How to remove an old carpet

Whether you have just bought a new house or a new carpet and are desperate to remove the old carpets and put your own stamp on your home or you have decided to give a long-neglected room a much-needed makeover, removing an old carpet is a fairly easy job and should not take too long. While some carpet fitters will remove and take away your old carpet as part of their service, there will no doubt be times when you want to remove a carpet yourself, perhaps to check the flooring underneath or simply to save paying someone to do it.

This article explains how to remove a carpet as easily and quickly as possible, and hopefully without too much stress.

Removing carpet

Most carpets are not fitted under the skirting boards; instead, they are pushed right up against them. This makes it easier to pull up the carpet. Pick a corner of your room and make a start there. Carpets are held down by rather lethal-looking tack strips, which can cause injuries if you are not careful; therefore, be sure not to accidentally rest a hand or knee on one. You should find you can pull up a corner of the carpet without too much difficultly, although very old and worn carpets might start breaking up and make the job more time-consuming. Unless your carpet is several decades old, you should not have too many issues.

Pull the carpet back and start moving along the wall. Your aim is to gradually fold the carpet back from one wall towards the middle of the room. Once you have done one wall, head to the opposite corner and do the same. You should end up with your folded carpet in the middle of your room. If you have assistance, you can roll it up and remove it this way; however, it can be easier to use a utility knife to cut it into manageable chunks for removal, especially if your room is very large.

Dealing with tack strips

If your tack strips are securely attached to the floor and look in reasonable condition, and you are installing a new carpet, you can leave them in place for the new flooring. Just make sure no one steps on them while they are exposed! If they are loose or damaged, or if you are installing a completely different type of flooring, you will need to remove them. The easiest way to do this is usually to lever them up using a pry bar to pull out the nails holding them to the floor.