Does this look like a seasoned pro?
Pro Installer ?
- Thread starter Don Monfils
- Start date
Help Support Flooring Forum - DIY & Professional:
I can tell already why the installation is free. he needs to move his carpet stretcher away from the wall about another foot. 
What you talking about, mine ends up damn near the pins. Plus, why the hell would you not precut carpet for stretch in application. I never understood this. Cut it short, don't hit the walls and voila it is tucked. Less work, less mess and less angry me.I can tell already why the installation is free. he needs to move his carpet stretcher away from the wall about another foot.
Also, what happens when the guy that shows up does not have one of those.... then does anyone ask question>? I will give them credit for featuring a pole stretcher in their advertisement however, that at least is spot on
I have my stretcher almost on the pins too..... And I don't own a stinger.
He has some tools so I guess it's a nice pose for the customer. If it is a season pro I'm betting he's pissed they made impose like that knowing that we'd be talking about him.
He has some tools so I guess it's a nice pose for the customer. If it is a season pro I'm betting he's pissed they made impose like that knowing that we'd be talking about him.
....and he doesn't even have tattoos.
Yeah, I never understood how people thought the stinger was a good idea. Its been a few years since grade 9 physics class but I think I know how stretching works.
Same as that stupid tripod stretcher thing. Funny that fellow never wanted to defend himself when I brought it up
Same as that stupid tripod stretcher thing. Funny that fellow never wanted to defend himself when I brought it up
The stinger will actually stretch carpet pretty good, the problem is, it puts a hole in the carpet and the subfloor.
Man I don’t care what anybody says, a stinger takes a two day job and turns it into a one day job. Can’t use it on every carpet and sometimes you gotta pound down the lump in the subfloor.
Long time ago I worked for a guy that didn’t tape his pad seams or seal his carpet seams but absolutely refused to use a stinger. You already blew the job so why not embrace the hack and be done in half the time.
Long time ago I worked for a guy that didn’t tape his pad seams or seal his carpet seams but absolutely refused to use a stinger. You already blew the job so why not embrace the hack and be done in half the time.
I used one on some public housing apts. Carpet was replaced about every three months and was stretched over old rubber back for pad.
Definitely section 8, cheap apartments, crummy rag rug in new construction and pretty much any other place not deemed worthy of following all the rules. I used one for years, I had to if I wanted to be competitive (time wise) because everybody else was using them.
I had a customer tell me that it leaves a hole in the carpet. I told him the stretcher head leaves 50? holes in the carpet, if you can find the hole I’ll go get my poles. He never found the hole.
If you want to go fast just kick the 4 corners and run. Why even pretend to stretch the carpet??
Why not just use your kicker if you are going to use the stinger anyhow?
Why not just use your kicker if you are going to use the stinger anyhow?
You can get it tighter with a stinger and it is faster than kicking.
No.
That is simply untrue. I mean maybe as a fellow ages, but not as it stands from a physics or physical point of view.
I can never understand you folks that defend that thing. You cannot stretch something beyond the point of contact of force. In the case of the stinger, it is all of 3 feet from the wall. If you are going to use anything, use a crab with the shovel on it.
That is simply untrue. I mean maybe as a fellow ages, but not as it stands from a physics or physical point of view.
I can never understand you folks that defend that thing. You cannot stretch something beyond the point of contact of force. In the case of the stinger, it is all of 3 feet from the wall. If you are going to use anything, use a crab with the shovel on it.
The carpet back behind the stinger stretches too, you can see it. Many guys who use a power stretcher get the carpet too tight. You can hear the backing pop.
Stingers work. The spike sticks into the wood floor and acts as something to push off of just like poles do. Now if your stinging into particle board or some other kind of messed up wood, the spike will just sink in. What about a manufactured home? You ever push a wall out? Say what you want about stingers but they do work.
UGH!
The bloody physics of force state it does not work. There is no way you can argue with physics.
So for fun, lets say I have a 20' room I want to stretch at 1-1.5% lets keep it small and the math easy at 2.5 inches. There is no way in hell you can move that piece of carpet 2.5 inches around the point of pressure in the 3 whole feet that it has to stretch in. Ever if you could it would tear the carpet it is punctured through. Its like arguing with gravity, it just cannot be done.
Now if we are talking about synching up a little taught on a piece of rug, sure it will do that but you cannot call that a stretched piece of carpet
The bloody physics of force state it does not work. There is no way you can argue with physics.
So for fun, lets say I have a 20' room I want to stretch at 1-1.5% lets keep it small and the math easy at 2.5 inches. There is no way in hell you can move that piece of carpet 2.5 inches around the point of pressure in the 3 whole feet that it has to stretch in. Ever if you could it would tear the carpet it is punctured through. Its like arguing with gravity, it just cannot be done.
Now if we are talking about synching up a little taught on a piece of rug, sure it will do that but you cannot call that a stretched piece of carpet
If it is any small consolation I argue with everyone. Today at the pool supply store I got in an argument with the attendant about buying CAL in larger volumes than the paltry 650g containers it comes in for "spa" use. Then i spied a 7Kg tub and was over the moon, volume wise it was priced at 42% of the other spa labeled product. This is where the drama began. I was told it was for "Pool Use" which of course is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I then went on to explain to my good friend the store attendant that minerals are minerals and there is nothing that is any different between the two besides the price. He spat back out the party line of "pool use" again and told me to go slow or it could cause issues, that is when the rest of our transaction was carried out in silence.
After getting home, I pulled out my little bottle that i bought last time.
Would you believe that 90g of one product raises CAL by 75ppm and the other 88.6 grams raises the CAL by 75 ppm. I'll let you guess which is which and the "weaker" (statistically the same) one wasn't made for "spas"
Another fun fact I could not be bothered to argue with him about is that baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is the same as the over priced Alkalinity buffer (sodium bicarbonate) but I suppose you don't want to agree with some raging lunatic standing in your store killing your profit margins.
After getting home, I pulled out my little bottle that i bought last time.
Would you believe that 90g of one product raises CAL by 75ppm and the other 88.6 grams raises the CAL by 75 ppm. I'll let you guess which is which and the "weaker" (statistically the same) one wasn't made for "spas"
Another fun fact I could not be bothered to argue with him about is that baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is the same as the over priced Alkalinity buffer (sodium bicarbonate) but I suppose you don't want to agree with some raging lunatic standing in your store killing your profit margins.
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The stinger is about 6" long. You can stretch the carpet 6". You have obviously never used one.
As long as the stinger doesn’t sink into the wood subfloor it’s really no different than using poles with the exception of no poles to mess with and a small hole in the carpet. It really is a game changer. Spread the nap of the carpet, insert spike, stomp on stretcher head to seat those spikes then stretch away. Put a stinger on a Roberts swivel head and you can stretch a room in no time flat.
If you need more stretch than the length of the stinger will allow you simply reposition the stretcher and go again.
Let’s not forget about the convince of having a stretcher right there when burning seams. Two stretchers can be used in leap frog fashion for stretching big rooms. You don’t get enough bite from one spike? They make a double spiked stinger. If you’re careful, you can even use it on gypcrete.
If you need more stretch than the length of the stinger will allow you simply reposition the stretcher and go again.
Let’s not forget about the convince of having a stretcher right there when burning seams. Two stretchers can be used in leap frog fashion for stretching big rooms. You don’t get enough bite from one spike? They make a double spiked stinger. If you’re careful, you can even use it on gypcrete.
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And take it easy on the pool guy, he doesn’t make the rules or set the prices. He’s just tryin to make a living so he can go home to his S.O. who probably hates him too.
Come to think of it, you prolly wouldn’t be so grumpy if you quit doing carpet all together
Come to think of it, you prolly wouldn’t be so grumpy if you quit doing carpet all together
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