Removing carpet from hardwood floors doesn't have to be a difficult task.
Removing carpet from hardwood floors isn't as much of a task as it would seem. It just takes time, patience, and a little muscle. While it may seem to be monumental chore, carpet is only fastened around the edges. And hopefully, the pad underneath wasn't glued to the floor. To get started, you'll need: pliers, needle-nose pliers, utility knife, hammer, vacuum, gloves, safety goggles and a pry-bar. If your trash removal service won't take the entire roll of carpet, you'll need the utility knife to cut the carpet into strips. Cutting the carpet into several strips will make it easier to handle. To minimize the dust, you might want to vacuum the carpet or spray a light film of water (from a spray bottle) before you start. Carpets are usually held down with tack strips, sometimes called tackless, that have a lot of tiny nails to hold the carpet in place. You'll need gloves to protect your fingers. Safety goggles are always a good idea. Things you might also need are a plastic putty knife or scraper and mineral spirits.
To begin, remove all the furniture. If you think you'll be stirring up a lot of dust, remove the window coverings. If the carpet is under the trim or molding along the floor, carefully remove the trim with the pry-bar. Use the pliers to pull up one corner of the carpet. Grab hold of the carpet and pull it away from the tack strips. If you're going to cut the carpet into strips, this is when to do it. Cutting while it's still on the floor opens the possibility of cutting through to the hardwood. Keep pulling the carpet from around the edges of the room until it's all loosened. Once you get started, it should pull up easily. Take it outside.
The pad under the carpet can be more of a problem than the carpet. If the pad wasn't fastened to the floor in any way, roll it up and remove it. If it seems to be stuck to the floor in random places, it's probably from spillage. Use a little water to soften it and, if necessary, use a scraper to loosen it. If the pad has been stapled to the floor, use the needle-nose pliers to remove the staples. If the pad has been glued to the floor, use mineral spirits to soften the glue, then scrape it off with a plastic putty knife or scraper. Be careful not to damage the floor. Use caution when using mineral spirits or any other adhesive remover. They are flammable and require good ventilation where used. Read the caution statements on the can.
Use the pry bar to pull up the tack strips. These strips have tiny nail-heads all over the top, so use gloves when handling them. The nails holding the strips to the floor should be about six inches apart. Slide the pry-bar under the nail and tap the end of the bar with a hammer to release the nail. Keep going until the entire strip is loose. If you're not replacing the old carpet with new, be careful not to scratch the floor.
If you're not recarpeting, fill any nail holes with wood putty to match the color of the floor. If you're not refinishing the floor, don't use sandpaper when you putty the holes. Touch up any scratches with matching stain.
