Removing carpet is a beginner friendly project that only requires a few tools but it comes at a price, sweat equity. You can save yourself some money and get a workout in while learning how to rip up carpet!
DIY Carpet Removal
When I moved into my first home, the carpet smelled awful. As soon as I got the keys to my new home, I learned how to remove carpet and carpet padding.
Removing carpet and carpet padding is actually a beginner friendly DIY project, so do not be afraid to take on this project. it just takes a little muscle and time to lug the carpet to the curb.
Tools Need to Remove Carpet:
- Hammer
- Utility Knife or Box Cutter
- Duct Tape
- Work Gloves
- Eye Protection
- Mask
- Pliers
- Pry Bar
How to Rip Up Carpet
Before you get started, put on a mask, eye protection, and work gloves because removing carpet releases a lot of dust into the air. Also, make sure the room is clear of furniture or other items, so that you can easily remove the carpet.
It is best to work in a cleared out room because anything left in the room will end up covered in dust and the items will be in the way.
Now that you have a clear room, find a corner and see if the carpet will easily rip up. You may need to remove baseboards with a pry bar if the carpet is tucked beneath them.
I was able to lightly tug the carpet from beneath the baseboards which was great because I planned on keeping the baseboards.
Next grab a utility knife or a box cutter and cut the carpet in strips about 18-14 inches wide. Make sure not to press too firmly with the utility knife as you want to avoid cutting the subfloor.
Begin to pull the carpet and carpet padding further back with a firm grip and roll the carpet up as you work way across the room. Continue to make cuts in the carpet as needed to provide more area to rip and roll it up.
The roll of carpet should no be too heavy as you will need to be able to lift it without injuring yourself. So, you will need to cut the carpet roll off from the existing carpet on the floor before it gets too heavy.
Remove your carpet roll and start cutting a new strip carpet to remove another section. Continue to work in sections until you have completely removed all of the carpet.
How to Rip Up Carpet Padding
The foam carpet padding should come up with the carpet as well, but if not peel that up the same way you pull carpet. Sometimes the carpet padding is held down with staples, so you might have to pull hard to remove it. You will remove the staples in the next steps.
How to Remove Carpet Tack Strips and Staples
After removing the carpet and carpet padding, you will need to remove the tack strips and staples. To remove the tack strips and staples you will use a pry bar, hammer, and pliers.
Make sure to keep your personal protective equipment on as you can easily cut yourself trying to remove a staple.
As a tip, push the short end of the pry bar under the tack strip as best you can, then use the hammer to drive it further under the strip. Then you will have more leverage to pull down on the long end of the pry bar and the tack strip should come up.
If there are a ton of staples, you’d be better off hammering them flush into floor. Hammering the staples flush into the floor, is much easier then trying to remove all of them.
Then sweep the floor clean to remove the staples and nails followed by a good vacuuming. If your subfloors have an odor after removing the carpet you may need to try bleach or Kilz.
Remove Odors on Subfloor with Bleach
As I mentioned earlier, I ran into a unique issue where animal urine from the previous home owners had soaked into the subfloor and smelled…bad! After a deep amount research about how to remove subfloor odors, I decided I was going to go with the bleach method.
To remove odors from subfloor with the bleach method, you will need bleach and a firm brush. Soak the brush in a bucket of bleach, and then start scrubbing.
The urine should bubble up wherever the bleach touches it, although it was pretty clear where the urine stains were. Wipe up the bleach after it soaks for a minute, then repeat until the smell disappears.
I had to do this 3 times until I couldn’t smell it anymore because my subfloor was gross. It was well worth it to use a few coats of bleach because you would never know the subfloors were soaked in pet urine.
If your subfloor is damaged then you might need to call a professional. Take a look at these tips to see when it is time to replace your subfloor.
The other option is to cover the smell with a paint called Kilz Odor Blocker. Kilz paint is a great option if the bleach does not completely remove the odor.
Conclusion
Removing carpet isn’t hard, it just takes a little sweat equity. It’s worth the savings to do this project yourself and maybe even install Pergo flooring with these beginner tips!