How To Remove Carpet in 7 Steps

Whether your carpet is worn or outdated, you’re planning an upgrade, or tired and want a change, removing it can be challenging.

While you should hire professionals to dispose of your carpets, taking off home or office carpeting is a very DIY-friendly project.

In this post, we’ll teach you how to pull out the carpet safely and quickly so you can focus on what’s next.

What Tools Do I Need To Pull Up Carpet?

If you want to safely and effectively remove your carpeting, you’ll want to have the following safety equipment and tools:

• Utility knife
• Pliers
• Flat pry bar
• Screwdriver
• Safety gloves
• Dust mask
• Safety glasses
• Trash bags or tarp
• Knee pads
• Duct tape
• Sharp-bladed floor scraper

What Is the Easiest Way To Remove Carpet?

DIY carpet removal is a simple process – as long as you know what you’re doing and have the proper tools.

That said, a professional removal company like Nixxit can help if you don’t want the hassle of doing it yourself. Of course, there are added costs involved, which is why some prefer the DIY method.

Follow our step-by-step tutorial to have your old floor covering removed in no time.

1. Clear the Space and Wear Protective Gear

Before you can remove the carpet, take any furniture out of the room. Clear a pathway between the room and the outside.

Also, ensure you wear protective gear to prevent health risks. Put on some knee pads and safety gloves to protect yourself during carpet removal, wearing a dust mask, and safety goggles for dust and debris.

2. Remove the Carpet from the Tack Strip

Carpets are usually attached to tack strips on the edges of a room. To detach the tack strips, choose a corner and use pliers to pull it off.

If the carpeting is too big or heavy, you may not be able to pull it off easily. In that case, use your utility knife to cut a 6-inch square in the corner.

Then, remove that corner piece and pull the rest of the carpeting by hand.

3. Cut Carpet Into Thin Strips

Pull back roughly three feet of floor covering. Then, take your utility knife to cut the carpet along the fold into thin, narrow strips. We recommend cutting the material into three or four-foot-wide strips.

It’s best to cut from behind the rug since it’s an easier surface to handle. Be careful not to cut into the underlying flooring!

4. Pull Up and Roll Carpet

Once it’s cut into strips, you can roll up the pieces and use duct tape to help secure them in place. Continue rolling the strips of carpet sections until the entire room is completed. Then, bag each roll and remove them from the room.

5. Remove the Carpet Pad

Typically, carpet paddings are smaller and lighter, making them easier to deal with.

Remove the padding in sections similar to how you did with the carpet. If your floor is made of concrete, the pad is likely glued down. You’ll want to use a floor scraper to remove these lingering chunks of glue.

However, if the floor is made of wood, the padding is attached to the subfloor with staples.

You can use a long-handled floor scraper to make quick work of the staples. Go around the room to slice off the staples, using pliers for more stubborn areas.

6. Take Off the Tack Strips

Once carpeting and padding are removed, inspect the tack strips in the room. If they’re still in good condition, leave them as is for your next carpet installation.

However, if the strips are damaged, place a pry bar underneath the tack strip and pop it out individually.

If you want to replace your old carpets with a different type of flooring, such as tile, laminate, or wood, you’ll have to remove all the tack strips in the room.

7. Dispose of the Old Carpet and Padding

So, now that you’ve completed the removal, how do you dispose of your carpet? If you want to dispose of it yourself, you can use waste management companies, but they may not always be available depending on where you live.

The problem with throwing away old carpets is that they all too often end up in landfills. In fact, the Carpet America Recovery Effort estimates that roughly 5 billion pounds of carpeting goes to landfills.

You could also donate or recycle them, but that takes a lot of coordinating logistics.

Instead, we recommend hiring a professional carpet disposal service like Nixxit. Best of all, we aim to recycle 80% of what we haul and do our best to donate or responsibly dispose of the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Remove Carpet Myself?

Yes, you can remove the carpet by yourself. Doing so can save money, allow you to inspect the subfloor, and address any issues before the new carpet is installed. Just make sure to wear protective gear and clear your space before removal.

Should I Wear a Mask When Removing Carpet?

Yes, it’s recommended to wear a dust mask when removing carpets. Carpet removal can bring dust, dirt, and other allergens into the air, which can be harmful to your respiratory system. Make sure to wear safety glasses as well to protect your eyes from flying debris.

Is Pulling Up Carpet Safe?

Yes, pulling up a carpet can be safe if done properly with the right protective gear. You’ll also need to know how to pry the carpeting from the tack strips that attach to the floor. From there, you’ll scrap the glue that holds the padding.

Need Help Removing Carpet in the Bay Area? Contact Us.

There are many reasons why you may need carpet removal. Whether it’s staining, fading, a foul odor or mold, or you plan to move, it may be time to part ways with it.

While carpets are simple to remove, they’re a pain to dispose of. They’re often large and bulky, making them a nightmare to transport. Also, they usually don’t fit in standard-sized dumpsters, meaning dumping is not an option.

Nixxit offers affordably priced carpet disposal and pickup services in the Bay Area. We can haul away all types of carpets, from household carpeting to rugs and everything in between.

When you choose Nixxit, you can have peace of mind that your old carpets are disposed of quickly and will be in good hands. We recycle carpets or their materials where possible to avoid contributing to the massive landfill problem.

Call Nixxit or book online to schedule your hassle-free carpet disposal service today!