Last Update: 06 Sept 2020
How to Remove Carpet from Concrete and Hardwood Floors
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Remodeling or renovation has to include the removal of carpet at a point. But taking out the carpet isn’t as simple as it may sound. Almost all floor surfaces get damaged over the expulsion of ground carpet. The immense mess is likely to leave you confused, distracted & embarrassed. But knowing how to remove carpet from concrete & hardwood floors can help you overcoming the clutters.
You need to dispel the carpet for various reasons. But simple withdrawal is not going to cut it. Exposure of the surface comes with an unbelievable amount of trash. The garbage includes everything from installation nails to worn out scuffs/finishes. Whether it’s concrete or hardwood – you’ll have to address the damages. And we have the perfect tips to solve the problems with ease.
Tips on How to Remove Carpet from Concrete & Hardwood Floor
And you need to get the tips for accomplishing the objectives by yourself. The extent of damage is never the same with concrete & hardwood. Of course, the process differs from concrete to hardwood. Therefore, we have distinctive segments to help you out.
Knowing the Essential Tools
Utility Knife: Cutting down the carpet in several sections requires a sharp knife.
Pry Bar: It’s reasonably easy to take out large-sized tack strips using a pry bar.
Claw Hammer: Pulling up any piece with pry bar/chisel gets easy with a hammer.
Pliers: Loosening carpet connectivity with the surface is the primary job for pliers.
Staple Remover: Staple removing tool can save you time & effort, rather than pliers.
Carpet Puller: Clamping on the ending sides, you can pull up the whole carpet.
Chisel: The short mechanical gear helps with stubborn carpeting pieces extraction.
Tack Puller: The tool allows you to grab the tiny tack strips ahead of removal.
Initial Expulsion of Carpet
The basic operational process is the same, regardless of the subfloor type. You’ll have to gently remove the carpet in order to protect the underlying surfaces. Not to mention, the removal seems rather easy in comparison to the subsequent recovery.
Necessary Tools/Materials:
Utility Knife, Pliers, Scraper, Elbow Grease, Broom, Tack Puller, Carpet Puller, Carpet Cutter
- You can either throw away the old carpets or salvage the whole/certain part for usage. If you’re up to the recycled application, you’ll have to go for the rollup. Otherwise, you should make a good number of cuts.
- Cut down the entire section into individual parts using a sharp utility knife. There’s no strict rule for the section measurements. You can consider a 3’ wide section, according to your preference. It’ll help you with the carriage ahead of its throwing away.
- Look into the floor corners to hold the connection with carpet edgings. Go for the carpet tacking over a series of hardwood strips. Start pulling back the carpet corner with one or two pliers. Rollup the carpet in a suitable shape through back-&-forth motion.
- Utilize needle-nose pliers or suitable tools to remove staples. Gently take out the connecting staples in a twisting motion. It should loosen the connectivity of the carpet with the tack strips. Remove the carpet padding from strips with gentle pressure in constant motion.
- It’s time to remove the tack strip itself, supporting the carpet edges. Take a hammer & pry bar to ensure a careful & exact operation. Locate the nail securing the strip towards concrete surfaces. Now position the pry bar just beneath the tack strip edge.
- Gently hit the pry bar heel using the hammer in hand. It should raise the nail to a certain extent. Continue hitting unless the attachment gets loose. Take out the pry bar to remove the nail to pull up the strips with care.
- Leave all the residual leftovers on the floor surface for now. Get the removed carpet out of the room to start the cleanup. Don’t forget to wipe out the dirt from the carpet surface itself.
Recovery of Concrete Floor
Extracting a whole lot of old carpet seems a tedious job. And it gets rather messy & troublesome with the concrete floor surface. You’ll have to take out glued-down underlayment, hundreds of staples along with directly nailed tack strips. It’s not necessary for you to hire a rental service right away. But you can save the effort to a certain extent, adapting some useful tricks.
Required Materials/Tools:
- Throw all the isolated trash falling on the surfaces to bins. Try to estimate the approximate extent of the damage. Use specified concrete cleansers to take out loose wastes. It’ll certainly restore the majority of the affected area.
- Wipe out the glue from the concrete surface with a mechanical scraper. Put the razor edge in its removal action all the time. You’re to need some extra elbow grease to retain the sharpness. Try to scrape off as far as you can to lessen the future hassle.
- Pay attention to the existing details of the glue. Careful operation can possibly take out everything with the first step alone. It’s particularly true with somewhat newer carpet installation. But for old ones, you’ll have to perform additional tasks.
- Apply a pot of boiling water over the dried-out glue. Not to mention, it’s the cheapest option with no potential hazard to address stubborn glues. It’s better to cover the affected portion with a good amount of boiled water. Let the mix to stay undisturbed for 1-2 minutes.
- Now, start scrubbing the glued portion with a scrubber. Use concrete scrubber rather than ordinary household ones. You can also utilize the scraper to take off the remaining glue. If necessary, apply additional water on the spots.
- There are certain spots loaded with heavily stubborn glue. And you’ll have to go for some adhesive remover. Glue/Mastic remover chemically reacts with the glue to loosen the internal stability. The major portion of the glue should get away, following the application.
- But the action poses somewhat health-hazardous due to poisonous resultants. Therefore, it’s essential to check-in sufficient ventilation throughout the room. Don’t forget to look at the product directions, warnings & additional safety notes.
- Even some finer pores in the concrete hold the adhesive glue. In fact, chemical stains can barely penetrate the pores. It’s almost impossible to attend the removal at its extremely narrow details. That’s where you’ll need to sand the floor for better results.
- Sanding machine can handle the job pretty well. You can also go for some buffing gears to pull off the task. Utilize an aggressive grit for the sandpaper to take out the bulk. Of course, you should change to a finer grit to finish the sanding operation.
The aforementioned steps should get your concrete floor free of glue. But you may face some unfortunate glue stains to hold its position. Unless the adhesive remains active & noticeable, you may think of calling it a day. Right there, you’ll have to continue troubleshooting tasks.
Primary action involves the application of sufficient heat on the glue. Use a heat gun or iron to soften the attached composition. Cover the affected surface spot with a thin towel or cloth. Of course, the fabric has to withstand the heat all the way.
Recovery of Hardwood Floor
Exposing the wooden surface lying under the carpet is likely to give you goosebumps. The valuable floor remains dull & dirty with clumps of adhesive spots. But the recovery process is somewhat simpler in comparison to concrete. You can certainly breathe a collective sigh of relief using how to remove carpet from concrete & hardwood floors tips.
Essential Tools/Gears:
Paint Scraper/Putty Knife, Claw Hammer, Chisel
- The entire surface is to look roughed up with lots of trashes following the removal. Carefully take out all the leftover residue occurring from carpet remnants. Pay attention to minimize the instance of further undulations from scuffs, holes, blemishes.
- Now, you’ll have to focus on remaining glues on the floor surfaces. And you have a good number of options to take care of the garbage. There are chemical cleansers available with different varieties to handle the job. If you want to save some bucks, you better adapt some natural approach.
- Check-in peanut butter or dry ice to smear the glued portion. You’ll have to give either of the ingredients to sit on the area for some time. Butter can break down the adhesive composition. But ice eventually allows the glue to harden ahead of intentional cracking.
- Natural remedies may seem too weak for taking out the whole bunch. It’s quite frequent with pretty old carpet flooring installed on the hardwood. You’ll have to go for tougher DIY solutions to handle the issues better. The solution mainly involves a paint scraper or a putty knife.
- Gently run over the affected surface using a putty knife in continuous strips. You better use a dull-edged knife instead of sharpened one in this regard. Tap the knife top with a good number of hammer blows to retain the wood finish.
- Widespread residual film of adhesive resembles a complete mess over larger spaces. You’re to need utility tools like a paint scraper to detach the entire set. Gently scrub the top layers to continue removal. Don’t make it hard to scrape off valuable chunks.
- Evaluate the type of existing finish to judge its current condition. Pour some drops of water on different portions of the hardwood. Intact finish will keep the water beaded for minutes. But the drops get absorbed with the disturbed or busted finish.
- Water with vinegar seems pretty effective in taking down grimes & dirt. But vinegar may dull certain finishes. You can restore the shiny look using coconut oil. Also, water with dish soap gives a bright outlook for finished surfaces.
- Even the unfinished flooring goes well with water & vinegar. But you’re to apply mineral spirits for making an intense cleanup. There are specific oils available to take care of unfinished wood. You can check the options out for better output.
One notable fact ahead of hardwood floor treatment concerns with water. You should avoid using water if the floor seems to experience warping, cracking, or buckling. Of course, you can use it sparingly, making sure of no residual moisture.
Dive into our Tools section to find the right mechanical equipment (Sanders, Hammers, etc.) for the job.
Safety Measures to Maintain
- Put on a pair of supportive gloves & knee pads to tackle any debris. Use protective masks to avoid inhaling the dust particles.
- Remove all the furniture with other belongings to clear the room space. Don’t forget to take down the entrances to the area.
- Clean the entire carpet to wipe out all the slacked dirt, dust & trashes. Keep every tool & material in order on a particular side.
- Ensure sufficient light & airflow in the room. Watch out the ventilation with chemicals. Don’t miss to keep a trash bin standby.
When to Call for Professional Help
Specific complexity is difficult to address all by yourself. Severe damage to the floor surface is barely going to work. That’s where you’re to hire some professional carpet removal service.
The cost seems pretty high, even for the average-sized living room. Try to understand the extent of damage & possible recovery. It’s not impossible for you to fix some heavy issues all alone.
Remove Carpet from Concrete
Final Verdict
After taking out the carpet, you’re likely to find a complete mess underneath. But you don’t have to give up on the floor. It’s possible to repair the damages ahead of the floor restoration like before. The open surface is to shine bright like a new one.
The process starts at the very beginning of the extraction process. And you can make it through the guidance on how to remove carpet from concrete & hardwood floors. All the tips are rather easy to implement with the right tools, gears & materials.
