Had to pick between a power stretcher and a knee kicker for a tricky hallway job

Got a call for a condo in the city last week, a long narrow hallway with three doorways on one side. The old carpet was glued down and the subfloor was a bit uneven. My main power stretcher head was just too wide to fit and get a good angle past the first door frame. I had a choice: try to force it and risk a bad stretch, or switch to my knee kicker for the whole run. I went with the knee kicker, even though it takes more work. Took me about an hour longer than usual, but I got a tight, smooth seam down the middle and no wrinkles. Anyone else run into a spot where the big tool just won't fit? What's your go-to move?

2 comments

2 Comments

tylerw7213d ago

Honestly used to think knee kickers were just for small patches. Had a job like that last year that totally changed my mind. Sometimes the right tool is the one that actually fits in the space, even if it's slower. A good stretch with the kicker beats a fast, bad one with the power head any day. You made the right call taking the extra time.

charlie_fisher4513d ago

Man, I learned that lesson the hard way too! I once tried to force a power stretcher into a tiny closet and put a hole right through the drywall. Taking the extra minute to grab the right tool is always worth it in the end.