Whether you are moving into a home or want to redecorate your existing house, it is likely at some point you will want to replace some carpeting. Perhaps you have new carpeting you want to install. Maybe you are installing hardwood floors or tile. Removing the carpet yourself is quite easy, and it can save a lot of money in the long run because even if you pay for the installation of the new flooring, getting rid of the old carpet will be one less expense if you are willing to do the removal.
To remove the old carpeting you will need a utility knife and a pry bar or some other tool to dislodge and remove the carpet tack strips. Those strips secure the carpet to the underlying floor. Once exposed, these tack strips will have several nail or tack points sticking up that are no longer covered by the carpet, be careful once the carpet is lifted from them as they are sharp. Many people have punctured their feet when walking barefoot into a room with uncovered tack strips.
Grasp the carpet in one corner of the room in order to begin the removal process. Pull up the carpet to unhook it from its tack strip and use your utility knife to cut a line in the carpet perpendicular to one of the walls. Roll the carpet that is being cut free; take care not to make your rolls too big because they will be very heavy to carry. Cut the carpet off at the point you desire and repeat the process until all of the carpet in the room has been removed. Place the carpet rolls on the curb where your trash is collected*, or in another designated pick-up place.
Once the carpet has been taken out of the room, you will find a carpet padding that was lying beneath it. Remove the padding in the same manner as you did the carpet, cutting and rolling it up for easy transport. After all the padding and carpet is gone, you can pry up the tack strips with your pry bar and throw them away.
* Many localities will pick up your carpet pieces alongside your normal trash collection, contact your city or countys trash collection agency beforehand to make sure. A special pick-up may have to be scheduled or paid for, even if you incur this expense, it is still less expensive to remove the carpet yourself than to pay someone else to do it.
Carpet Removal — guide for removing carpet from the Do-It-Yourself Network
Guide to Removing Carpet — teaching people how to remove their old carpet themselves
Handy Man Fix Home Repair — handymans guide to removing carpet yourself
How to Pull up Old Carpet — how to pull up and get rid of carpet from your floors
How to Remove Carpet — instructions to equip you for removing carpet on your own
Removing Carpet — two-step guide to removing carpet that includes illustrations
Removing Carpet from Hardwood Floors — read this guide if you have hardwood floors under the carpet you need removed
Removing Tackless Carpet Strips — what to do if you need to remove tackless carpet strips
Removing Very Old Carpet — especially helpful if the carpet that needs removing is decades old
Tips on Removing Carpet and Tacking Strips — guide to getting rid of old carpet and its tacking strips
