Carpet Stretching & Repair

Tools

• The first thing you need to do is to learn which tools are needed for this job. These tools can be rented for a few hours, which will keep your costs down. The best thing to do is to rent these tools once you are ready for them, which will be about half way through the project.

  The first and most important tool you will need is a power stretcher. This tool is what will do the majority of the stretching when needed. You will also need to rent a knee kicker to stretch the carpet in corners where the stretcher won't reach. Finally, make sure you have a carpet cutter, pry bar, stapler with 5/16-inch staples and tin snips or a chisel.

Pull up the Carpet

• The first thing you will need to do is to pull up the carpet. Make sure you gently pull it back from the tack strip as it might rip. Once the carpet has been pulled away, pull out the staples in the pad and then pull up the pad (pulling the staples out first will keep the pad from getting ripped.)

Replacing the Tack Strips

• Once the carpet and pad are up, you will then have to replace the tack strips. Tack strips generally come in 4-foot lengths and can be cut down to size with the tin snips. Usually, they will come with either wood or concrete screws so get the correct tack strips for the type of floor you have. Use the pry bar and pull up the old tack strips and lay out the footprint of the room with the new tack strips. Make sure as you install the new tack strips that the teeth are facing the wall. This will help keep the carpet in place.

Replaceing the Carpet

• Once the tack strips are in place, trim the carpet pad so it just fits inside the tack strips. Staple the pad down approximately every 3 inches along the seams and the tack strip. Once the pad is down, use the carpet cutter to cut away any excess carpet you have. Be sure to leave 3 inches on each side, which you will remove once the carpet is down.

  Place the carpet down on the floor and attach three sides to the tack strip. Mount the carpet stretcher between the fourth wall and the carpet and use it to pull the carpet toward the wall. This should begin to pull the wrinkles out of the carpet. Move the stretcher along the wall and carpet to make sure you stretch out the carpet evenly. Once you get to the corners, use the knee kicker to push the carpet out toward the edges of the room. Attach the carpet to the tack strip and cut off all the excess around the room.