Carpet Stretch: Explained

It's really simple: 90% of the time, these carpet ripples come from two factors, which are improper installation and age of carpet. 

Aging Carpet

Carpet ages just like everything else. The carpet backing softens over time. This would not be an issue if the not for the important role that it plays: holding everything in place. It is the strength of the backing that hold fast to the floor that it is anchored to. As the backing softens, a normally taut carpet will begin to ripple.

Improper Installation

There are times when installation is challenging, or at least beyond the skill of the install team. What we have found is the culprit of weak installs are a specialized tool called a "Knee Kicker", which essentially relies on the strength of the installers knees to kick-in the carpet and attach it. It's grueling and painful. It is also not as effective as our favorite tool: The Power Stretcher. This tool allows for more effective, taut installation or repair that is far beyond the strength that a knee kicker can do.

The Other 10%

The last factor is carpet quality. Cheaper quality carpeting is needed. No judgement here! A high quality dirty carpet doesn't look half as good as a brand new cheap carpet. Just make a note that if lower quality is your choice, there may be a time sooner than later you might have to stretch your carpet.

Check out the gallery of repairs after reading through the Case Study!