Easy Way to Loosen Carpet on a Concrete Floor Before Pulling

Tack Strip Carpet

• Floor-to-floor carpet installers usually use the tack strip method of installing carpet, even on concrete. Tack strips are long, wooden slats with very sharp carpet tacks sticking up. Installers nail the strips into the concrete along the edges of the room. The carpet stretches from strip to strip while held firmly in place by the tacks.

  Begin the tear-out process by pulling the base molding from the walls. If you intend to re-use the molding, take care in removing it. Use a sharp utility knife to cut through any paint adhering the molding to the wall. A pry bar with a thin edge will lift the molding from the wall.

  Loosening carpet from the tacks usually requires little effort, but wear gloves for protection. Carpet tacks have extremely sharp points. Keep some antibiotic ointment handy in case of injury. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus flourish in old carpets.

  Using pliers, lift a 1-foot to 2-foot section of carpet from the tack strips, beginning in one corner. Don't begin tearing out the carpet completely. Loosening the carpet from the tacking is the goal. Grab this corner section of carpet with your gloved hands and pull another 1-foot to 2-foot section of carpet loose. Continue in this manner, working your way around the entire room until the carpet is completely detached from the carpet strips.

Glued Carpet

• Carpet glued to concrete provides a challenge for removal. Concrete, however, takes a lot of abuse without incurring permanent harm. Floor scrapers and mineral spirits make great tools for loosening glued carpet. Most hardware stores carry floor scrapers.

  Determine where the carpet was glued. Some installers glue carpet and padding to concrete only along the perimeter of the room. Older carpet installs and carpet squares may have glue across the entire floor. Use pliers to lift one corner of carpet from the floor. Pull the carpet back 2 feet and assess where the old glue rests.

  For carpets with only a glued perimeter, a pair of pliers and a floor scraper do the job. Pull the carpet up with the pliers and scrape the padding and glue from the floors edges. Apply mineral spirits with a rag or sponge for stubborn glue. Open a window for ventilation or the mineral spirits will overwhelm you.

  Don't pull the carpet from the floor completely, only loosen the edges. By loosening the carpet first, you can easily cut the carpet into sections with a utility knife for quick removal.

  Carpet glued to the entirety of the floor requires patience. Concentrate on one section at a time. Outline 4-foot-by-4-foot sections of carpet using a sharp utility knife. Look for utility knives made specifically for carpet removal with a hook on the end. Simply score this square measurement into the carpet. Pull the carpet with pliers or a crowbar, if necessary. Soak the area in mineral spirits when the carpet refuses to budge. Follow this soak with a good floor scraping.