Professional carpet stretching and DIY carpet stretching being the options, many wonder whether they themselves can manage the task or there is need to hire a professional and how much does it cost. Well, the best method to choose would depend on you and your requirements. Proper insight towards the carpet stretching would help you to make a right choice. And, making right choice will not only result in quality work but will save you your precious time as well as money.
First time when I saw the carpet installation process in my friends place, I felt that the carpet stretching is just a simple task. At least from outlook it seemed so. But, the fact is,
stretched carpets are not just few kicks away. It needs its own skills, good amount of manual work and an adroit hand.
But, that doesn’t mean that the DIY carpet stretching not an option at all.
Hiring a professional carpet stretcher and its cost
Carpet stretching is done either during new carpet installation or, during the usage to clear the ripples caused due to high traffic, furniture movement etc, which in turn is called as carpet re-stretching. For former case, it is always preferred to go for a professional carpet installer, who would do all the installation work for you. For better life of a carpet, it needs to be installed properly. So, if you are trying to save on installation, be ready for the long term higher expenses.
The carpets will be new and they don’t come cheap. While using power stretchers and kickers you might damage the carpets. The carpet needs to be stretched, cut properly and tucked in under the base mould neatly. Else, the carpet would show ripples easily and one will end up re-stretching frequently.
Different tools being used in carpet installation, buying or hiring all the tools would exceed the cost of professional carpet stretching. Also, using of the tools in right way will be a concern.
Can you cut the carpet using wall trimmer without scratching the base mold and can you tuck it without damaging the mold shoe are the question that needs to be answered.
If you have never done a carpet installation, it is not a great idea to go for DIY carpet stretching method.
Even when carpet re-stretching is considered, hiring a carpet stretcher is preferred unless the ripple or folds are few and near to the wall. Even though small carpets (in area) can be stretched using DIY method, bigger room carpets with more ripples would need a professional. The old carpets may be delicate, and needs better handling while piercing the teeth of the stretcher and stretching it.
How much does carpet stretching costs
If you are concerned about the cost that would incur during the carpet stretching, it will not be expensive. On an average, you should finish within $50 to $100 for considering room size or $200 for the entire house. But remember, it would be worth the price and you can expect better results. Also doctor’s fees for the sore knee will be saved 
.
But planning smart, you can reduce the carpet stretching/ installation cost. Check my article “carpet installation cost” to identify and minimize cost adding factors.
Being said that, DIY carpet stretching is still an option for you. It would be great if you want to clear a minor ripple or stretch the carpet of a small room. Now being aware of the draw backs of the DIY method, you can actually nullify them 
. And here is how you need to do it.
Do it yourself carpet stretching
Equip yourself with all the tools needed before stretching. Here are list of tools and there usage tips. But one needs to be careful. Carpet tearing, improper stretching and work load are the some of the concerns are that you need to keep in mind.
Carpet stretching Tools:
Kicker: Kicker is used to stretch the carpet. Keep the kicker about ½ inches from the wall with the teeth of the kicker are fixed to the carpet and you need to kick the kicker in order to stretch the carpet. But be careful. Make sure you are capable of it and would not end up with a sore knee. Wear a knee pad for protection if needed. For wider carpets and higher work load it is preferred to not use a kicker, but power stretcher.
Power stretcher: For more effective and tight stretching a power stretcher is used. The stretcher will hold one end and will stretch the other end of carpet. But while using a power stretcher it is always good to have kicker as well. There are also mini power stretchers for lighter loads.
You can either buy or rent both the kicker and power stretcher.
Wall trimmer: Once you stretch carpet towards the wall, you need to trim and remove the excess carpet using wall trimmer. Use the trimmer carefully so that you won’t end up scratching the base mold.
Stair tool: Stair tool is used to tuck the carpet under the shoe mold.
Knife: Use the knife to cut the while laying and stretching.
Here is a video that would help you to understand DIY method better
