How to remove carpet | Real Homes
When you have new carpet installed, you can save money by removing the old one before the installer arrives, making the installation quicker and less complicated since the floors are ready and waiting.
Do-it-yourself enthusiasts might consider how to install rugs, as installing them yourself can also save a package.
You may also want to know how to remove carpets once you have determined that the wooden floor below is in good condition. It could be restored and stained, or if you don’t like the wood look you can always paint the planks for an affordable new look.
Carpet picking was a skill that came in handy to me a few years ago when we had just received the keys to a new house. Full of excitement we opened the front door, entered the front room and exited fairly quickly as the carpet was disgusting. The buying process had taken months and in all the stress I had forgotten how bad the carpets were (the property had been rented out for many years without replacing the carpets and for a time it was also a student residence). A deep mess housing God knows what. It wasn’t good – we’re talking beyond the help of even the best carpet cleaner – they had to go…right away.
Hopefully you don’t have such an extreme fall on your hands, but if you have a rug that you want to remove then stay with me and I’ll show you how.
The following guide applies to all floor types, but once you’ve removed the carpet, the appropriate next steps will depend on whether you’re replacing it or not. Similarly, the cleaning approach will depend on the method used to attach the carpet, i.e. glue, tacks, or grab bars.
1. Clear area
(Image credit: Claire Douglas)
This task will be much easier if you can clear the room before you start. It will make your life a lot easier if you don’t have to move objects and furniture around while removing the carpet. It’s not always possible, in which case you just have to make the most of the available space and move furniture from the area you’re working in to where you’ve already been.
2. Start in the corner
(Image credit: Claire Douglas)
Grab the corner of the rug with your pliers and pull up. You’ll need to use a little force as there will likely be a grab bar holding it in place. Don’t be tempted to grab it with your fingers because the teeth on these grabbers are sharp… how really sharp!
Pull the corner toward the center of the room, then work your way down one wall of the room by pulling back the rug in the same way.
3. Cut into strips
(Image credit: Claire Douglas)
Once you’ve lifted the rug edge over the entire side of one wall, fold the rug back on itself and carefully trim the line of the crease with the utility knife (opens in new tab). As you cut, position yourself next to the fold line to ensure the utility knife is clear of your body.
4. Roll it up
(Image credit: Claire Douglas)
Once you have cut the side strip, roll it up at the short end and secure with a piece of strong tape such as a piece of tape. B. Tape (opens in new tab).
The shape and size of the room will determine how many strips you should cut the rug into. You want the strips to be easy to manage once they’re rolled up, so three to five is a good guide, but go with how many you’re comfortable working with.
Continue the above steps until all of the carpet has been removed, rolled up and glued into bundles.
What now?
(Image credit: Claire Douglas)
When replacing the carpet, you should leave the underlay (if in good condition) and any gripper bars in place. The cost of installing carpet is not very high, but reusing existing materials can save money and installation time.
If you have other plans – maybe because you know there are some gorgeous floorboards underneath that would be great for displaying, or maybe you’re planning on putting in some floor tile or vinyl instead – you’ll need to remove both, here’s how…
How to remove carpet underlay
(Image credit: Claire Douglas)
Carpet underlay or pads are usually soft and flimsy, making them much easier to remove than carpet. If the backing was stapled, the staples are likely to be around the edges and the pieces should be easily removed by pulling on the corner in the same manner as before. Be sure to wear gloves as the staples may get stuck in your hands.
Because the underlay is thinner and more flexible than carpet, larger rolls are easier to handle, or you can fold the rolls in half and tape them in place. Once the entire underlay has been picked up, you will need to remove any staples stuck in the ground. This may seem like a lot of work, but leaving the boards exposed will make the braces unsightly and could cause foot injuries if they aren’t completely flat on the ground. When installing thin new flooring such as vinyl you really need to remove any staples as they can show through and even cause holes in the floor when the floor is used.
If the underlay was taped or glued in place, you must remove it in the same manner (by lifting a corner and pulling along the edge), but you must also remove any adhesive or patches of underlay that remain stuck to the subfloor. This can usually be scraped off, but you may need to use cleaning fluid to remove stubborn bits.
(Image credit: Claire Douglas)
How to remove carpet gripper bars
(Image credit: Claire Douglas)
These can be fatal, so be careful not to touch the sharp parts during the removal process. Use any tool you can hook under the grapple bars, a pry bar is ideal, but the claw part of a claw hammer, chisel or even a nail remover will work just fine. Position your tool of choice near the nails that secure the grapple bar to the ground as this will be most effective and less likely to tear the strip.
Note that when removing carpet from a concrete floor, glue may have been used to attach the grab bars. Hit away with a hammer, but you may need a chisel to dislodge the globs of glue.
(Image credit: Claire Douglas)
Use for old carpet
Before you throw away your old carpet, see if you can recycle all or part of it with one of the following creative and waste-reducing ideas.
- Wrap something around to make a cat scratching post
- Place it in the garden for areas that need heavy weed control, or use it to cover your compost heap
- Reuse as pond liner
- Cut into doormats
- Donate to an animal shelter, check to see if your local charities are accepting donations