Serious question about stretch-in vs. glue-down durability

I've been installing carpet for 15 years and I keep hearing guys say glue-down is more durable than stretch-in for residential. But I pulled up a 12-year-old stretch-in job last month in a Denver rental house. The carpet was worn thin in spots but the seams were tight and the pad was still solid. Meanwhile I've seen glue-down jobs that started peeling at the edges after 5 years because the adhesive dried out or the subfloor shifted. Am I the only one seeing stretch-in hold up better over the long haul?

3 comments

3 Comments

finleyw991mo ago

Haven't you mixed up the problem with glue-down a bit though? The peeling edges you're talking about usually happen when guys don't use the right adhesive for the subfloor or skip the primer. I've pulled plenty of old glue-down jobs that were still flat and solid after 10+ years because the prep was done right. Stretch-in definitely wins for comfort and feel, but glue-down can last just as long if not longer when it's installed properly. The rental house you mentioned might have had good padding and low traffic, which makes a big difference for stretch-in holding up.

eric_murray261mo ago

Ah man, I gotta push back a little on that last point. Stretch-in with good padding and low traffic can hold up fine, sure, but you're right that prep is everything on glue-down. Where I see the mix-up is saying glue-down lasts "as long if not longer" than stretch-in in most homes. Glue-down is way more forgiving if the subfloor shifts or expands over time because it's got some give. Stretch-in has to fight the tack strip and the pad, so if there's ANY moisture or uneven subfloor issues, it's gonna buckle way sooner than a glue-down would. I've seen glue-down jobs from the 90s still looking fresh in basements where stretch-in would've been a mess after five years. But hey, if you're doing a clean plywood subfloor with good climate control, stretch-in is a BEAST for comfort.

juliag1014d agoTop Commenter

Funny you mention that @finleyw99, because the glue-down jobs I've seen fail weren't from bad prep or wrong adhesive. They were from the adhesive just getting brittle over time in basements with slab moisture. The old glue-down jobs from the 90s you're talking about might look fresh, but peel back a corner and you'll see the fiberglass backing starting to separate from the glue. Stretch-in doesn't have that problem because it's mechanically held, not chemically held. A tight stretch on good pad will outlast any glue bond once you factor in temperature swings.