How To Remove Carpet & Underpad, by HouseImprovements on YouTube. 4 min 13 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 13 s
- Time to do it
- 1 to 2 hours for a bedroom
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Empty the room completely. Put on gloves, knee pads and a dust mask, since old carpet and pad hold dust and dirt.
Grab a corner of the carpet with pliers and peel it back about 30 cm (1 ft) from the wall to start a loose edge.
Cut the carpet into strips 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 ft) wide, slicing from the back of the carpet so the blade stays sharp.
Roll each strip tightly as you cut, tape it shut and carry it out. Old carpet gets heavy fast, so move it as you go.
Lift the underpad out in pieces and bag it. It is usually stapled down, so pull the staples with pliers as you work.
Pry up the tack strips along the walls with a pry bar or the claw of a hammer. Keep your hands behind the bar, not on the nails.
Pull any staples left in the subfloor, then sweep or vacuum the floor so it is ready for the new covering.
Tips and common mistakes
Change the utility knife blade often; old carpet and pad dull it quickly and a dull blade slips.
Cut with the knife angled away from your body and keep your other hand behind the cut line.
Drop loose staples and nails into a bucket or bag as you pull them so they do not end up in the carpet or your foot.
Check the subfloor for soft spots or water stains once the pad is up, and fix them before laying anything new.
Questions
Do I have to remove the tack strips too?
Yes, if the carpet is being replaced or hard flooring is going down. Pry them up and pull the nails, then replace them only if new carpet is going in.
Can I reuse the old underpad?
Usually no. It flattens, holds dust and often tears when you lift it, so fit new pad under new carpet.
What if the carpet is glued to the floor?
This method is for stretched carpet held by tack strips. Glued-down carpet needs a floor scraper and more time to lift the glue.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
