straydog wrote:

We put in wall to wall carpeting just about 3 years ago. Nice at first.
Slowly the wrinkles started appearing. This isn't a new phenomenon; we
bought a house 15 years earlier and it was only about 4 years old and it
had these same kind of wrinkles (as if the carpet just expanded in area
or repeated walking caused it to stretch) and we sold that house without
ever doing anything about the wrinkles (and the new buyers never said
anything about it, either, but it would be something I'd want to fix).

So, if there isn't some "magic" cure/fix for this, I'm presuming that
I've got to find some carpet intaller-guy and have him spend, what, 1/2
to full day of restretching/relaying the carpet (not to mention moving a
whole bunch of furniture out of that area [a bear of a project on its
own]), or else get one of those knee-kick or power stretchers and do it
myself?

Yeah, carpet is over a pad about 3/4 inch thick or so.

Art S.

You've been give a lot of weird answers. Part of
the problem is all carpets are not equal. If have
quality carpet installed by a good installer, it
won't ever have to be restretched. Ours has been
down for 19 years and is still stretched the same
as new. (Time for a new carpet as it is worn in
some places). Contrary to what some have said,
wrinkle development is not common.

The problem with cheap carpets is that they may
tear if you stretch them the amount needed. If
you have good quality carpet, then the problem is
the installation.

You should consider doing it yourself, and you
could use a knee kicker. If you are handy you can
covert the knee kicker to a real stretcher, with
some 2x4s and a couple of bolts. Restretching
doesn't require moving all the furniture,
especially if you do it yourself and proceed in
small degrees. Your biggest concern will be to
not tear the carpet, Read a couple of books.

OTOH, restretching by a professional is likely to
be only an hour or two job for a whole house.