# How to Remove Metal Carpet Nail Strips
Once you've torn up and removed carpeting from a room, you'll notice metal carpet nail strips, also called tack strips, on the floor around the perimeter. It is the metal teeth on the strip that grip the edges of the carpet and holds them in place. If you are replacing the carpet with a different type of flooring, or if the installer will be putting down a new carpet strip, you need to pull up the old one.
Things You'll Need
- Heavy-duty work gloves
- Safety goggles
- Mini pry bar
Instructions
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1
Put on safety goggles and heavy-duty work gloves. Carpet nail strip edges are very sharp and easily can puncture skin.
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2
Wedge the mini pry bar between the floor and the tack strip, then pull up. Expect the strips to break into small pieces as you pull up on them. As you pull up the nail strip, the only thing that should be left in the floor is the nail that was securing the nail strip to the floor.
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3
Move the broken nail strips out of your way and continue working around the perimeter of the room until all of the nail strips have been removed from the floor.
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4
Use the mini pry bar to pull up all of the nails stuck in the floor.
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1
Floor Repairs
- How to Lay Carpet on a Plywood Floor
- How to Peel Back Carpet
- How to Remove Subfloor Joists
- How to Nail Carpet in Concrete Floor Without Tacks
- How to Remove Carpet Metals
- How to Remove an Under-pad
- How to Epoxy Carpet Strips
- How to Remove Carpet Adhesive From a Basement Floor
- How to Remove Carpet from a Cement Floor
- How to Remove Carpet Tack Strips
- How to Remove Carpet Backing From a Wood Floor
- How to Remove Carpet Glue From Floor Tile
