Rug Cleaning Tips

Your old carpeting may appear lumpy and loose. You can stretch it out and make it appear newer and better fitting. Carpet stretching can sometimes be a very daunting task. This article will help you through the process of fitting, trimming and stretching your old carpet and doing it in less than one day. These techniques will also help to get rid of wrinkles in your carpet.You can use the knee kicker technique to tighten your carpeting along the edges. This is really effective when trying to get rid of wrinkles on your carpet. You do not need to start re-laying and tucking the carpet all over again. It is also important to avoid building anything on top of your carpet as this will only make the process of replacing your carpet in future more cumbersome. This can also lead to your carpet getting damaged.Rent a power stretcher to help you do most of the stretching and then use the knee kicker technique to stretch out the areas where the power stretcher cannot reach. You can also rent a carpet cutter to help cut out the carpet edges more accurately. You will also need to get a stapler with 5/16-in staples, a pry bar, and a chisel or tin snip to assist in the stretching processPull back the carpet and padLift the carpet from one of its corners and free it from the tack strip using pliers then peel back the carpet. You should also pull out all the staples using a screwdriver and pliers. You can use the opportunity of having pulled back your carpet to fix anything that needs fixing.Remove old tack strips and replace with new onesWhen undertaking the process of replacing tack strips ensure you wear gloves. The strips usually have needle-sharp nails that help to grip the carpet after the stretch process has been completed. You can easily pry the strips by pounding the setting nails using a pry bar. Make sure that the nail tips face the wall when re-installing the strip or else the carpet won’t stay in position. Hummer the pre-started setting nails into the floor.Reset the carpet and stretch itYou can cut the padding using a utility knife so that it can fit nicely against the tack strip. Use the power stretcher kit to stretch out most of the carpeting and then use the knee kicker to stretch out the confined areas. You should stretch out the length of the carpet first.Finish with the carpet cutterYou can use a carpet cutter and a utility knife to cut out any excess carpet after completion of the stretching process. You can make an entry point for the carpet cutter using the utility knife and then cut the carpet using the cutter while really forcing the carpet against the wood to prevent cutting it too short.