Removing Carpet Tacks Without Damaging Wood

If both the treads and the risers are carpeted you may be able to slide the blade of a utility knife along an edge without scratching the wood.

Removing carpet tacks without damaging wood.

Today i am sharing how to remove tack strips without damaging the floors underneath. When removing the tack strip use a 1 4 piece of plywood as a buffer place it on the floor under the pry bar to protect the wood as you pry up the tack strips. Flooring installers don t use a cat s paw to remove staples after old carpet has been removed there are just too many of them. For safety place each strip in a box or trash can as you remove it.

We got our first real experiment with it when we moved into our house. If not cut the carpet near the top of the top stair riser. Joe is working on a carpet removal project now he is ready to. Grab the cut end of carpet and pull it from the stairs using gloved hands.

To remove carpet from stairs start at the top. Carpet tack strips can usually remain in place but look for rust rot or other damage. Pry up the metal nosing and remove it if present. If the carpet is seamed to another section of carpet the installer can separate the seam without damage to the carpet that s staying in place.

Removing old carpeting may be necessary to save labor costs if you are having your carpet replaced. If there s a metal nosing at the top of the stairs pry it up to remove it. Without damaging the wood you must reach under the carpet and pry it free. Instead they ve developed a smart efficient way to remove staples with a shovel or long handled floor scraper.

To remove the staples use a screw driver and a pair of pliers or a tack puller which you can buy at any hardware store. If you are pulling up carpet from stairs. When you are able to pull back old carpet and find beautiful hardwood floors underneath it is like hitting the jackpot. After pulling up your carpet you will most likely have tack strips left around the perimeter of the room.

You may also need to remove your carpet if you have hardwood floors underneath that you would like to refinish. Sweep the entire floor as soon as the tack strips have all been removed. Hold the tool at about a 45 degree angle and slide it forcefully along the floor. The hardest part about removing carpet from stairs is starting.

Matt and i have removed a lot of carpet over the years.