• May

    12

    2016
  • 690
  • 0

How to Remove Carpet Without Damaging Your Hardwood Floors

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Removing carpet and all the components that go along with it is not difficult, it just takes some time and is a dirty, dusty job.

It is best to use a dust mask as there will be a lot of dust coming up from beneath the carpet no matter how well you have vacuumed. We also advise you to use sturdy gloves as the smooth-edge can give you nasty cuts if you’re not careful. You will also need a sharp retractable knife, a roll of duct tape, a hammer, a pry-bar, a pair of pliers, some knee pads and a shop-vac or broom.

First you will need to cut the carpet into manageable pieces. We usually cut it into 4ft strips, running the length of the room. Be careful not to cut into the hardwood floor. Once the carpet it cut up you can pull it up away from the wall and off the smooth-edge. Then start at one end and roll the strip up. When you have it rolled up, take the roll of duct tape and wrap it around the roll of carpet a couple of times and then put it outside to dispose of. Do the same for the underlay.

We usually leave one section of underlay unrolled till the end so we can put all the smooth-edge in it and roll it up so it won’t tear into your hand. There is nothing worse than getting gashed by the hundreds of tiny nails on a strip of smooth-edge as you carry them out! The fun part is now removing all of the smooth-edge. The easiest way to do this is with a pry bar or a hammer and old chisel or flathead screwdriver.

You will notice larger nails that have been hammered into the floor every few inches, you want to pry at these spots so as to get the smooth-edge out in as big as lengths as possible. Using this leverage makes the task far easier. This is definitely a time to use those gloves! Be careful not to lift up or damage the hardwood flooring as you do this.

Once all the smooth-edge is out, break it up into manageable pieces and roll it all up into the strip of underlay you have left over. Duct tape it extra well so it will not slide out. All that is left now is to remove the hundreds of staples covering the floor as well as any nails around the perimeter left behind from the smooth-edge. This is where those pliers and knee pads will come in handy.

Finally, shop-vac or sweep up the floors, double check for any stray staples or nails and enjoy the trip to the dump, thinking about all the money you have just saved!

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Source by T Sadunas

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