If you’re planning to remove your old carpet on your own, you could theoretically just start with it. However, without at least some know-how it’s going to turn into a very difficult endeavor. Why not make your job a lot easier and learn how a carpet removal professional does it? It’s definitely going to make it a breeze despite all the sweat you’re going to break. Should you notice at any point that you can’t do it, after all, visit this website.
Make sure, you have the right equipment
A carpet removal does usually not need any special equipment. Most of the tools you need you probably already have in your toolbox anyway. Therefore, there’s no requirement to buy expensive high-tech tools that may make the job easier. Before you think about getting some additional tools, consider how often you’re going to use them. Moreover, not all praised high-tech equipment keep their promise. Some tools may demand know-how of how to use them best. As a result, it’s best to keep it simple:
- Pry bar
- Pliers
- Heavy-duty gloves
- Hammer
- Heavy-duty scraper
- Carpet knife with replacement blades
- Knee pads
- Dust mask
- Eye protection
The knee pads are only going to serve for your comfort since you’re going to be on your knees most of the time. A lot of dust gathers underneath your carpet, more than you could ever imagine. It’s best to wear a dust mask and probably also some kind of goggles. Those are going to provide you with a bit of extra safety in case of staples flying towards your face.
Be well prepared
As a first measurement to prepare for the carpet removal, you have to clean out the respective room. Not one piece of furniture can be left inside. If you do, it’s going to make your endeavor next to impossible. At the same time, you need to find some space where you can leave all furniture for the time being. Get a friend to help you with the bulky and heavy items. It’d be awful to break your back before you even started with the carpet removal. Once the room is clear, remove all doors that open into the respective room. This would also concern closet doors.
Time for a cleanup
Afterward, it’s advisable to hoover the room. It will at least reduce the amount of dust you’re going to face. Furthermore, any hidden debris in the carpet is no safety concern for the carpet removal. Have a cup of coffee and start with the next step.
Remove the baseboards
The baseboards cover the edges of your wall-to-wall carpet and fortunately, a carpet is hardly ever directly meeting with your walls underneath. Try not to damage the baseboards in order to reuse them. You could use a pry bar for removing the baseboards. Be careful of all the nails they’re attached with. Once they’re all removed, bring them into another room to provide yourself with an unobstructed working surface.
Choose a corner
In order to start with the carpet removal, it’s usually advised to start the corner that’s furthest from the room’s entry. It doesn’t really matter, as long as you just start at one corner. Depending on how firmly your carpet is attached at the sides, you have two options to start:
- Pry up a corner of the carpet. Use the pliers to pull it up further as you pull it up. As soon as you can grab it with your hands, pull it up further with your hands.
- Cut a square into the corner of your carpet and use the hole as a handhold. It’ll be easier to pull up the carpet with a firm grip.
Don’t forget to wear your heavy-duty gloves for this step. They help you to avoid any injuries while you get a better hold at your carpet altogether. The carpet is attached to the floor with tack strips around the edges and glue or staples, for which you’ll need a lot of muscle power to pull it up. The tack strips are the trickiest part. Use your pry bar to remove the carpet from those. If you have a friend who could help you, you’ll be able to finish the carpet removal sooner and more effectively.
Cut it up
Cutting the carpet into strips as you remove it bit by bit from the floor will make it easier to handle. Remember how bulky carpet is. Since you’re going to toss it anyway, it doesn’t have to remain in one piece. Some people suggest already cutting it into stips before you start pulling it up. But most heavy-duty knives don’t cut through the carpet properly. In that case, you can also start cutting it into strips from the back as you pull it up. Once it’s cut into pieces, you can roll up the carpet into neat bundles and secure them with tape.
Remove the padding
The padding is the easiest part of carpet removal. You can do it in the same manner as you pulled up the carpet, but you won’t need to invest as much effort. Last, but not least, you’ll discover a bunch of staples on your floor. Use the scraper or better even a floor scraper to remove them. You can’t leave them in, unfortunately. They would create unsightly bumps in your new carpet or make a new hardwood floor uneven. In the end, you’ll only have to give your floor a thorough cleanup. You don’t clean very often underneath your flooring, so it’s going to be rather worthwhile. It’s also the perfect opportunity to check if your floor is still intact. If there are any rotten wood planks, now is the time to replace them.
Parting words
For the disposal you’ll have two options: Put the remains of your carpet removal into your trunk and bring it to the next disposal site. Before you go, make sure they do accept carpets.
Schedule a collection for the carpet removal. If it’s allowed in your area, you can place the carpet bundles at your curb and they’ll pick them up at your convenience.
