We all know some of the obvious reasons to remove old carpet: maybe it’s worn, there could be stains, or it might just not fit in with newer décor. These are all good reasons for removing old carpet, but there are more benefits to removing old carpet. It can help with repairing subfloors, allow you to run wires, give you an opportunity to fix squeaky floors, and it can also be good for taking care of odors that may have set in under the carpet.
While it is probably better to let the professionals handle installing the new carpet, you can save some money by removing the old carpets yourself. In this post, we are going to teach you how to remove carpet and tell you five of the reasons why you may want to do this job yourself:
- Dealing with unwanted odors
- Fixing squeaky floorboards
- Repairing damaged subflooring
- Running low voltage wiring
- Saving money
Take Care of Odors When You Remove Old Carpet
You may find that you have some odors that you cannot clean out of the carpet. In this case, it is likely that the cause of the odor is something that soaked through the carpet to the padding and subfloor. To get rid of this odor, you will need to remove the old carpet and clean the area with a mixture that is half water and half bleach. Once the area is dry, you will then need to seal the spot using a stain-blocking primer.
Fix Squeaky Floors
Removing your old carpet is the perfect opportunity to fix squeaky floors. Once the subfloor is bare, you just need to walk around looking for places that squeak. Once you find them, you can fix the noise by using your cordless drill to drive a 2-inch screw through the subfloor and into the nearest floor joist.
Removing old carpet makes this job easy! With no carpet on the floor, you won’t even need a stud finder to locate floor joists. You should be able to find the joists by looking for where the existing screws or nails are.
Repair Subfloors
This is also a good opportunity for removing and repairing subfloor that is damaged or rotten. A carpet installer might offer to do this for you, but you can save money by learning how to remove subfloor yourself.
You can start by looking for sections that are rotten or damaged. Get your circular saw and set the depth of the blade to match the thickness of the subfloor material. Cut out the damaged section, making sure to expose the floor joists so a new piece can be fastened into place. Cut a replacement piece to match the section of subfloor you’re removing, and then fasten it to the floor joists.
If you need to cut in a space that is too tight for your circular saw, you could consider using a tool like the 20V Power Share Cordless Oscillating Multi-Tool. Oscillating tools are great for making cuts in tight or awkward spaces, and with the right blade, you can cut through both wood and metal.
Run Low Voltage Wires After Removing Old Carpet
You can also lay low voltage wires so they will be hidden by the new carpet you put down. This includes wires for things like speakers, phones, cable TV, and your home internet network. Just run it right next to the tack strips at the edge of the room and use a staple gun to secure the wires every three feet. The only tip is to avoid laying the wires under any area that is going to see a lot of foot traffic.
Save Money By Learning How to Lift Carpet Yourself
One of the best reasons to remove old carpet yourself is to save money. Carpet installers will offer to do it for you, but they are going to charge a few dollars for each square foot. Along with that, you can avoid having to pay them for things like repairing subfloors and fixing squeaky sections of the floor.
How to Remove Carpet
These are all good reasons to remove your own carpet, but you will need to know how to do the work if you want to enjoy any of these benefits. The following are some of the things you need to know for removing an old carpet.
Safety First
Safety should be your top priority when learning how to remove carpet. Remember to wear safety equipment when doing any home improvement project. Get a pair of work gloves to protect your hands, safety goggles to protect your eyes, and you may also want to find a good dust mask to wear when removing carpet.
Lifting and Removing Carpet
The first thing you need to know is how to lift carpet. Carpet is held in place by tack strips. You should be able to go to a corner and just start pulling it up. If it is tough going, use a utility knife to cut a 6” x 6” square out of the corner to get you started. With the square removed, the old carpet should be easier to lift.
Once you have it pulled back about three feet, fold the carpet over and use a utility knife to cut the pulled up section off. A utility knife should be enough to do the job, but you can make it faster and easier with the 4V ZipSnip Cordless Electric Scissors. This tool can easily cut through carpet and it will make the task much easier.
Taking Care of the Padding
After removing the carpet, you can then remove the padding. The padding usually comes in smaller sections that are stapled to the floor. Just find the edge of a section and then pull it up. Once you have all of the padding removed, you can then go back to remove the staples.
Removing old carpet is hard work, but it is well worth your time. It will save you a significant amount of money and it will also provide you the opportunity to do some repairs before the new carpets are installed.
Find all the tools you need to make removing old carpet easier at WORX!
