Removing and disposing of old carpet may be part of the deal when
you purchase new carpet. But what if you plan to install a
different type of floor or you plan to install the new floor
yourself? How will you be able to remove that huge carpet by
yourself? How will you dispose of it? And, how will you prepare
your floor for a new floor.
There is no need to worry, just follow these four simple steps
and in no time you will have removed and disposed of your old
carpet and will be ready to move on to installing your new floor.
Step #1 Cut the Carpet Into Manageable Strips
The carpet does not have to leave your house in one piece as it
came in. The simplest method to cut your carpet into strips is to
use a knife. Avoid scissors — they require much more work on
your part.
Lift the carpet along an edge or doorway and using the knife,
begin cutting the carpet into two to three foot wide strips that
are about six to ten feet long. Roll each strip as you go and you
will find that each section can easily be deposited into a large
garage can , dumpster, or the back of a truck.
Continue cutting the carpet into strips and removing each section
until you have removed the entire carpet.
Step #2 Remove the Carpet Pad
Removing the carpet pad will be even easier than removing the
carpet. Simply cut the pad into strips as you did with the carpet
and remove.
Step #3 Remove Carpet Tack Strips
You will want to remove the tack strips as soon as possible as
they are very painful to step on. A hammer and a flat screwdriver
are all you will need to remove the carpet tack strips around the
edge of the room. Use the flat screwdriver to pry up the tack
strips. The prongs of the hammer also work well for this if you
have room between the wall and the tack strip. Once the wood tack
strips are removed, use the hammer to pull up any nails that held
the strips in place.
Step #4 Clean Up
Now that the main mess is gone, make sure all carpet glue and
pieces of carpet pad are removed. Using the flat screwdriver or a
spackle knife, scrape up the glue and other debris. Sweep the
floor. A shop vacuum works well for the final clean up.
Now your old carpet is gone, your room is clean, and your floor
is a blank canvas ready for you to create a brand new look.