Many homeowners choose to have wall to wall carpeting in their homes because it provides a cozy and comfortable ambience. Over time, carpet can start to show signs of age and wear and lose it’s appeal. After carpet has existed in a home for a few years, dirt becomes trapped from heavy foot traffic, pets, stains, and dust. No matter how much vacuuming and steam cleaning you do, carpets eventually fade and need to be replaced. Ripping up carpet in your home can be an overwhelming and exhausting experience for someone without the right tools and guidance. It is highly suggested to consult a professional for help with removing the old carpet. If you decide to take a try at it yourself, please refer to our tips below for ripping up carpet in your home.
Tools Needed for Ripping Up Carpet:
Protective Equipment
To protect yourself from dust and mold particles, and from sharp objects like tacks or staples underneath the carpet.
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
- Knee pads or thick clothing
- Dust mask
Tools
You will need the following tools for ripping up carpet in your home and securing the floor underneath for its next transformation.
- Pliers
- Utility knife
- Duct tape
- Floor scraper
- Pry bar
- Hammer
- Ring shank nails
Process of Ripping Up Carpet:
- First, put on all gear to protect yourself while completing this project.
- Make sure to start with a clear space. This means that the room has been cleared of any furniture and belongings. It’s also important to remove doors, baseboards, or moldings that may get in the way of ripping up carpet successfully.
- Start with a corner of the rug and use your hands or pliers to detach it from the floor.
- Then, pull at the carpet and fold back into strips.
- Cut the carpet once it is folded back into separate strips.
- If the carpet gets stuck, try cutting a square in the corner, remove the square piece, then pull again.
- Secure the rolled-up pieces of carpet with duct tape.
- If there is carpet padding underneath to remove, do it the same way as you did with the carpet. It comes in smaller pieces so it will be easier to handle.
- If you have concrete underneath, the carpet padding might be glued to it. Use a floor scraper to scrape up remnants of the padding.
- Remove tack strips if they are rotten, rusted, or if you are not re-carpeting the floor.
- If you do not want to keep tack strips, place a pry bar underneath, and pop it up to remove it.
- Secure any loose subfloor panels underneath the carpet padding by hammering ring shank nails into the panels.