Carpet Removal - Four Simple Steps for Removing Your Old Carpet

Removing and disposing of old carpet may be part of the deal when you purchase new carpet. But what if you plan to install a different type of floor or you plan to install the new floor yourself? How will you be able to remove that huge carpet by yourself? How will you dispose of it? And, how will you prepare your floor for a new floor.

There is no need to worry, just follow these four simple steps and in no time you will have removed and disposed of your old carpet and will be ready to move on to installing your new floor.

Step #1 Cut the Carpet Into Manageable Strips

The carpet does not have to leave your house in one piece as it came in. The simplest method to cut your carpet into strips is to use a knife. Avoid scissors -- they require much more work on your part.

Lift the carpet along an edge or doorway and using the knife, begin cutting the carpet into two to three foot wide strips that are about six to ten feet long. Roll each strip as you go and you will find that each section can easily be deposited into a large garage can , dumpster, or the back of a truck.

Continue cutting the carpet into strips and removing each section until you have removed the entire carpet.

Step #2 Remove the Carpet Pad

Removing the carpet pad will be even easier than removing the carpet. Simply cut the pad into strips as you did with the carpet and remove.

Step #3 Remove Carpet Tack Strips

You will want to remove the tack strips as soon as possible as they are very painful to step on. A hammer and a flat screwdriver are all you will need to remove the carpet tack strips around the edge of the room. Use the flat screwdriver to pry up the tack strips. The prongs of the hammer also work well for this if you have room between the wall and the tack strip. Once the wood tack strips are removed, use the hammer to pull up any nails that held the strips in place.

Step #4 Clean Up

Now that the main mess is gone, make sure all carpet glue and pieces of carpet pad are removed. Using the flat screwdriver or a spackle knife, scrape up the glue and other debris. Sweep the floor. A shop vacuum works well for the final clean up.

Now your old carpet is gone, your room is clean, and your floor is a blank canvas ready for you to create a brand new look.

About The Author: You can get more tips for making home improvements and learn more about how to choose carpet at our MakingHomeImprovements.com site.