Removing carpet can seem like an overwhelming task, I honestly put this off for weeks because I was afraid of making a costly mistake. Once I started the process, I knew there was no turning back.
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In this blog post, we’ll provide you with an easy step-by-step guide to removing carpet and share some tips and tricks to make the process even easier. And if you’re more of a visual learner, we’ve got a YouTube video linked here to help you out.
What Tools Do I Need to Remove Carpet?
Before you get started, make sure you have the right tools on hand. Here are some essential tools for carpet removal:
- Gloves
- Ear Protection
- Eye Protection
- Knee Pads
- Utility Knife
- Self Prying Bar
- Hammer
- Pliers (to remove nails from baseboards & wall)
- Staple Puller
- Vacuum
- Screws (optional, if subfloor squeaks)
- Drill (optional if you find loose screws, or need to fix any squeaks & creaks with screws)
STEP 1- Prepare Your Space
Before you begin removing the carpet, you’ll need to prepare your space. Start by removing all furniture from the room and any other items that may be in your way. It’s best to remove furniture completely, but if that is not possible, move them all to once side of the room and start removing carpet on the other side.
STEP 2- Remove Baseboards
With your utility knife carefully cut through the caulk along the baseboards. This is important to do, if you skip this step you will most likely end up ripping your drywall.
Then place the pry bar at the chosen starting point between the baseboard and the wall. Gently tap the pry bar with a hammer to create a small gap.
Once you have created a gap, wedge the pry bar further between the baseboard and the wall. Apply gentle pressure and leverage to pry the baseboard away from the wall. Be careful not to damage the wall or the baseboard.
Use pliers to remove the nails from the wall and baseboards
STEP 3- Start With a Corner
Start the carpet removal process by finding a corner of the room where you can easily access the edge of the carpet. Use a utility knife to make a careful cut through a section of the carpet near the corner.
This will allow you to get a firm grip on the carpet and easily pull it up, you could also use pliers to help you lift that edge up.Be careful not to cut into the floor underneath.
STEP 4- Cut Carpet Into Strips
You could remove the carpet all at once without cutting it into strips, but trust me, it’ll be a lot harder to handle and toss because carpets can get heavy! That’s why I suggest cutting it into strips and rolling them up instead. It makes disposing of the carpet a breeze and much easier to handle.
STEP 5- Remove Carpet Padding
I chose to also cut the padding into strips, and rolling them up also to make it easier to dispose. Since the padding is not as heavy you could take it all out at once.
STEP 6- Remove The Carpet Staples
I tried 2 different methods to remove the carpet staples to see what was the easiest, the easiest one turned out to be this $5 staple puller.
STEP 7- Remove The Carpet Tack Strip
Use a pry bar and hammer to lift the tack strip up from the subfloor, being careful not to damage the subfloor.
STEP 8- Tighten Any Loose Screws
If you have a wood subfloor then chances are screws were used to hold them in place, so take a look around and make sure there aren’t any loose screws sticking out. Our builders did a pretty horrible job when building so we found lots of screws that were not screwed in all the way.
STEP 9- Inspect & Clean the The Subfloor
Now is the time to double check that no staples were left. Here are the things you should be doing to inspect your subfloor:
Walk around each panel to if you hear any squeaks or creaks, you can reinforce your subfloor by adding screws.
Make sure the floor is leveled especially if you are installing a different type of flooring.
Scrap off any dried joint compound left behind (we had a lot of that on our subfloor).
Once you have inspected your subfloor it’s time to clean it! I would recommend sweeping as well as vacuuming (it’s best to use a shop vac instead of your everyday vacuum
With the carpet removed and the floor clean and ready, you can now install your new flooring! We decided to go with LVP flooring from Flooret in the color NAKAN, I will be sharing our experience with Installing LVP as well as a step by step guide soon!
Removing carpet can be a rewarding DIY project that breathes new life into your home. By following these step-by-step instructions and using the right tools, even beginners can successfully remove carpet and prepare their floors for a fresh new look. Remember to take your time, stay safe, and enjoy the process
Happy DIY-ing!
