Have you noticed unsightly waves, ripples, or buckles appearing in your wall-to-wall carpet? This is a very common problem that not only looks terrible but also creates a dangerous tripping hazard in your home. This rippling doesn’t happen because the carpet is old; it happens because the carpet was not properly and sufficiently stretched during the initial installation. The only way to permanently fix this problem and restore your carpet to its original flat, smooth appearance is with a professional carpet stretching service. This process, also called re-stretching, involves using specialized tools to pull the carpet tight and re-secure it at the edges of the room.
Why Does Carpet Ripple or Buckle?
Carpet is designed to be installed under high tension, like a drum skin. If it’s not stretched tightly enough, it will relax and expand over time. Several factors can cause or contribute to this:
- Improper Initial Installation: This is the number one cause. Many carpet installers will only use a small “knee kicker” to stretch the carpet. While this tool is useful for positioning, it does not have the power to apply the immense tension needed for a proper installation. A professional installation should always use a power stretcher, a long, adjustable tool that braces against one wall and uses a lever to apply significant force to stretch the carpet across the room.
- Heavy Furniture and Traffic: Dragging heavy furniture across the carpet can cause it to loosen and ripple.
- High Humidity: The humid conditions we can experience in Southern California can sometimes cause the carpet’s backing to expand slightly.
- Delamination: In older carpets, the primary and secondary backings can begin to separate, which can also cause ripples.
The Dangers of a Rippled Carpet
A rippled carpet is more than just a cosmetic issue.
- A Major Tripping Hazard: It is very easy to catch your foot on a ripple, which can lead to a serious fall and injury, especially for elderly residents or small children.
- Uneven Wear: The high spots of the ripples will be subjected to concentrated foot traffic, causing them to wear out much faster than the rest of the carpet and creating visible traffic lanes.
The Professional Carpet Stretching Process
Carpet stretching is a job that requires specialized tools and expertise. It is not a DIY project. A professional technician will:
- Pull back the carpet from the edges of the room to disengage it from the tack strips.
- Set up a professional power stretcher. This tool has a “head” with teeth that grip the carpet and a long pole that extends to brace against the opposite wall.
- Use the power stretcher’s lever system to apply hundreds of pounds of tension, pulling the carpet perfectly tight across the room and eliminating all the ripples.
- While the carpet is under tension, they will re-attach it to the tack strips.
- Finally, they will use a special knife to trim off the excess carpet along the wall and then use a carpet tucker to neatly tuck the edge of the carpet back down at the baseboard for a clean, professional finish.
As home service resources like Angi explain, this professional process is the only way to permanently solve the problem of buckling carpet.
Your Redlands Carpet Repair Experts
Don’t live with the tripping hazards and unsightly appearance of rippled carpet. A professional stretching can make your carpet look as good as new and extend its life. For homeowners in Redlands, CA, and the surrounding areas, the experienced team at Taylor’s Carpet Care specializes in all types of professional carpet repair, including expert power stretching. Contact us today for a consultation.