Tried a power stretcher on a tight hallway and ended up ripping the tack strip out of the floor

Was doing a job last Tuesday in a 1950s house near Columbus (those old homes have some weird layouts). The hallway was super narrow, maybe 30 inches wide. I figured I could save time by using my power stretcher instead of a knee kicker. Big mistake. The tack strip was just nailed into some old particle board underlayment and the power stretcher pulled the whole thing up. Took me an extra hour to redo the tack strip and fix the damage. Has anyone else run into trouble with power stretchers on older subfloors?

2 comments

2 Comments

ninag101mo ago

Yeah, "super narrow" hallways and power stretchers are a recipe for disaster. I learned that the hard way too. It sounds like you were fighting with that old particle board, which is basically glorified cardboard once it gets any age on it. The sheer force of a power stretcher in a tight spot just puts way too much leverage on those brittle subfloors. Honestly, you're better off just using a knee kicker in those old houses and taking the extra few minutes.

dylanwilliams1mo ago

Have you tried pulling the carpet with a knee kicker in short bursts instead of one long stretch? I've had way better luck doing like 6-inch increments down a tight hallway, it lets the backing relax before you nail it. That old particle board will crumble under full pressure, but it'll hold fine if you ease into it.