Woes of wrinkled new carpet.........

[straydog]

We put in wall to wall carpeting just about 3 years ago. Nice at first. Slowly the wrinkles started appearing. This isn't a new phenomenon; we bought a house 15 years earlier and it was only about 4 years old and it had these same kind of wrinkles (as if the carpet just expanded in area or repeated walking caused it to stretch) and we sold that house without ever doing anything about the wrinkles (and the new buyers never said anything about it, either, but it would be something I'd want to fix).

So, if there isn't some "magic" cure/fix for this, I'm presuming that I've got to find some carpet intaller-guy and have him spend, what, 1/2 to full day of restretching/relaying the carpet (not to mention moving a whole bunch of furniture out of that area [a bear of a project on its own]), or else get one of those knee-kick or power stretchers and do it myself?

Yeah, carpet is over a pad about 3/4 inch thick or so.

Art S.

[twfsa]

I've heard that if you have the carpet cleaned by these companys that use super hot water,( almost steam) that it breaks down the carpet backing which is of latex composition, then walking on the carpet after its cleaned it streaches, and there's your wrinkles, we always use a dry cleaning method and have not had any problems, our carpet is 11 yrs old.

Tom

[Josh]

"straydog" wrote

No carpet expert here, just some homeowner experience, and some knowledge I picked up from an acquaintance which is a certified master installer and does all those fancy inlays.

I had my friend install my entire house. He told me the problem with most installs is the installer doesn't stretch the carpet enough in the first place, IIRC, he said it needs stretched 2" in each direction, though my memory might be fibbing to me. He said when they try to stretch it, they usually over stretch in an area, then not enough in another area. He said some even "mist" the carpet with water hoping it will shrink to the right size (which he said won't work)

My carpet is 10 years old now (ya, needs some updating for colors), not one wrinkle anywhere, or any signs of over stretched carpet. Hoping to get him back for all new carpet b/4 he retires.

btw, he used a power stretcher on every room.

[G Henslee]

It's common to have new carpet re-stretched after a year or two. Done properly requires the furniture be moved. Bite the bullet.

[Kyle Boatright]

It may be common, but if the carpet was properly installed, it shouldn't be necessary.

Either the installer didn't stretch the carpet enough during installation, or the product is/was defective. Either way, the retailer should stand behind the product and have the product restretched or replaced at no cost to the owner.

[borgunit]

A little info...

[trader4]

I doubt it should take 1/2 to a full day to have an installer simply restretch the existing carpet in an average room. I would think a couple hours should do it and it shouldn't cost much.

[Doug Kanter]

If the carpet's tacked down at the edges, and the carpet is restretched, it seems to me that the only difference between the original installation and the restretching job would be the cutting. Won't it need to be un-tacked at the wall, and then reattached after the slack's been taken up?

[George E. Cawthon]

You've been give a lot of weird answers. Part of the problem is all carpets are not equal. If have quality carpet installed by a good installer, it won't ever have to be restretched. Ours has been down for 19 years and is still stretched the same as new. (Time for a new carpet as it is worn in some places). Contrary to what some have said, wrinkle development is not common.

The problem with cheap carpets is that they may tear if you stretch them the amount needed. If you have good quality carpet, then the problem is the installation.

You should consider doing it yourself, and you could use a knee kicker. If you are handy you can covert the knee kicker to a real stretcher, with some 2x4s and a couple of bolts. Restretching doesn't require moving all the furniture, especially if you do it yourself and proceed in small degrees. Your biggest concern will be to not tear the carpet, Read a couple of books.

OTOH, restretching by a professional is likely to be only an hour or two job for a whole house.