Carpet is one of those things that can’t be revived after it has hit its expiration date. After years of wear and tear, it has to be removed and replaced. And if there’s been any kind of water damage to your carpet, it’s best to get it changed as soon as possible.
Luckily, stripping your rug can be done in a few easy steps. All you need are a few tools and maybe a couple of extra helping hands. Not to mention, you’ll save money by doing it yourself versus calling a professional. These practical instructions will make removing your carpet quick and easy.
Clear the Path
First thing’s first: Clear off everything from the carpet that you want to pull up. This step might require you to move furniture and anything else that might be in the way. Next, you should consider checking the condition of the floor underneath the carpet before pulling up all of it. You don’t want any surprises, so you can cut and pull a section of the flooring beforehand. Doing this will ensure you don't run into any major issues such as severe molding or a problem with insects.
Measure the Floor
Now that you’ve gotten everything out of the way, take some time to prep for the removal. If you plan on replacing your floor with more carpet, it’s best to know your measurements. The last thing you want to do is buy too much carpet and have excess or run out before completing the job.
Measure the room with precision and map out a floor plan. Additionally, you should jot down any variants in the measurements such as doorways or the fireplace. And don’t forget that most carpet has padding underneath, so you’ll need to calculate that in as well.
Protect Yourself
Once you’ve figured out the technicalities with the carpet measurements, it’s time to move on to the removal process. Before starting, put on a mask to shield yourself. Old carpet is full of dust and particles that could be harmful and you don’t want to inhale them. It might help to vacuum the carpet first to help eliminate extra dirt. Also, don’t forget to wear some protective gloves. You want to make sure you don’t get impaled by staples or tack strips, especially if they’re rusted.
Removal Time
Grip a corner piece of carpet with pliers and proceed to pull the rug back. In order to make this process easier, it’s best to fold it once you’ve pulled about two feet up. After you’ve folded the carpet, cut along the back of the fold with both hands on the utility knife. Using two hands to cut the carpet will help you avoid cutting yourself. Continue to roll and slice until you’ve completed the removal. This process will make carrying it out a breeze and keeps you from lugging around a large roll of carpet once you’re finished.
Remove The Tack Strips
The tack strip is the piece of wood located along the border of the wall that’s studded with nails. You can skip this step of removing it if you plan to install new carpet. However, if the nails in the strip are rusted or destroyed, the tack strip needs to be replaced. To remove it, use a crowbar to lift the wood and nails from the floor. Please wear heavy-duty gloves during this process.
Pull Up the Carpet Padding
The padding underneath the carpet will most likely be in small sections, so you won’t have to do as much cutting. Most of the time, the pads are held down by staples which run along the perimeter of each section. Again, you need gloves for this step because you could stick yourself while pulling up the padding. Just grab it by hand and roll as you go. Luckily, this process isn't as difficult as removing the carpet.
Check Out the Subfloor
If you don’t have a cement surface under the padding, it’s vital that you check the wood subfloor. Make sure it’s stable and doesn’t bend too much. Carefully walk on all of the panels to check for squeaking noises and do a light bounce to ensure that it's firm. If you plan to replace the carpet, it’s best to confirm that the flooring beneath the carpet is in good condition. Also, make sure there are no rusted nails or staples. If you come across squeaks during the inspection, hammer in some shank nails in the noisy area. They’ll ensure the wood flooring is secure and durable.
Additionally, if you are putting down hardwood, laminate or tile in the place of the carpet, it’s crucial to remove all staples from the floor. The staples could make the new flooring uneven, so don’t skip this step. You can use a pry bar or pliers to get the job done. It might take approximately a half hour or longer. It’s tedious but it will ensure that your new flooring is installed properly.
Clean Up
After working so hard, there’s one final step left. You’ll likely have lots of particles and staples on the floor that need to be swept. Make sure to thoroughly clean everything and once it has all been removed, use a shop vacuum to clean the subfloor to ensure things are completely cleared out of the way. And that’s it! You’re all done.
The Finished Product
Removing carpet isn’t the easiest thing but, hopefully, these simple guidelines will make the process easier for you. Some steps might seem excessive, but taking additional precautions will ensure that your new floors have a firm foundation. You don’t want to put in hard work to remove the carpet, only to install new flooring that’s uneven and in poor condition. So, go the extra mile and the finished product will be perfect.
