• Knee kickers and pads make floor installation easierconstruction worker image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
  
  You often use a knee kicker to install carpets, but you shouldn't use it as a stretching tool. You can use a knee kicker to put carpeting on stairs, in small closets, or use if for floor installation. It is usually about a foot in length. You place one end on the floor in front of you, and hit the other end, which is closest to you, with your knee to make the carpet or floor plank go into the desired position.
  
  

Knee Kicker Features

• Most knee kickers have different settings so that you adjust for different pile heights or floor boards. They have lock settings and the length is adjustable as well. The end you hit with your knee has padding for comfort, often foam, and it will help to protect your knee from injuries while installing floors. Knee kickers for floor installation may have double-locking pins and a precision pin-adjustment feature. Typically, a knee kicker adjusts in length from 17 inches to 23 inches. They are usually made from industrial-grade steel with thick cast aluminum pieces for optimum strength and may have a coated shank to prevent your hands from slipping. A knee kicker may feature a minimum trigger throw to make adjustments easier and a high contour neck for easy handling. Some knee kickers offer large channel stops to minimize wear and to maintain a precise opening range.
  
  

Knee Tool On Wheels

• The Racatac, a four-wheeled tool used when installing floors, supports your back and knees. It will enable you to maintain a kneeling position while you control its speed and balance and your comfort. Ergonomically designed, the Racatac offers maximum knee protection. Instead of having to support your weight on your heels, the seat provides the support so that it relieves pressure off your knees and ankles and allows your feet to control movement. You can choose from a 2-inch wheel caster size or a 3-inch wheel caster size.
  
  

Flooring Knee Pads

• Recommended for anyone who works on floor installation for an extended period of time is a good pair of flooring knee pads. Knee pads will help to protect your knee caps from damage that can result from overuse of the knee caps. Many kinds of knee caps exist to choose from, and some are suitable for both knee-kicking and kneeling for long periods of time. Styles include small-cap knee pads, leather ones, long ones with a hard, plastic cap, long rubber ones for installing hardwood and tile floors, and all-purpose knee pads with velcro fastenings.