small or awkward spaces (such as around built-in features). Although the tool operates differently than a power stretcher, the concepts of positioning and stretching are similar.
Step Six: Reinforce the carpet once more.
This is a very simple process for reattaching carpet. To reattach the carpet, press it onto the tack strips before stapling it to the padding against the wall.
Carpet Stretching Services
Whether you need carpet stretching services or a new carpet installation, it’s critical to find the best carpet installation company in your area. This will ensure that you receive excellent customer service and may even include a free carpet installation estimate. Remember that carpet typically lasts 10 years or more, so don’t make a hasty decision. Discover several important factors to consider when selecting the best carpet installation company for your home.
- Best Overall: Luna
- Runner-up: Empire Today
- Best bang for the buck: National Floors Direct
- Also consider: The Home Depot
What to look for when selecting the best carpet stretching companies for services
Customers will need to learn more about the services area limitations, scheduling estimates, in-home shopping services, pricing, financing, warranties, installation, and more in order to find the best carpet stretching company. These are the most important factors to consider when evaluating carpet companies.
- Area of Service
- Scheduling Estimates
- In-Home Shopping
- Pricing and Financial
Cost of Carpet Cleaning Services
If your material is stained, cleaning will solve the problem. You can expect to spend between $75 and $300. This varies depending on the size of the area to be cleaned and the severity of the dirt or cleanup. If you have more severe stains, you may have to pay a fee to have additional stain treatments applied. The majority of cleaners bill by the room or job, but some charge by the square foot.
Carpet stretching and cleaning
When you consider one thing: water, the relationship between carpet cleaning and stretching services is straightforward. When hot water extraction (also known as steam cleaning) is used to clean the carpet, hot water is sprayed into the carpet and then extracted. Even after the water has been extracted, some moisture remains.
Ideally, avoid stretching the carpet while it is wet.
You risk overstretching the carpet if you stretch it while it’s wet and hot from cleaning (and thus expanded). Especially when a power stretcher is used, as all quality carpet stretchers should be.
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That is, as the carpet dries, it contracts and pulls against the tack strips that hold it to the wall. Overstretched carpet can pull away from tack strips or, worse, split a carpet seam in the middle of the room. Do not stretch the carpet while it is wet to avoid damage. We recommend that you wait a few days after a carpet cleaning before stretching it.
Stretch carpet before cleaning.
Now that we know not to stretch a wet carpet, let’s talk about the best carpet cleaning and stretching method. The best time to clean a carpet is after it has been stretched. This is due to a number of factors.
Preventing overstretching
Cleaning the carpet after stretching reduces the risk of tearing seams or overstretching the carpet.
Assist in the removal of carpet lines and wrinkles
Carpet that has been stretched wrinkles and buckles in the same places over time. If these wrinkles are not repaired, they become more visible and permanent. The carpet’s latex backing settles into the same shape.
Cost of Carpet Cleaning and Stretching
Carpet cleaning and stretching together cost about $175 to $600, but the price goes up if the area is heavily stained or needs deodorizing. If your material is in good condition but dirty and beginning to buckle, having it cleaned and stretched significantly extends its lifespan and makes it appear much younger. Cleaning may be necessary in the case of other solutions, but this combination is frequently used to breathe new life into an old surface at a fraction of the cost of replacement.
Carpet Stretching Tools
The power stretcher and the knee kicker are the two main tools. Both have flat, aluminum heads with rows of adjustable steel teeth that are angled forward to better bite into the carpet.
Knee Kicker
A knee kicker is approximately 20 inches long, with a square toothy head on one end and an equally-sized knee pad on the other.
Power Stretcher
A power stretcher has a larger rectangular head, usually about 15 inches wide, that is connected to a series of telescoping tubes that end in a padded block by a spring-loaded lever.
Depending on the model, the tubes can be extended to nearly 40 feet in length, allowing the stretcher to bear against the opposing wall. A good kicker costs less than $100, but power stretchers begin around $500. So, unless you’re going into the carpet business, renting is a better option than buying.
Benefits of Stretching Carpet
Consider the following advantages when deciding whether to replace or stretch your carpet:
Cost-effective
Installing new carpet can cost thousands of dollars, even for a single room. While the cost of carpet stretching varies depending on several factors, including the severity and extent of wear, it is still a fraction of the cost of installing all new carpeting.
Convenient
Having new carpeting installed is a hassle because the old carpet must be removed, all new padding, tack strips, and carpet must be laid and stretched, and the area must be cleaned. This can be a time-consuming process in your home, depending on the size of the space. With carpet stretching, we can often complete the project in a matter of hours, at most.
Eco-friendly
Instead of hundreds of square feet of carpeting and padding being hauled away to a landfill, carpet stretching saves much of the carpet by removing only a few strips of excess. This method produces far less waste and trash.
No need to pick out a new carpet
Finding a replacement can be difficult if you have a unique color or texture, or if you want it to match the rest of your home. Instead of trying to find an exact match that matches your home or selecting a suitable replacement that you like, you can keep the carpet you like. It will look so much better now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth it to have carpet stretched?
Yes, carpet stretching is worthwhile (even necessary) because it increases the carpet’s lifespan, reduces the chances of slipping and falling, improves air quality, and keeps the carpet looking new. You can either hire a professional to use a power stretcher or do it yourself with a knee licker.
What happens if you don't stretch carpet?
The aesthetics of your room can be ruined if you leave a carpet outstretched. This is due to the fact that the carpet will not be flush with the edges and may buckle in some places. It will also allow dust and drafts to enter your home through your flooring. By stretching your carpet, you can ensure a clean, long-lasting fit.
How many times can carpet be stretched?
If a carpet is of good quality, properly installed, and well-maintained, it should remain in place and not require stretching. If you do see rolls and decide to stretch rather than replace your carpet, it should never be stretched more than once. Furthermore, if you notice any more rolls, it’s time to replace the carpeting.
How long does stretching carpet last?
Because a good carpet installation job will last three to five years, having experts perform the re-stretching too early or frequently would be a waste of time and resources. In some cases, you may not even need to replace your carpet.
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