Even the most durable carpets wear out over time, but that doesn’t mean you need to invest in new carpeting every few years. Here are some common signs to tell if your carpet needs to be stretched, including: lumps and wrinkles, loose edges and damage.
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Below are 3 common signs that your carpet needs to be stretched:
Lumps and Wrinkles
There are some obvious signs that carpet needs to be stretched, and there are signs that only a trained professional will be able to determine. For example, you may notice that carpeting appears to be wrinkled, rippled or generally lumpy. Carpet should lay flat and smooth across the floor, and any signs that it is not flat and smooth may indicate the need to have it professionally stretched. You may also notice that carpeting is pulled up at the edges of the room. It should have a tucked in appearance around the baseboards in the room, and areas that are not tucked in may need to be stretched and repaired. If you call a carpeting professional to your home for assistance, the professional can inspect the carpet to look for signs of damage to the seams that you may not be able to notice. Source: ProGreenCarpetNC
Loose Edges
Carpet is fixed to the floor with tack strips to keep it in place. One way to tell if the carpet is loose and needs stretching is to check the edges or corners. Loose edges indicate the need to stretch and reaffix the carpet to the subfloor.
Conduct a floor test to see if your carpet needs stretching. Insert an awl tool into the center of the carpet and raise it up approximately one inch from the floor. Remove the tool and let the carpet fall back into place. The carpet should snap quickly back into place. If it doesn’t, you need to stretch your carpet. Source: 651Carpets
Damage
Depending on the carpet’s depth, there may be cuts or other damage to the base structure. If the carpet’s base is damaged in a large area, the surrounding carpet will become loose. It is good practice to look carefully among the carpet fibers for any obvious signs of cuts to the base. If necessary, you can use a flashlight to look even closer into the carpet pile. Finding a relatively large cut should prompt you to stretch the carpet as soon as possible. Source: HomeGuides.SFGate
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