Removing Carpet

How to Remove Carpet

1. 1 Vacuum Entire Floor Thoroughly

   

   Because you’re about to be handling your old carpet for a few hours, vacuum the entire floor thoroughly.

2. 2 Use a Utility Knife to Cut Around Metal Threshold Strips

   

   Use a flat pry bar to lift up the strips until they release from the floor. Dispose the strips in construction-grade garbage bags. You may be able to pull the carpet up without removing the baseboards.

3. 3 Use Pliers to Grab Carpet Fibers

   

   Lift the carpet to release it from the tack strips. Continue to release the carpet from tack strips along the room perimeter.
   

   
   

4. 4 Use Utility Knife to Cut Carpet into Strips Optional

   

   Once part of the first strip of carpet is lifted, lay a scrap 2 x 4 under the carpet and use that as a cutting base—this step is necessary only if you want to protect the floor underneath (for example, if you have wood floors). After the first strip is cut, set the board on top of the carpet and fold the carpet back over the board, cutting from the underside. You may be able to cut the carpet pad and carpet at the same time; if not, you can cut the carpet pad separately later. Cut the strips into sizes that are manageable to you.

5. 5 Roll Up Strips of Carpet + Secure with Duct Tape

   

   You may have to pull up on the strips with some effort if the carpet pad is stapled down. If you were not able to cut through the carpet pad, you will have to cut that into strips and roll the strips up once the carpet is removed. If you have perimeter-bonded carpet you must now remove the remaining perimeter piece glued to the floor.

6. 6 Sweep Up Carpet Padding + Put into Garbage Bag

   

   Sweep up pieces of carpet padding and put them into a construction-grade garbage bag. If the pad was held down with staples, don’t clean away the bits of pad still attached to the staples—the padding makes it easier to find and remove the staples.

7. 7 Remove Tack Strips by Slowly Lifting the Strips Up with Pry Bar

   

   Place a thin piece of hard material (like a piece of 1⁄8” wood veneer) under the pry bar to protect the floor. Tack strips are attached to the floor with small nails spaced approximately 6 to 8” apart. The pry bar is most effective when placed directly under these points.  If it is difficult to insert the pry bar under the tack strip in places, use a hammer to tap the short bent end of the pry bar underneath the tack strip where it is attached by a nail; then pry back.