Changing the carpet can freshen up any room, making it feel newer and cleaner at the same time. Carpet installation is relatively cheap when you compare it to the installation of other flooring products. However, there is actually a simple way to make your carpet installation bill even smaller. This article explains how you can remove your existing carpet and prepare the subfloors for installation of the new product.

Removing the Carpet

First, you need to lift up your carpet from the floor. You can usually find an edge underneath the baseboard along the side of the wall. If you cannot find an edge, you can use a utility knife to cut through the center of your carpet and create a small slit. Then, insert the claw end of a hammer and pry it away from the floor. The carpet should pull up quite easily, but you might need to cut it into smaller strips that are easier to carry out of the house. Some carpet installers will glue the carpet pad to the subfloor. If this is the case with your floor, you will just need to use some floor scrapers and elbow grease to get all the adhesive off the floor.

Removing the Tack Strips

The hardest part of the job is usually removing the tack strips. Do not leave your existing tack strips, because the carpet installers should install a brand new strip when they put the new carpet in place. To remove the tack strip from a concrete subfloor, all you need is a hammer. The trick is to strike the side of the strip, right next to a nail. This should pop the nail right out of the concrete. It will slightly chunk up the floor, but it won't affect anything. To remove the tack strip from wooden subfloor, you need a hammer and a couple of flathead screwdrivers or chisels. Hammer the screwdrivers underneath the tack strip, as close to the nails as possible. If you insert two screwdrivers at once and pry them up at once, you can lift the tack strip from the floor without breaking it.

Once all the tack strips and adhesives are off the floor, just give it a thorough vacuuming. At this point your floor will be ready for the installation of your new carpet. Make sure that you inform the carpet installer that the old carpet is already removed when you call to get a quote. 

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