Nothing adds coziness, warmth, and comfort to a home like a new carpet. However, in most cases, you’ll have to endure removing an old carpet before you can enjoy the beauty of your new design. Before you tackle removing your carpet on your own, it’s important to know what to expect from this labor-intensive project!
Tearing up carpets can be challenging, as the carpet is heavy, bulky, and difficult to dispose of. You’ll still need a professional for the installation of your new flooring. DIY carpet removal involves pulling it up from a corner, folding it, and cutting it into strips that can be easily rolled up and removed.
Tearing up carpets is no easy task if you’re not a DIY enthusiast. However, with the right tools and expectations, you can safely and efficiently accomplish this task – learn how below!
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What to Expect When Removing Carpets: An Overview
There’s nothing that completes the atmosphere of your home like a carpet. A soft plush carpet can be a treat for your feet on winter mornings, boost the energy efficiency of your property, and create an overall cozy environment.
However, carpets are among the few types of flooring that require the most care. In fact, daily wear and tear, spills, pets, and kids can leave the carpet looking worn out and stained. And there’s nothing worse than a dingy carpet that makes your entire property look outdated!
Nevertheless, the good news is that you can easily breathe new life into your home by tearing out the old carpet. Whether you’ve just moved into your new single-family home or simply want to increase the value of your property, changing the carpet is a great starting point.
The easiest way is to select your new flooring – whether it’s hardwood or even a new carpet – and ask a professional to handle the entire project for you. However, if you’re determined to save money and remove the carpet yourself, it’s important to have the right expectations.
Removing a Carpet Can Be a Challenge
First and foremost, it’s important to consider that removing a carpet can be very labor-intensive. After all, carpet flooring can be heavy and bulky. And since it can take several days to remove the carpet and install the new one, you may have to endure significant disruptions to your daily routine.
Note that this may not be a suitable job for children and adults with respiratory conditions. Studies have shown that a carpet can significantly deteriorate indoor air quality and worsen breathing problems.
When removing a carpet, you may release mold spores and allergens into the environment, including the air. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep allergy sufferers and children away from the room during this time.
You’ll Need a Professional to Install the New Carpet
If you believe you can still remove the carpet yourself, we’ll tell you in the next section how to do it. However, keep in mind that you’ll still need the help of a professional to install the new carpet or flooring.
A professional agency may offer you a discount if you hire them for both the removal and replacement of the carpet. Additionally, they have the necessary tools, expertise, and resources to reduce time, labor, and disruptions.
Consider whether the additional work is worth the money you save by not hiring a professional!
Disposing of an Old Carpet Can Be Difficult
If you decide to tackle the carpet removal yourself, make sure you already know how to dispose of your old carpet. After all, the last thing you want is bulky rolls of old, smelly carpets sitting in your doorway or garage for weeks!
If there’s an affordable service available in your area, contact them before starting your DIY project to minimize the time your old carpet sits in the house.
Alternatively, if there’s no easily accessible carpet disposal service near you, consider hiring a professional carpet removal company that takes care of every aspect for you.
How to Tear Up Carpets
If you’ve decided to remove the carpet yourself, here are a few simple steps you can follow to minimize effort and maximize efficiency.
In the video below, you’ll find a summary of what you need to know to safely remove your carpet:
Or, keep reading for more details.
Gather Gloves, Utility Knife, and Tape
The first step is always to remove all furniture and decorations from the room. Then, start by assembling all the necessary tools for a safe carpet removal project, including:
- Dust mask
- Knee pads
- Safety goggles
- Utility knife
- Gloves
- Tape
- Locking pliers
- Pry bar
It’s also a good idea to keep children and pets away from the room.
Check If the Carpet Is Tucked Under Baseboards
The baseboards are the lower part of the wall – the part that usually experiences the most wear and tear. In most cases, your carpet won’t be tucked under the baseboards, and there’s no need to remove them to remove the carpet.
However, in some cases, plastic baseboards may be attached on top of the carpet. In this case, you’ll need to remove them to reach the corners of the carpet underneath.
Start by Lifting the Carpet at a Corner
Once you can see the corners and boards of your carpet, you can start removing them. For this step, find a corner and start from there. Then, pull the corner of the carpet toward yourself.
If it’s stuck to the tack strips and doesn’t lift easily, you can use your utility knife to cut a 15 x 15 cm square around the corner. This will create a handle, allowing you to start lifting the carpet.
Continue Folding the Carpet Toward the Center of the Room
Keep pulling the carpet toward the center of the room until you can fold it onto itself. Create a fold of about 1 meter in length.
To make cutting and rolling the carpet much easier, consider folding it along a straight line later on. It’s best to have a partner who can pull the carpet at the other end.
Cut the Carpet Along the Fold
Few homeowners know that it’s much easier to cut the carpet from the back than from the front. That’s because the fibers make it much harder for the knife to go through the backing material.
Instead, after folding the carpet, simply cut a straight line along the fold. Make sure to hold the utility knife with both hands to avoid injuries. Keep in mind that the cut doesn’t have to be perfect since you’ll be throwing away the old carpet anyway.
Roll Up and Secure the Carpet Section
Once the section is cut, you can roll it up and secure it with tape. Instead of dealing with a bulky carpet roll, this solution gives you a few handy rolls that you can handle yourself.
This way, neither you nor the disposal company professionals have to worry about backaches!
Removing Adhered Carpet Padding
Once you’ve removed the carpet, you’ll find that the floor underneath is covered with a layer of padding. In most cases, staples or pins hold the padding in place. However, in some rarer cases, the padding may be glued to the subfloor. In this case, consider consulting a professional to avoid damaging the floor underneath.
If staples are holding your padding, you can remove them by pulling at a corner – preferably one furthest from the room entrance. Since the padding is much lighter than the carpet itself, you can easily roll up entire sections without worrying about additional weight.
Make sure to wear gloves and knee pads during this step, as there may be loose staples lying around the room.
Inspect and Repair the Subfloor
Once both the carpet and padding are removed, you should consider inspecting and repairing the subfloor. After spending a significant amount of money on a new carpet, you definitely don’t want to invest in professional installation only to find out that the subfloor squeaks.
Some preventive measures you can take to ensure the subfloor is intact include:
- Secure loose floorboards with ring-shank nails.
- Remove any staples supporting the padding from underneath. There might still be some lying around the room, and they could make the floor uneven.
- Remove old adhesive tapes. If there are some rusty nails or staples, you’ll need to replace them. These could have been caused by leaks or spills. However, don’t forget that rust can “bleed” through the new carpet.
- Inspect the subfloor for any discolored or rotten parts. You may need to replace some of the panels.
Conclusion
A vast majority of households around the world enjoy the benefits of carpet flooring. Carpets can make a home feel warmer, cozier, and more comfortable. However, they require high maintenance. Upon moving in and every 5-10 years after, replacing the carpet becomes necessary.
You can do this yourself, but it’s always best to avail the services of a professional company. However, if you opt for a DIY approach, be sure to fold the carpet and cut it into strips for easier handling of the rolls.