How to Restretch a Carpet

Planning and special tools

Knee kicker

A knee kicker tightens carpeting along the edges (Photo 9).

Carpet cutter

A carpet cutter trims the carpet even with the wall or baseboard (Photo 10).

While the techniques we show are similar to the ones used for installing new carpeting, we don’t recommend installing large tracts of new carpeting. Seaming, layout and hauling are best left to the pros. And compared with the price of new pad and carpet, pro installation fees are relatively cheap.

If you only need to remove wrinkles, skip all of the business on tacking and re-laying the carpet just use the techniques shown in Photo 8 and the carpet stretching sequences we show.

You may be tempted to build a new bookcase or other project on top of your carpet. Resist the urge! It’ll just make your construction work and future carpet replacement harder, not to mention the risk of damaging the carpet while you’re working.

The most important tool to rent is a “power” carpet stretcher (Photo 8). It does the lion’s share of the carpet stretching. If you have tight areas where the power carpet stretcher won’t fit (spaces less than 3 ft. from adjoining walls), you’ll also need to rent a “knee kicker.” If a carpet cutter is available, rent it, too (Photo 10). It’ll cut off carpet edges more cleanly and accurately than a utility knife. In addition to these tools, you’ll need a pry bar to remove the tack strip (Photo 3), a stapler with 5/16-in. staples to reinstall the pad, and a tin snips or a chisel to cut the new tack strips to length (Photo 4).

Tip: Before you run to the rental store to pick up your carpet stretching tools, have the tack strips installed and the pad stapled down. Chances are you’ll only need the tools for a few hours, so you want to be ready to use them right away to save on rental fees.

Pull back the carpet and pad

Peel back the old carpet

Lift a corner of the carpeting free of the tack strip with a pliers. then peel back the carpet. Once it’s started, it’ll release easily, like pulling on a zipper.

Close-up

Pull the carpet off the tack strips.

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