Not convinced that stretch-in is always better than power-stretch for residential carpet

I see most guys in this community pushing stretch-in for every residential job, but after 20 years of doing this in Phoenix, I've had way fewer callbacks on medium-pile carpet using a power-stretcher properly. A stretch-in can leave loose spots in rooms over 15 feet wide, and I've got the photos from last Tuesday on a living room install to prove it. Anyone else find power-stretching more reliable on larger spaces?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant_ross276h agoMost Upvoted

That dry heat in Phoenix makes the glue tack up faster too, doesn't it.

hugo6452h ago

Nope, stretch-in is flawless if you know what you're doing, and @grant_ross27 the dry heat actually helps the backing relax on a power stretch.