Remove your carpet and get ready for a new look and feel. You walk on it everyday, and each time you shake your head and think, "I've got to do something with this carpet." You have the option of hiring a professional to take out the carpet, or you can do it yourself. This page in the decorating tips section, shares step by step of taking out your carpet, and preparing for new carpet or floor. Let's go ahead and do step by step, and save you some money.


















One of the most important aspects of this interior project is to make sure you have the right tools. Above are two pictures of the tools you will need.

1. hammer
2. small knife
3. crow bar
4. tape measure
5. level
6. screw driver
7. needle nose plyers

These tools come in handy with each step of the process.

The carpet that is being taken out is in a 42 foot hallway. Also being removed is the carpet in a small powder room. There is a thin piece of wood called a carpet strip that runs down along the sides of the wall. This keeps the carpet into place. As you can see in this first photo, the carpet is pulled back, and there is a padding underneath. You start a one end of the hallway or room. Once you have loosen the carpet, pull it back in a section at a time.



















As you can see in this photo, the carpet is pulled back with the padding next, and then the subfloor. Once the carpet is pulled back, you will see the padding. The padding is secured with staples. You pull back the padding and it will rip out leaving little pieces of padding with the staples. It is very important that you remove each staple at this time, especially for your own and your pets safety.














If you look closely in the first photo you can see a little piece of the padding in the staple. Take a screw driver and remove the excess, as well as loosen the staple. Take needle nose plyers and remove each staple. This can be a slow process, but well worth the step in the long run.
















These three pictures shows you how to remove the carpet strips that are along the wall. This is where the crow bar comes in handy. The crow bar will loosen the carpet strips. Put the crow bar underneath the strip. Take a hammer and hit the end of the crow bar with the hammer. Once the carpet strips are loosen, turn the crow bar around and lift the carpet strip up. A good tip is to work each carpet strip in section. Don't try to take the entire piece of carpet strip out at once. Do small sections at a time. If you try and take the carpet strip out all at once, it will break off into little pieces, which makes it harder on you to clean up.

In the last photo, you can see what it looks like when you go from carpet to hardwood floor. The wood that separates the carpet from the floor, is called a transition board. Sometimes you will have to remove the transition board, depending on where. In this photo, the transition board didn't need to be removed.

In doing any interior project, one of the most important steps is to plan out the entire process, with materials you will need, how long it will take you, and of course, cost. Also, don't forget about balancing your colors and textures. This goes for your flooring, whether going from carpet to carpet, hardwood to carpet, or vinyl to wood or carpet. If you are looking at replacing your carpet with new carpet, properly remove it to get the best results. This page is all about doing a project yourself, and learning basic steps in saving you money. If you don't feel comfortable with this particular job, always get two or three estimates before hiring out.