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Had to choose between a power stretcher and a knee kicker for a weird room layout
So I got called to do a bedroom in a 1920s house in Portland last Thursday. The room had this funky angled closet and a tiny alcove that was maybe 4 feet wide. I stood there for a solid 5 minutes deciding if I should drag my power stretcher in there or just use the good old knee kicker. The power stretcher would have meant moving furniture and fighting with the corners. I picked the knee kicker because it felt faster and I didnt want to scratch the hardwood by the doorway. BIG mistake. That alcove needed a perfect stretch and my knee gave out after the third pass. Ended up with a ripple near the closet that I had to fix with a seam roller and a prayer. Next time im hauling the power stretcher in no matter how tight it is. Anyone else ever regret going with the quick tool instead of the right one?
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david_walker975mo ago
Man I feel that. Had a similar job last year in a tiny bathroom remodel. Thought the knee kicker would be faster. Nope. Ended up with a bubble right in front of the toilet. Tried to fix it with a heat gun and a roller but it just kept popping back up. Now I use a scrap piece of 2x4 as a makeshift stretcher head extension for tight spots on my power stretcher. Lets me get into those weird nooks without scratching anything. Works good enough.
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paige_bell815mo ago
Dude. Same thing happened to me in a spare bedroom last month. Thought the knee kicker would save time, ended up with a wrinkle I couldn't fix without pulling up half the carpet.
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ruby_bell475mo ago
And exactly what @joseph_bailey said about the straight runs, that knee kicker is fine for open spaces but the second you hit a corner or an alcove it just betrays you. I had a similar wrinkle show up near a door frame and spent two whole afternoons trying to stretch it back out with no luck. Ended up having to pull the carpet at the baseboard and redo the whole wall side. Now I just force myself to haul out the power stretcher even for small jobs, saves me the headache and my knees thank me later.
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joseph_bailey5mo ago
Wait, did you try adjusting the power stretcher head for that alcove or just give up on it? I feel your pain though, my knee is still mad at me from a similar job last spring. That ripple near the closet is the worst because it just stares at you every time you walk in the room. I've learned the hard way that the knee kicker is only good for straight runs with no funny business. Now I just take the extra 10 minutes to set up the power stretcher properly and save my joints.
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