by Maneesha Srivastava

Created on: June 13, 2008   Last Updated: June 18, 2008

Many homes, especially older ones, have hard-to-remove carpet installed on the floors. In the mid part of the 20th Century, carpet was a common installation for many homes. People enjoyed especially thick and colorful carpets, such as the orange shag or the more classic rayon cut. Modern homes, however, have moved away from carpet and are opting, instead to decorate using more streamlined flooring, such as tile and hardwood floors.

While carpet has many benefits, such as softness and sound absorption, there are many drawbacks as well. Carpets hold odors and can be especially offensive in homes where a pet or smoker has lived. Carpets are also difficult to clean and can hold stains. Because carpets are difficult to clean, it is sometimes necessary to replace and entire carpet when there is a stain.

Whether you are replacing an entire carpet because it is stained or because you are simply installing newer, more modern flooring, here are some tips to help you with the removal process.

1. Keep in mind that all carpets are installed using two methods: 1: glue and 2: staples. When you remove your carpet, you will have to remove both the glue and the staples. Be sure to set aside ample time for the carpet removal so that you do not get stuck with a partially-removed carpet.

2. Older homes have carpet that was installed with a particularly strong glue. This glue, over the years, dries so much that it becomes on par with a strong cement. When you rip up the carpet, you will still have to face the glue.

3. The glue can be removed using a stringent glue solvent as well as a strong scraper. Expect the process to be very messy and time consuming. It will require extensive man-power and strength and should not be attempted in a short amount of time.

4. Unfortunately, this glue was installed directly on top of perfectly good hardwood floors. When you remove the glue, you have no choice but to hurt the floors. Therefore, you may want to plan ahead to refinished hardwood floors after you remove the carpet.

5. After all of the glue is removed, you will have to remove any leftover staples and nails that remain in the floor. These staples and nails are difficult to remove, but must be removed because they are painful when stepped on and inhibit proper floor cleaning. Many people choose, however, to simply nail them further into the hardwood floor rather than remove them because removing them is very difficult.

6. To remove the nails and staples, you will need some strong pliers and a hinge, such as the edge of a screwdriver. Using the screwdriver as a lever, lift the staples from the floor. They will leave behind a small hole that can then be covered up when you refinish the hardwood floor.

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