Guy I've worked with for 8 years told me he stopped using power stretchers on every job
We were loading up after a 3 bedroom in Dayton and he mentioned he's been doing the last 3 feet of every room by hand with a knee kicker for the past 6 months, even on big stretches where a power stretcher would normally be the go-to. He says he gets fewer callbacks on buckling at the walls now, and honestly it made me second guess how I've been finishing my edges for years. Has anyone else gone back to hand kicking their last few feet, or is he just asking for trouble on Berber?
Started doing the same thing about a year ago and never looked back. My old boss thought I was nuts but the wall buckling callbacks pretty much dried up. The trick is getting your power stretch tight first then popping that last bit by hand so the stretch stays even at the baseboard. I still use the power stretcher for the main field though, no way I'm kicking a whole room by hand at my age. On Berber I'd be a little careful since that stuff needs a solid stretch or it'll ripple, but for regular plush and frieze it works great.