How to Remove Carpet From Wood Floors

You've pulled up a corner of carpet in the closet, and your suspicions are confirmed: There's a beautiful wood floor hidden under the carpeting. You want to restore the wood floor, but you haven't a clue how to remove the carpet without damaging the wood. You'll be pleased to know it's not too tough to remove carpeting; you can have this project done in an hour or two with a few common tools.

Things You'll Need

• Small pry bar
• Utility knife with extra blades
• Twine or duct tape
• Hammer
• Eye protection
• Leather work gloves

Instructions

1. Remove the furniture from the room or place it in one area and work on one side of the room at a time.

2. Pull up the carpet in a corner by grasping it and pulling straight up. You will hear a popping noise; this is the carpet pulling loose from the tack strip that secures it to the floor. Pull the corner back about 3 feet.

3. Cut the carpet into strips, starting 4 feet from the corner and using a sharp utility knife. Pull up the loose edge of the carpet with one hand while cutting with the other hand along the entire length of the wall; remember to keep your hands and body out of the range of the knife.

4. Roll the cut piece of carpet up and secure it with twine or duct tape; remove it from the work area.

5. Continue cutting the carpet into strips until the floor is clear. There will be a layer of pad on the floor and a line of tack strip around the perimeter of the room.

6. Pull up the padding by hand; cut, roll, tape and remove it in the same manner as the carpet.

7. Remove any staples in the floor by placing a scrap of cardboard on the floor and then prying the staples up with the pry bar or hammer claw.

8. Lift the tack strip in the same manner as the staples, by protecting the floor as you pry up each piece. Note that if you plan to install new carpet, the tack strips may be reused.

9. Sweep and vacuum the entire floor to remove any dirt that accumulated beneath the carpet and pad, checking for any missed staples as you clean.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact your waste management company to inquire about their policy on carpet pickup.