How to Remove a Kitchen Carpet

Vacuum the kitchen carpet to reduce allergens from becoming airborne.

Kitchen carpet can develop many stains quickly from cooking, spills and heavy foot traffic. When planning to replace the carpet, or switch to a different type of flooring, the old carpet must be removed. The carpet in the kitchen may contain mold spores. Depending on the age of the home, lead dust from paint or dust in the area may also be present. Special cautions should be taken when removing kitchen carpet to reduce the risk of inhaling potential toxins.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum
• Flat pry bar
• Spray bottle with water
• Utility knife
• Gloves
• 6-mil plastic bags

Instructions

1. Vacuum the kitchen carpet thoroughly to reduce dust and potential allergens and toxins from becoming airborne during removal.

2. Turn off ventilation such as heating units or air conditioning to reduce airborne particles from moving to the rest of the house while removing the kitchen carpet.

3. Remove trim by inserting a flat pry bar between the wall and the trim and applying pressure to press the trim off the wall. Insert the tip of the pry bar close to nail heads to remove the trim more easily.

4. Pry up any thresholds in doorways with the flat pry bar. Thresholds are small strips, often metal, that connect two different types of flooring together. They provide a smooth transition between the different floor coverings.

5. Lightly dampen the carpet to reduce the risk of particles from becoming airborne. Dampen the section of carpet that you will be removing.

6. Use a utility knife to cut the kitchen carpet into 4-foot sections. Start from a wall farthest from the entrance to the room.

7. Lift the carpet off the tack strips by pulling straight up on the carpet around the perimeter of the room. Wear gloves to protect your hands from accidentally scraping the exposed sharp tacks on the strips.

8. Pull the carpet out of position and place the sections into 6-millimeter plastic bags for disposal. Continue working around the room until the entire carpet is removed. If you plan to remove the padding, do so during the carpet removal to save time.

Tips & Warnings

• If there is obvious mold present, or lead dust is a possibility, hang plastic sheeting from doorways and seal the room during the renovation. Wear appropriate respiratory equipment and wash clothes as soon as possible after leaving the area.

References

• Minnesota Department of Health: Removing Carpet
• North Carolina State University: Mold Remediation
• HomeBuyerFunds.com: How to Remove Carpet
• Home-Master.net: Carpet Removal Tips and Tricks That You Can Do Yourself