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Carpet Stretching Basics:

The “why” of carpet stretching is that it keeps the carpet in place, flat, and smooth against the floor, as it is intended to be. Carpet is always stretched tight during the first installation, to ensure that it covers the floor evenly and smoothly. However, carpets may need to be stretched during carpet repair if they later develop buckles and ripples, which can be caused by any of the following:

• Poor installation - If your carpet is improperly installed (due to insufficient or nonexistent stretching, or improperly securing the carpet), it may need to be re-stretched as a carpet repair.
• Heavy traffic - If your carpet gets heavy traffic beyond normal foot travel (such as walkers or wheelchairs, tricycles, etc.), it may eventually come loose, even if it was installed perfectly.
• Moving heavy furniture - Sliding heavy furniture across your carpet can cause its layers to ripple and leave the carpet loose and buckled.
• Wrong pairing of carpet with padding - Different types of carpet pile are meant to be used with specific types of carpet padding, so the carpet is properly secured and supported. The manufacturer’s guide or an experienced professional can help you ensure you have a proper match before your install your carpet; otherwise, you may deal with ripples later.
• Delamination - This means the latex that keeps the carpet backing intact has deteriorating; the carpet may start to fall apart by losing fiber or rippling.

To Stretch, Or Not To Stretch?

Once your carpet starts to ripple, it’ll only keep getting worse. That’s because carpet is intended to lay flat at all times; a small ripple not only puts more wear and tear on the carpet, but causes it to move when you walk across it. That movement causes—you guessed it—more ripples. Soon your carpet will begin to look more like an ocean than a floor, and that’s a problem.

If you find yourself in that situation, don’t worry. You probably won’t need to replace the carpet. For the most part, stretching it will remove the buckles and return it to its natural state as a flat, attractive floor covering.

Carpet stretching is a very common carpet repair task. Carpet stretching is simple in theory: it involves pulling up the edges of the carpet, re-stretching the carpet so it’s properly taught, trimming any excess that’s been created, and re-securing the carpet in its new place. But in practice, it’s a considerably involved process, involving unique tools and proper technique to actually accomplish a successful carpet stretch.