Stretching the carpet vs letting it settle - which side are you on?

I have been installing for about 8 years now and I always thought stretching carpet super tight was the only way to go. My old boss taught me that you gotta pull till your arms hurt or it will wrinkle up in a month. But then I did a job last summer for a guy in Columbus who used to install back in the 80s and he told me I was overworking it. He said he just lays it loose and lets the pad and foot traffic settle it flat over a week or two. I gave it a shot on a small bedroom and honestly 6 months later it looks fine no ripples or anything. It saved me maybe 30 minutes on that room alone. But I still worry about high traffic areas like hallways where people stomp around. Is there a rule of thumb for when to crank it tight and when to let it be? Has anyone else tried the loose method on a whole house and regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathan85111d ago

Used to be on team stretch it til it screams, but after being in this game for about ten years I have changed my tune. I tried the loose lay method on a rental property last year and it came out perfect, no wrinkles or anything after a year. High traffic spots still get a firm stretch from me, but for bedrooms and low traffic areas I hardly pull at all now. Saves my back and my time, and the carpet seems to breathe better without that crazy tension. I would never go back to cranking every room like a madman.

henry10111d ago

Stopped me dead in my tracks reading "loose lay method on a rental" - you just laid carpet with barely any stretch and called it a day? That's wild to me (in a good way, I guess?). I've been stretching so hard on rentals I'm surprised the tack strips haven't popped through the floor.