To make life easier, ask a partner for help. This way one person can keep the carpet pull and relax the carpet as needed while the other deals with creases and curls in the middle. For small carpets, you can probably just use a few strategically placed piles of heavy objects like books, potted plants, or actual weights. For larger carpets, use large furniture with a large surface area, like overturned coffee or end tables, to cover more area.
Work slowly. Keep an ear out for any cracking noises as you roll. If you hear any, quit right away. This indicates damage to the carpet’s skeleton. Don’t roll it as tight as before. Keep your reverse roll fairly loose. This will reduce the chance of cracking and the creation of new creases and curls. If you heard any cracks during your first attempt, try again with a much looser roll.
The absorption of heat and light will help reduce the carpet’s tension, which will make further steps more effective.
For example, steaming should work just fine if the carpet was simply rolled up for an extended period. However, if the carpet won’t lie flat for some other reason (like poor construction) that steaming won’t fix, a rug specialist will be able to spot this and say so before you waste money on the service.
For heavier carpets, you may wish to add a second row of tack strips. If you do, place these on the first row’s farthest side from the wall. Always leave a half-inch gap in between the wall and the nearest strip. You’ll need to keep this space clear in order to worm the carpet’s edges underneath the baseboards.
Say you’re using the same carpeting in this room and the hallway outside. For a more seamless look, orient it the same way in both areas. So if the pattern incorporates, say, pine trees, arrange the carpet so the treetops all point in the same direction.
Hold the kicker firmly in place by its handle with your dominant hand. Kneel on your opposite leg’s knee and support yourself with your other hand. Drive your dominant side’s knee into the base of the knee kicker to drive the carpet toward the wall. Repeat until the edge of the carpet slightly overlaps the baseboard. Press the carpet in that area into the tack strip below to secure it into place.
Depending on the length of your wall, repeat every couple of feet until you reach the corner. Then switch to the other side from where you started and continue until you reach the other corner. Setting the kicker at a 45 degree angle to the wall as you work toward the corners will help stretch out any creases toward the center of the carpet.
Detach the carpet from the tack strips so you can do it over with the extra aid of a lever-activated stretcher. [12] X Research source
The principle of a lever stretcher is the same. The only difference is in its operation. With these, you pump a lever up and down instead of using your knee. [13] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source These are also a good alternative if you have a very large project or prior knee injuries. The repeated force of impact when using a knee kicker extensively can lead to physical trauma.
