I used to think a power stretcher was overkill for small rooms

I was on a job in a condo in Chicago last year, just a 10x12 bedroom. I figured I could get away with a knee kicker, like a lot of guys do. Halfway through the second side, I had a wrinkle I couldn't work out no matter what. The homeowner saw it and was not happy. I had to go back to the truck for the power stretcher, which added an hour. That one small room taught me that the right tool is the right tool, no matter the size. Do you all ever skip the power stretcher on small spaces, or is it just me who learned this the hard way?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_sam12d ago

My last condo job in Boston was a 12x10 office. I almost left the power stretcher in the van to save time. Ended up with a tight bubble along the baseboard that my knee kicker just would not fix. Had to stop everything, go down to the parking garage, and haul it up. That extra trip cost me more time than just setting it up first. Now I just bring it in for every single room, no matter how small it seems.

spencer812d ago

Yeah that "save time" trap gets everyone. My buddy did the same thing on a small bedroom job, skipped the stretcher to be quick. Ended up with a wrinkle right in the doorway he had to redo the whole seam.

mila_campbell2512d ago

That "save time" trap is so real, @the_sam. It's like when you skip reading the recipe all the way through and then realize you're missing an ingredient halfway into cooking, lol. Always ends up taking longer.