A knee kicker is a tool used for installing carpet in small areas and stairways. It consists of a pin plate and a padded cushion for knee pressure. It is not sufficient for general stretching, and an electric stretcher is required. The tool is used to pull the carpet to the edge of the room and hook it to a tack strip. Other tools used for carpet installation include a carpet iron, carpet knife blades, a ladder tool, and a carpet tensioner.
A knee kicker is a useful tool for installing carpet in stairways and small areas, including closets, and also used for placing carpet in larger areas. It is a manipulated tool which consists of a pin plate attached to a short segment of metal tubing. At the opposite end of the pin plate is a padded cushion where the installer applies knee pressure to position the carpet, hence the tool’s name.
While it can be used as such, the knee kicker isn’t sufficient for general stretching; an electric stretcher is required for this task. In a normal four corner room, a knee kicker takes the excess flex from the carpet in the center of the room. An installer will use one to pull the carpet to the edge of the room and then hook it to a tackle strip.
The tackle strip, or tack strip, is made of wood with tack points that hook into the back of the carpet. The edge, after being trimmed in excess, is inserted between the strip and the skirting board, usually with a spatula. Some installers use a ladder tool to thread the strip against the wall. After using another tool, the carpet stretcher, the installer will descend each wall again with the knee kicker.
Despite its name, the knee kicker must be pushed, rather than kicked, to stretch the mat into place. Place the padded end of the tool a few inches above your knee and apply pressure. Also, avoid using the knee kicker on one side of the mat if the other side has been set up on a tack strip.
To properly tune a knee kicker, start at a 3½ setting and adjust as needed. Be sure to remove any lint between your teeth so the tool grips properly. Other tools designed for carpet installation include a carpet iron, carpet knife blades, a ladder tool, and a carpet tensioner. The blade of a carpet knife is double-edged and is sharper than a regular utility knife. To join the seams, installers use hot glue heated with an iron. The carpet stretcher has small teeth that grip the carpet and help it stretch towards the edges.
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