Guy named Dave from a job in Phoenix told me double-sided tape was the only way to keep stair carpet from lifting, but after 3 months the tape dried out and the whole riser peeled off. Anyone else had a stair install fail because of bad advice from some random?
I had this client last summer in Austin who kept complaining her beige carpet looked clean after vacuuming. I grabbed a new vacuum bag and ran it over a 2x2 section near the door, then dumped the bag out on a white towel. She was shocked at the gray pile of dust. It totally changed how she saw maintenance and she even tipped me extra for the demo. Has anyone else done a quick visual trick like that to win over a tough customer?
Had this old timer named Mike on a job in Nashville tell me to stop pulling so hard on my seams and just let the glue do the work. Tried it on a 12x15 bedroom and ended up with zero ripples for the first time in 2 years. Anyone else ever get that same advice and have it work or backfire?
I was installing a nice thick carpet in a house over on 23rd Ave, feeling pretty confident. Got about halfway through the seam and realized I had the wrong knife blade - it was dull and started to fray the edge instead of cutting clean. Had to stop, pull the seam apart, order a new blade from the supply house, and redo the whole thing. The client was patient but I lost three hours and looked like a rookie. Anyone else ever get tripped up by a simple tool mistake like that?
I had a choice between a nice residential stretch-in with cushy padding or a glue-down commercial lobby for a bank downtown. I picked the glue-down thinking it'd be quicker money, maybe $1200 for two days. But the concrete slab had moisture issues I didn't catch, and now I'm dealing with bubbling and a pissed-off client who wants it redone. Has anyone else gotten burned by picking the easy-looking commercial job over residential?
I was pulling up some carpet last week in a house built in 1982 and the tack strip was still holding strong after 40 years. Compared that to a job I did last month in a new build near Austin where the strip splintered just from me tapping it with my knee kicker. Has anyone else noticed the newer pine tack strips are way softer than the old oak ones?
I was putting down a plush carpet in a bedroom in Phoenix and the seam kept puckering no matter what I did. Turned out the power stretcher head was loose by just a hair and I didn't catch it until I checked every other tool. Has anyone else had a tiny tool issue eat up a whole afternoon like that?
Had a homeowner in Denver call me out last Thursday for a 12x14 room. I quoted her $450 for padding and install. She said another guy quoted her $300 and I should match. I asked what he included. She said "just labor, you'd need to bring everything else." Then she wanted me to match that lol. I spent 20 minutes explaining the difference between a real bid and a half job. Has anyone else dealt with people thinking installation means you supply all the materials?
Tried a power stretcher for the first time on that huge living room and the seams came out so clean I barely had to trim, has anyone else switched after swearing by knee kickers?
I was picking up some glue yesterday at the local Floor King in Columbus, and this older installer was telling the counter guy he's stopped putting tack strip on steps completely. Said he just glues everything down with a heavy duty adhesive and says it's way quieter and holds better over time. I've always done the standard tack strip and pad method. Has anyone else switched to no tack strip on stairs? Does it really hold up with heavy foot traffic?
For like 5 years I swore by my old manual power stretcher. Thought the new ones with the auto knob were just a gimmick to separate guys from their money. Then I borrowed my buddy's on a big living room job in the suburbs last month. That thing saved me at least 20 minutes of adjusting and re-adjusting on a single room. Has anyone else made the switch and actually noticed a difference in their knees by the end of the day?
At a job in Phoenix last month, I spent an extra 3 hours shimming a living room floor because the plywood was warped so bad, has anyone else noticed this getting worse with new builds?
Idk, I know everybody swears by the square edge for getting tight against baseboards, but I tried a rounded Roberts tucker on a job in Cleveland last Tuesday and it honestly saved my knuckles. I wasn't getting gouges in the tack strip either. Maybe it's just me, but has anyone else switched and noticed less hand fatigue?
I was installing a big commercial carpet in an office building downtown, and the customer pointed out that the pattern wasn't lining up at the seam. I argued with him for like 10 minutes, then I looked again and saw he was right. Turns out I'd been measuring from the wrong edge of the pattern repeat this whole time, and it threw everything off by 3 inches. How did you guys figure out you were doing something basic wrong without a customer catching it first?
I used those $8-a-strip tack strips from a big box store on a 400-square-foot job last month. Ended up having to rip it all out after the pins bent on three separate strips during the install. Has anyone else had this happen or am I just unlucky?
Had this nagging issue where my seams kept separating after a few weeks. Boss kept telling me to pull harder. Finally one day after work I grabbed a beer with a guy from a different shop and he asked if I was using a knee kicker or a power stretcher on residential jobs. I was using the knee kicker for everything. Tried the power stretcher on a living room job last week and the seams actually held. Anyone else get through training without learning this?
A homeowner in Austin pointed out that my seams caught the light weird. I switched from a straight 45 degree cut to a slight bevel on both edges and now they blend way better. Anyone else adjust their blade angle based on pile direction?
Been fighting with thick carpet padding bunching up at the seam lines for months. Last week on a 12x15 bedroom I tried trimming about a quarter inch off the pad backing on both sides before taping. The seams laid flat first try, no wrestling the carpet to hide lumps. Cut my seam time almost in half on that room. Anybody else do this or am I just late to the party?
Been doing carpet for about 8 years and always used a knee kicker for residential jobs. Had a 20x15 living room with some tricky corners and figured Id finally rent a power stretcher. Man what a difference. Got the whole room done in about 2 hours instead of 4 and the seams came out way tighter. Only cost $35 to rent for the day from Home Depot in Cleveland. Anybody else made the switch and never looked back?
I used to think knee kickers were fine for most rooms until I did a 12x15 bedroom in a downtown Austin condo and the seams kept creeping open after a week. The homeowner called me back twice before I borrowed a power stretcher from a buddy and the job sat perfect. Anyone else fight with seams on long runs before making the switch?
I've been doing this 8 years. Always used a power stretcher and seam iron. Last job in Phoenix, 3 bedroom house, I tried a hot knife on the seams instead. Saved me about 45 minutes total. But felt like the seams were a little loose. Anyone else try skipping the power stretcher on straight runs and just rely on a hot knife? What's your call on quality vs speed?
Back in '07 I had a stretch of five days where the humidity was so bad that every single hot seam I did on that old commercial job in Portland peeled apart by morning, and the boss just handed me a scraper and said have fun fixing it yourself.
For three years I always used a stair tool to tuck carpet into corners, but kept getting loose edges. Last month I watched a guy in Spokane use a straight chisel instead, and it grabbed the carpet way tighter in the knee space. I tried it on a full set of 13 stairs last week and not a single edge popped. Anyone else switch tools for the tight spots?
Used it on a 12x15 bedroom in Phoenix last week and the damn thing kept slipping on the pad, so I switched back to my beat-up Roberts and got the job done in half the time, has anyone else had a power stretcher just not cooperate on certain carpet backings?
I was talking to a painter named Dave last week while we were both working a job in a new build over on Elm Street. He mentioned that he always takes a picture of the walls before he starts because customers forget what color they picked three days later. That got me thinking about how I handle seam repairs when I come back for a fix. I never snap a photo of the seam before I start working, so I end up guessing how tight it was or if the glue was wet. Last Tuesday I had to redo a seam in a bedroom because I couldn't remember if I double-cut it or single-cut it. So now I am taking a quick photo of every seam I touch before I do anything else. Has anyone else tried this or got a better way to track your work?