Stuck between a power stretcher and a knee kicker for a tricky hallway job

Had this narrow hallway in an old house in Portland last month, maybe 3 feet wide with a weird hump in the floor. I always use a power stretcher for big rooms, but I was scared it'd push the baseboards off or mess up the door frames. Went with the knee kicker instead, spent almost 2 hours on that 15 foot run because you gotta adjust every few inches. It worked out fine, no gaps or ripples, but my knee is still sore from all that pounding. Has anyone else run into a situation where a knee kicker just feels safer than the big rig?

2 comments

2 Comments

miles_perez10d ago

You said it took 2 hours for 15 feet with a knee kicker, but that sounds about right for a narrow hallway with a hump. I actually think a power stretcher would have been fine if you set the base plates right and kept it angled so it doesn't hit the door frames.

the_jason10d ago

Oh man, I feel your pain @miles_perez! I had almost the exact same setup two years ago in a tight laundry room hallway. Ended up using a knee kicker for most of it too, but I found that a mini power stretcher (the 6-foot one) actually saved my knees on the straight stretches without banging into everything.