At a job in Phoenix last month, I spent an extra 3 hours shimming a living room floor because the plywood was warped so bad, has anyone else noticed this getting worse with new builds?
Idk, I know everybody swears by the square edge for getting tight against baseboards, but I tried a rounded Roberts tucker on a job in Cleveland last Tuesday and it honestly saved my knuckles. I wasn't getting gouges in the tack strip either. Maybe it's just me, but has anyone else switched and noticed less hand fatigue?
I was installing a big commercial carpet in an office building downtown, and the customer pointed out that the pattern wasn't lining up at the seam. I argued with him for like 10 minutes, then I looked again and saw he was right. Turns out I'd been measuring from the wrong edge of the pattern repeat this whole time, and it threw everything off by 3 inches. How did you guys figure out you were doing something basic wrong without a customer catching it first?
I used those $8-a-strip tack strips from a big box store on a 400-square-foot job last month. Ended up having to rip it all out after the pins bent on three separate strips during the install. Has anyone else had this happen or am I just unlucky?
Had this nagging issue where my seams kept separating after a few weeks. Boss kept telling me to pull harder. Finally one day after work I grabbed a beer with a guy from a different shop and he asked if I was using a knee kicker or a power stretcher on residential jobs. I was using the knee kicker for everything. Tried the power stretcher on a living room job last week and the seams actually held. Anyone else get through training without learning this?
A homeowner in Austin pointed out that my seams caught the light weird. I switched from a straight 45 degree cut to a slight bevel on both edges and now they blend way better. Anyone else adjust their blade angle based on pile direction?
Been fighting with thick carpet padding bunching up at the seam lines for months. Last week on a 12x15 bedroom I tried trimming about a quarter inch off the pad backing on both sides before taping. The seams laid flat first try, no wrestling the carpet to hide lumps. Cut my seam time almost in half on that room. Anybody else do this or am I just late to the party?
Been doing carpet for about 8 years and always used a knee kicker for residential jobs. Had a 20x15 living room with some tricky corners and figured Id finally rent a power stretcher. Man what a difference. Got the whole room done in about 2 hours instead of 4 and the seams came out way tighter. Only cost $35 to rent for the day from Home Depot in Cleveland. Anybody else made the switch and never looked back?
I used to think knee kickers were fine for most rooms until I did a 12x15 bedroom in a downtown Austin condo and the seams kept creeping open after a week. The homeowner called me back twice before I borrowed a power stretcher from a buddy and the job sat perfect. Anyone else fight with seams on long runs before making the switch?
I've been doing this 8 years. Always used a power stretcher and seam iron. Last job in Phoenix, 3 bedroom house, I tried a hot knife on the seams instead. Saved me about 45 minutes total. But felt like the seams were a little loose. Anyone else try skipping the power stretcher on straight runs and just rely on a hot knife? What's your call on quality vs speed?
Back in '07 I had a stretch of five days where the humidity was so bad that every single hot seam I did on that old commercial job in Portland peeled apart by morning, and the boss just handed me a scraper and said have fun fixing it yourself.
For three years I always used a stair tool to tuck carpet into corners, but kept getting loose edges. Last month I watched a guy in Spokane use a straight chisel instead, and it grabbed the carpet way tighter in the knee space. I tried it on a full set of 13 stairs last week and not a single edge popped. Anyone else switch tools for the tight spots?
Used it on a 12x15 bedroom in Phoenix last week and the damn thing kept slipping on the pad, so I switched back to my beat-up Roberts and got the job done in half the time, has anyone else had a power stretcher just not cooperate on certain carpet backings?
I was talking to a painter named Dave last week while we were both working a job in a new build over on Elm Street. He mentioned that he always takes a picture of the walls before he starts because customers forget what color they picked three days later. That got me thinking about how I handle seam repairs when I come back for a fix. I never snap a photo of the seam before I start working, so I end up guessing how tight it was or if the glue was wet. Last Tuesday I had to redo a seam in a bedroom because I couldn't remember if I double-cut it or single-cut it. So now I am taking a quick photo of every seam I touch before I do anything else. Has anyone else tried this or got a better way to track your work?
Put in a nice mid-grade nylon carpet in a master bedroom yesterday, looked perfect. Woke up this morning to a call from the homeowner saying their cat puked on it overnight. I mean, I don't blame the cat but why does this always happen within 24 hours of a fresh install. Spent my lunch break driving back over there with a spot cleaner and some enzyme stuff. Anyone else feel like their work is a magnet for pet accidents on day one.
I was installing carpet in a 5 bedroom new build and the homeowner kept coming in to check on me every 20 minutes. On my last stretch I sliced the pad with my power stretcher and it ripped a 4 foot gash right down the middle of the room. Has anyone else had a customer literally watch over their shoulder all day?
I used to always stretch carpet from the center out toward the walls. This old timer with 30 years in watched me on a commercial job in Dallas, told me I was creating wrinkles that would show up in 6 months. He said start at the walls and work inward. I thought he was nuts, but I tried it on the next 2 rooms. Second room laid flat perfect, first one would have had waves by now. Has anyone else had to unlearn a bad habit from a seasoned guy on site?
Last month I had a job in a big Victorian house in Arlington and for three straight days the carpet kept curling on me no matter how much I stretched it. I found out later the previous owner had used cheap padding that was already breaking down and it made the whole install look wavy. Has anyone else run into old padding ruining a job like that?
Back when I started out, I used a rental power stretcher from the local supply house and it ate up time and money every week. Finally bit the bullet and bought a quality one for about $300, best money I ever spent on gear. No more waiting in line on Saturday mornings or dealing with worn out rentals that slip on the carpet pile. Has anyone else had good luck with a specific brand of power stretcher that held up for years?
Installed 800 square feet of commercial carpet last Tuesday and the seam tape started peeling up overnight - turns out the supplier got a bad run from their manufacturer. Has anyone else run into defective seam tape lately?
Been installing for about 15 years now. Last week I did a whole house in this grey textured carpet, just straight grey wall to wall. Three years ago I did a house in Cleveland with this nice floral pattern in the dining room and a stripe in the hallway. Felt like every job had its own look. Now it's all just variations of beige and grey with different pile heights. Anyone else feel like the trade has lost some of the craft side?
The homeowner decided they wanted the seams running the opposite direction after I already stretched it all in. Anyone else ever have a customer change their mind after you're done with the hard part?
My old power stretcher started making this grinding noise on a Tuesday job last month and I figured I could push through the day. By Wednesday it completely seized up on me while I was trying to stretch a bedroom in a split level house. Had to call around to three different shops before finding someone who could fix it same day, cost me $175 total. Has anyone else had a power stretcher fail mid job and had to scramble for a replacement?
I was doing a remodel in a kitchen last Thursday and this old timer walks through, stops and watches me for a minute. He asks why I'm stretching in a glue down job. I told him I always stretch glue down too just to be safe. He laughed and said I was wasting time and making my life harder. Said if the glue is tacky and you roll it proper, stretching just pulls the carpet loose from the adhesive. I argued with him for a bit but then he showed me a seam he did in the next room over 8 years ago. Flawless. No peaking, no wrinkles. I tried his method on the last section and it laid down perfect. Makes me wonder how many jobs I've made harder for myself over the last 10 years. Anybody else get schooled by an old timer on something you thought was gospel?