Loading…
17
Old timer told me to stretch carpet twice as tight as I thought I needed
So I'm still pretty new, about 2 years in. Met this veteran installer named Frank at a supply house who kept saying I was being too gentle. He claimed I needed to pull the carpet so taut it felt wrong. Finally tried it on a tricky room with a lot of doorways last month. Honestly the finished job looked way cleaner with zero ripples. But now I'm paranoid I'm gonna tear the backing. Has anyone else run into issues going that tight?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
terryallen2mo ago
Frank's advice makes sense for commercial carpet with heavy backing but residential stuff can act different. The problem I've seen is stretching that tight near a seam where the installer skimped on glue, the seam can split open a month later. Check the backing material next time you buy, some of the cheap soft backings just aren't built for that much tension.
5
burns.fiona2mo ago
Tried the same trick after a buddy warned me about doorways and transitions. Went tighter than I ever had on a master bedroom and the corners laid flat for the first time. Just watch your knee kicker anchor points and you'll be fine.
3