How to Rip Up Carpet

Ripping up carpet can seem like it's a tough job. However, if you cut the carpet down to size, it's really not that bad. Carpets have a tendency to hold onto dust, dirt and bacteria, so you should always wear a respirator and gloves when doing this kind of project. Ripping up carpet can take an hour or a few hours depending on how much you're getting rid of. Try to plan for a day with no rain unless you have a garage to store the pieces in until garbage pickup day.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves Respirator Utility Knife with Extra Blades Twine Pry Bar Hammer

Instructions

1. Cut the carpet into 6-by-2 strips or a manageable area for you to carry out. Use a utility knife to cut a hole in the carpet large enough to stick your hand through, and then hold it up a little to cut. If possible, pull up at a corner and start there.

2. Roll up a section that you've cut and tie the roll with some twine. Remove the section to the garage or outdoors. Repeat with another section and keep going until all of the carpet is removed.

3. Cut the padding in the same manner. Padding is much lighter than carpet and you may be able to cut larger sections. Remove each section until the padding is completely removed.

4. Place a pry bar under a piece of the tack strip. Pull the pry bar up and it will pull the tack strip off the floor. Keep moving the bar down and prying the strip off all the way around the room. Use the nail pull side of the hammer to take out any remaining nails.

5. Sweep all the dirt and dust from the subfloor. You may want to spray the floor with an antibacterial to kill any bacteria and dust mites leftover from the carpet. Allow to completely dry before putting down any new flooring.

Tips & Warnings

• Use caution when handling the tack strip, as the many tiny nails are very sharp and may have become rusty while in the floor.