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Cutting carpet with a hot knife vs. a power stretcher - which one saves more time?
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?
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ericcraig8d ago
Keep in mind a hot knife isn't a replacement for stretching. It just seals the cut edge so it doesn't fray. If your seams felt loose, you probably didn't have enough tension on the carpet before you ran the knife. I always power stretch the seam area before cutting. Then hot knife while it's under tension. That 45 minutes you saved might cost you a callback in six months when that seam starts to peak.
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olivia6708d ago
I tried the hot knife on seams and felt the same way about them being loose.
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stella228d ago
Used to think the hot knife was the greatest thing for seams but then had a few callbacks for peaking like ericcraig said. Now I always power stretch before cutting and it makes a huge difference in how tight the seam stays. Changed my mind completely after seeing how much better seams hold up that way.
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