How to remove a carpet and prep the floor for a new one

There’ll come a time when you’ll need to remove a carpet in your home and replace it with fresh new flooring ideas. It could be the carpet is old and worn, you dislike the color or pattern, or you simply want something new to match up your interior design aspirations.

But before you can admire the new you will need to get rid of the old. Removing a carpet isn’t difficult for a DIYer, but it's hard work and you’ll need the right tools and know-how to make the job quicker and easier. All of which our expert reveals in this guide.

How to remove a carpet

When removing an old carpet you’ll need to make sure that you have all the right tools ready to go. If you don’t, it can make the whole removal process much more difficult and time-consuming.

What tools will I need to remove a carpet?

Geoff Walker, company superintendent at ASAP Restoration explains, 'Removing a carpet is pretty simple in terms of the tools required to do the job easily.' So what will you need? Here Walker recommends the tools you‘ll need:

• Utility knife - from Amazon
• Pliers or gripper
• Bladed scraper -from Amazon
• Hand scraper
• Putty knife
• Hammer
• Pry bar - from Amazon
• Duct tape

Alongside the basic tools you’ll need for carpet removal Walker recommends, 'It’s wise to use some safety gear such as thick work gloves, eye protection, and a respirator like this 3M Rugged Comfort Quick Latch Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator from Amazon, for dust and other airborne debris.'

7 Steps to remove an old carpet

Before you can lay a new carpet you need to pull up the old carpet and dispose of it. Here Geoff Walker from ASAP Restoration runs through the steps you need to follow to say goodbye to your old flooring.

1. Remove furniture

If you’re going to be removing the carpet from a whole room, the best method is to eliminate all of the things on top of the carpet before trying to do so. This means placing all furniture and personal items in a different location.

2. Remove baseboard

Sometimes when removing carpet, it can be more of a challenge if the base shoe or baseboard are left on the wall. If possible, and if it makes the project easier it may be more efficient to remove these materials in the same process.

3. Start in corner

It is usually best to start carpet removal in a corner, though this might not always be the easiest spot to get a good grip. A doorway sometimes offers an easier starting place for carpet removal than the corners do.

If you are going to start the process in the corner, be sure to pull up and away from you so that you aren’t working against your own body weight in the process.

4. Work along edges

It is often easiest to remove a carpet by starting the process in the corners or doorway, and then migrating along the edges of the carpet as you go. This can help because carpeting is almost always held into place by tack strips that keep the carpet stationary. Pulling the carpet off of the tack strips is critical for an easy removal.

5. Dispose of carpet

When disposing of the old carpet it is usually easiest to roll up any of the unwanted material and then duct tape or twine it. This will keep the carpet from unraveling during transport to the waste facility. If you only have a small amount of carpeting to eliminate, then it might be easier to do it in small squares which can fit into your trash receptacle without further breaking down.

6. Remove underlay

If the carpet has a vapor barrier, or padding underneath it, then you can usually just pull this up by hand. Sometimes it is glued into place, and it may require further leverage by using pliers or a similar tool.

7. Remove tack strips

If you are removing carpet and replacing it with some other type of flooring, then you will want to remove the tack strips. If you are putting new carpeting back into the room, then it may be easiest to leave the tack strips in place (if in good condition) and attach the new carpeting directly to the old strips.

Sometimes in the carpeting removal process the tack strips can get damaged, so if you do decide to keep the old ones in place, make sure to fix any needed repairs prior to installing the new carpet.

How do I prep a floor for new carpet?

After removing the carpet Walker suggests you get rid of grippers and nails, ‘If there are protrusions in the subflooring, or in the tack strips, eliminate these before adding new carpeting, or take out the tack strips entirely if you are choosing a different type of flooring to go in the same space.’

Typically, there is glue or mastic that has been applied to the flooring to keep either the padding or the carpet itself into place. Walker says, ‘It’s important to remove this layer before adding any new materials or they will reflect this irregularity in the feel of the new flooring materials.’

But how do you remove any old glue? ‘Typically it can be hammered out of place with a chisel and a little bit of force, but if this doesn’t work, then heat or solvents will usually loosen it up enough to pry free,’ shares Walker.

He adds a word of warning, 'Be careful around mastic and glue from old carpeting as it has a tendency to contain asbestos fibers which can be hazardous to your health. Wear a respirator with a P100 filter on it to be sure that you don’t unnecessarily expose yourself when cleaning up the old glue.'

FAQs

How do you install new tack strips?

If installing new tack strips, Walker shares that you first need to, ‘Prep the room by ensuring that there isn’t anything in the corners or along the edges of the room where the tack strips will go.’

Once the room is prepared, ‘Measure and cut the tack strips to the distances needed by the room dimensions. Position the strips along the wall so that they butt up against one another. This will ensure that there are no gaps where you want to put carpeting down. Orient the strips so that the tack points are facing the wall and not the inside of the room.’

Walker adds, ‘Hammer down the tack strips into place, and if nails can’t be used in the space for whatever reason, then you can glue tack strips to the floor carefully, so as not to cover up HVAC registers, drainage lines, or radiant floor heating elements.’

How to remove carpet adhesive from concrete floors?

There are a number of ways from old concrete floors. One simple DIY home remedy method Walker recommends is to, ‘Use hot water and soap. Sometimes this is enough to loosen the connection between the glue and the concrete surface.’

But what if it isn’t? Walker says, ‘You can try solvents like rubbing alcohol, paint thinner, or acetone. These solvents can work to chemically degrade the adhesive so that it can be cleaned up more easily.’

If all else fails he adds, ‘If these methods don’t work, you may be left going at it the old fashioned way with a hammer and chisel or paint scraper tool. It may take longer and be a lot messier, but it will almost always work when solvents don’t.’

How much is it to remove carpet?

If you decide that you don’t want to tackle removing carpet yourself, you can call in a pro.

Walker says, ‘Depending on the amount of carpeting, the amount of padding, and the amount of glue or tack strips that need removal, a quality carpet removal job can range anywhere from $1.00 per square foot to as much as $5.00 or more.’

He adds, ‘Disposal may be an added charge, but typically this is included in the upfront cost provided.’

With your old carpet gone, what carpet should you replace it with? Check out our What is a low pile carpet, the best carpet colors for bedrooms and How much does it cost to install carpet guides to help you make the right decision on your new flooring.