No carpet lasts forever. If yours is getting dingy, has stains, or is worn down, it is probably time for new carpeting. Installing new carpeting is a great way to update a room or your entire home. New carpeting freshens up your living areas and provides a clean design update. The Carpet and Rug Institute touts the benefits of new carpeting. “Well-chosen carpet dramatically enhances the feeling of quality and distinction in interior design. It can give inhabitants a positive, warm feeling.”
But you can’t install new carpeting without removing the old carpet first. If you are having your new carpet professionally installed, your carpet installer will most likely offer carpet removal services. But you can take care of that part of new carpet installation on your own.
Why would you want to remove your carpet yourself? Carpet removal saves you money on the cost of new carpet for your home. Carpet removal costs on average about $1.50 per square foot. This includes labor, cleanup and disposal. There could be additional charges to move large furniture. Stairs are typically priced at about $2 to $3 per stair. There is often a minimum charge for carpet removal by a professional.
If you have a very small area of carpet to remove, you will likely be subject to this minimum charge. Thus, the more carpet you have to remove, the lower the cost per square yard.
But you can save the cost of carpet removal by doing the work yourself. Pulling up and disposing of carpet can be done by a homeowner with basic DIY project skills. It is hard work, as the carpet is heavy. If the carpet has been glued down, it will take more effort to pull it off the subfloor. But removing carpet does not require any specialized skills and can be accomplished easily by a homeowner. This guide to carpet removal and disposal will give you all the information you need to successfully take care of carpet removal from your home yourself.
Pulling up old carpet requires some tools to make the work easier. Not only do you have to get the carpet up, you also need to remove the tack strips, staples, carpet pad, and glue. Starting with the proper carpet removal tools will make the job easier and keep you safe while you work. Gather these carpet removal tools in one handy place before you get to work:
· Utility knife
· Pry bar
· Staple remover
· Pliers
· Carpet puller
· Screwdriver
· Adhesive remover
· Floor scraper
· Knee pads
· Work gloves
· Eye protection
· Dust masks
· Heavy duty trash bags
· Plastic utility buckets
· Shop vac
· Broom
· Dustpan
· Duct tape
Removing carpet is easier than you might think. With all the proper tools gathered, you can set to work with minimal prep work besides moving furniture out. In fact, some of the required tools may be ones you already have. Removal of the carpet from a couple of rooms will not take more than a day. A whole home carpet removal project can be completed in a weekend.
Clear out the room of all furniture. Take out doors by removing them from their hinges, including all closet doors. Make sure to have a clear pathway out of your home to your dumpster. Give your carpet one last vacuuming to pull up any accumulated dust. Since removing carpeting can dislodge lots of dust, cover any furniture in neighboring rooms that can’t be removed. If the weather is nice, open up doors and windows for better ventilation.
Carpeting is often installed prior to baseboard installation. If that is the case in your home, you will need to remove the baseboards before pulling up the carpeting. Remove the baseboards from the walls using a utility knife, putty knife, and a pry bar. Cut through the paint seam running along the top of the baseboards with a utility knife. Gently slide a putty knife behind the baseboards to loosen them and then use a pry bar to pull the baseboards away from the wall. Repeat this around the whole room.
If the baseboards are in good condition, you can reuse them after your new carpet is installed. If the carpeting was not installed under the baseboards, you can skip this step and leave the baseboards intact.
Don your safety equipment. Use safety gloves and knee pads while you remove carpeting. Use a dust mask to reduce dust inhalation. Put on safety glasses to protect yourself from flying carpet tacks, nails, and dust.
Loosen an edge of the carpet near a wall using pliers. Pull it off the tack strip. Once the carpet is loosened from an area of carpet tack, you can pull more of the carpet up using your hands. It may be easier to make a cut near the edge of the carpeting to get a good handhold on the carpet.
If there is hardwood installed under your carpet, take extra care during this step to not damage the wood flooring underneath if you plan to refinish the wood floors instead of installing new carpeting.
To remove carpeting from stairs, start at the top of the stairway. Cut the carpet under the nose of the landing using your utility knife. Grab the edge of the cut carpet with your pliers and pull it away from the tack strips on the riser. Cut through the carpet on the tread lengthwise. You can then use your hands to pull the carpet up and away from the stair riser and tread.
If you encounter difficulty pulling the carpet away, make another cut or two to loosen it from the stair. Repeat this for each stairstep as you work your way down the staircase.
Dispose of your carpet as you work across the room. Use a utility knife to slice the carpet into manageable strips. Keep the strips about 2 to 3 feet in width. When cutting carpet, cut from the back side, as this is easier than cutting through the carpet fibers. The cutting blade on your utility knife will wear down and become dull as you work. Change it out as needed to complete the removal of the whole area.
Roll up strips of carpet and wrap them with duct tape. This makes it easier to pick up and remove the carpet from the room and take it to your rental dumpster. Do not make the rolls too large. Carpet is a heavy material. Keep the rolls sizes manageable so you do not injure yourself when carrying them to your dumpster.
Once all the carpet is out of the area, remove the carpet padding using the same method. Most carpet padding is installed using staples. Remove those and the padding will easily come up. If the padding was glued down, you will have to also remove the adhesive from the subfloor after pulling up the padding. Use a floor scraper to scrape along the subfloor surface and level the floor.
You don’t have to remove all of the glue, but the floor should be flat with no obvious bumps before new carpet is installed. If there are stubborn portions of the carpet padding glued to the subfloor, apply a commercial adhesive remover to loosen it or use boiling water to loosen the glue. Scrape away the glue once it has softened enough.
Remove the tack strips along the outside of the room and from the staircase. Wear thick gloves when removing the tack strips, as they have very sharp components. Slip the edge of a pry bar under the tack strips. Pull up on the bar to loosen the strips. If the tack strips are in good shape, you can reuse them when laying new carpeting. Simply leave them in place, tapping in new nails to ensure they are firmly nailed to the floor. If they need to be thrown out, cut or break the strips into manageable pieces and put them in a plastic bucket or heavy contractor trash bag to carry them to the dumpster.
Remove all carpet staples from the flooring area. It can be a challenge to locate each and every staple in the floor. After you think you’ve found them all, run over the floor with a long-handled floor scraper. It should detect any staples that are protruding from the surface. For stubborn staples, use a pair of diagonal cutters or a specialized lever action staple remover. Removing all the staples ensures that your new carpeting will lay flat and smooth on the subfloor surface.
Clean the entire carpet removal area. Sweep and then vacuum the area with a shop vac to remove excess dust and debris. Keep your dust mask on during the cleaning step, as there will be dust and possibly mold and mildew kicked up in the cleaning process. A final pass over the floor with a magnetic sweeper will pick up any small metal fragments from the tack strips or loose staples that have been missed.
Dispose of the carpet in your dumpster. Toss each taped roll of carpet into your dumpster and dump your buckets of debris into the dumpster container. If your dumpster has access through a swinging backdoor, you can walk the carpet rolls into the container. Fill the dumpster from front to back for the most efficient use of the space.
After all of the carpet and padding has been removed, you have one final step to prepare your room for new carpet or other flooring installation. It is important to inspect your subfloor for any damage, so it can be repaired before your new flooring goes in. Take the time needed to do a full inspection and evaluation of your subfloor before moving on to carpet installation.
This is crucial if you’ve had any leaks in your home that have impacted your carpeting. There could be mold or mildew that needs to be treated before the installation of new carpeting. If you see signs of mold, you may have to replace that area of subfloor. Once the wooden subfloor is removed, you can inspect the area under the floor for further signs of mildew. Treat the area with mold and mildew cleaner. If you find that the mold-affected area is extensive, you may need a professional mold remediation company to treat and restore the area.
With pets in your home, your old carpet may have had some pet stains on it. Pet urine can leak down into the subfloor. With your old carpet pulled up, now is the time to address the issue. It is not just stains that are concerning. The smell from pet urine can linger in a subfloor even when dried, as urine crystallizes and remains in wood.
Treat any spots on your subfloor with a cleaner that is formulated specifically to remove pet odors. This cleaner must contain enzymes that can break down the urine and neutralize the odor. If you can’t fully remove the smell from the wooden boards, then you should replace that section of the subfloor with new wood panels. Covering up pet odors with new carpeting is not enough. You’ll have to take out and replace that section of subfloor before new carpet or other flooring goes in.
Finally, walk around the entire floor area. You may notice areas of the subfloor that are loose or sagging. Replace these parts of the subfloor before your new carpet goes in. If your subfloor is squeaky, hammer in some ring shank nails to tighten it up and prevent any creaking. Once your carpet is in, it is difficult to stop any squeaking. Take the time after you’ve removed the carpet and before new carpet goes in to catch all those squeaks and creaks.
Most landfills will accept used carpet, carpet padding, and carpet removal debris, even though carpet contains complex fibers and chemicals that do not break down easily in a landfill. The most typical types of carpet include cut, looped, or cut and looped varieties. Over 90% of all carpet manufactured today is made of synthetic fiber, with the remaining 10% composed of wool. The synthetic fibers are made of nylon, polypropylene, or polyester, which are all produced from oil and natural gas products.
Carpets made from these plastic substances can take hundreds of years to decompose. As they break down, they release methane, a greenhouse gas. In addition, the breakdown of carpet in a landfill can release toxic chemicals. A study conducted by American Recycler found over 44 toxic chemicals in the chemical makeups of various carpet samples.
These chemicals are used during the manufacturing process and include the substances in the glue and fibers used to make the carpet. Carpets chemically treated with stain or water repellent contain additional chemicals. When a landfill has a leak or breach into nearby waterways, these chemicals can contaminate groundwater and the soil. Landfill fires can also release these chemicals into the air.
Carpet manufacturers have seldom been the target of environmental concerns. Since carpet is a more durable product, typically lasting 10 years or more, efforts to increase recycling are less robust than those for single use products. But due to increased scrutiny and public concern, some carpet manufacturers are switching to more environmentally safe production methods and materials. Various manufacturers have announced the elimination of the use of fly ash, a byproduct of coal production, along with fluorinated stain repellants, phthalate plasticizers, and formaldehyde.
There are multiple toxic chemicals that are still used in carpet manufacturing, and they won't break down in landfills. Recycling of removed residential carpeting is increasing, but the commercial carpet industry is slow to increase its recycling efforts. Legislation around the country aims to increase carpet recycling, along with voluntary programs that qualify for subsidies funded by carpet mill donations.
Experts predict recycling of used carpeting will increase with more states adopting legislation requiring recycling and with further advances in technology related to the use of end products from carpet recycling and reuse.
There are also private section programs intended to increase carpet recycling. The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) implements programs to further recycling efforts. CARE is a non-profit organization that works to increase market incentives for carpet recycling, to divert more carpet waste from our landfills, and to develop creative ways to increase recycling and the use of recycled products.
About 4% of all waste disposed of in U.S. landfills is used carpet waste. This is over 5 billion pounds of used carpet thrown out each year. While carpet can be recycled, just under 90% of all carpet debris is deposited in landfills and 6% is incinerated. Only about 5% is recycled. Just 20% of all recycled carpet is turned back into carpet, with the rest turned into other products.
CARE is seeing some success in recycling efforts. They report that 98% of all post-consumer carpet collected by CARE members in the United States is processed, diverting over 5.6 billion gross pounds of carpeting from landfills since its founding in 2002.
If you are pulling up carpeting in your home, you may be able to participate in carpet recycling center in your area. To find a carpet recycling collection site near you, visit the carpet recycler directory compiled by CARE or search the Earth911 directory of carpet recyclers. Your local municipality or county may also offer carpet collection, though only certain types of carpet can be recycled.
Visit your local government website or contact your local household waste recycling facility to find out where to drop off your removed carpet. In most cases, there is a fee for carpet recycling collection services. Some collection facilities request that only clean carpeting be dropped off, so check with the facility before heading out to ensure they will accept your old carpet.
If you are getting new carpet installed, you can also ask if your carpet dealer or installer offers any recycling services. While they may not directly recycle carpet waste, they may be aware of carpet recycling services in your area. You might have to pay an additional fee for your carpet installer to transport your old carpet to a recycling or collection facility. Ask whether your carpet padding can be also be accepted at the recycling facility.
In order to recycle carpet, it must be broken down through mechanical and chemical processes. Carpet is actually a complex product, with components including various nylon, plastic, or wool fibers, latex or polyvinylchloride (PVC) backing, glue, and inert fillers. Surprisingly, a chemical compound called calcium carbonate makes up as much as 45% of a carpet’s total volume.
Modern recycling techniques can separate out all these components during the recycling process. Once processed, old used carpet can be turned into many useful products. These include tile backer board, roofing shingles, carpet cushions, stepping stones, railroad ties, and composite lumber. If the nylon and calcium carbonate are successfully extracted, they can be sold to other industries for use in manufacturing.
There are other repurposing efforts in the carpet industry. These do not involve breaking down old carpeting, but rather transforming usable pieces of intact carpet into other products. These products and uses include small rug mats, furniture batting, concrete filler, road underlayment, and geotextiles for soil retention and sod reinforcement.
If you don’t have recycling services available to you, you don’t have to throw it all away. You can repurpose your old carpet instead. If your carpet is in relatively good shape, it may still have some use in it. These ideas can help keep carpet out of our landfills:
· Use carpet pieces as a weed barrier in your landscaping
· Cushion your knees with small carpet pieces when working on cleaning or gardening projects
· Make a cat scratching post using old carpet scraps
· Use as a muffling mat for your washer and dryer
· Place under lawn equipment to catch oily drips
· Hem carpet pieces in good condition and use as throw rugs or car mats
· Hang carpet strips on your garage walls to protect your car doors from getting banged up
· Line an outdoor dog house with carpet scraps
· Cover your compost pile in winter with old carpeting to keep it warm
· Donate to your local pet shelter for use in cat cages
If you are unable to recycle or reuse your old carpeting, you’ll want an easy and affordable way to dispose of that carpet waste. Unfortunately, you can’t just put it by your curb for pickup.
In most cases, your residential trash hauling will not accept carpeting in your regular trash collection. They may offer some special collection days or events when you can throw out your old carpeting. You may also be able to schedule a special pickup for your carpet discard. There may be an extra charge to pick up old carpeting.
Your community may offer collection events where you can haul trash that your residential trash service won’t pick up. Cities or counties often set up large dumpsters to collect household waste that residential haulers won’t accept. You can take your large trash and discard it in these dumpsters. A big drawback to this is that you have to let your old carpet sit on your property waiting for the next collection event day. You will then have to load and haul the heavy carpet to the collection site. There may also be a charge for the service.
Before heading out to dispose of your carpet in this way, check the list of accepted items. You wouldn’t want to load and drive it out to the collection event only to be told it will not be accepted.
The easiest method of disposal is to rent a dumpster container to be delivered to your home. You won’t have to let the old carpet pile up waiting on a pickup at a later date. With a rental dumpster onsite, you can toss out the carpet waste as you work. This is more convenient and keeps your work area clean and safe.
The size dumpster you need depends on the amount of carpet you are discarding. In most cases, a residential carpet removal project will need a 10 or 20 yard dumpster container to handle all the waste. Roll off dumpster containers of this size can easily fit into your driveway. This makes it convenient to toss each load of carpet pieces as you remove them from your home. Many dumpsters have a swinging back door to the container. This allows you to walk your waste into the front of the container and more efficiently load the dumpster.
If you are managing carpet removal from a commercial or retail property, you may need a larger dumpster. Discount Dumpster offers dumpster containers in 30 and 40 yard sizes. If you have a larger project, we’re happy to discuss all your options for handling the carpet waste when you call to set up your dumpster order.
There may be some limits on the amount of carpet you can dispose of in a landfill at one time. When you call to order your dumpster, we will review your project with you. Our team has years of expertise in all types of jobs. We can accurately determine the size dumpster you’ll need to handle all your carpet waste. If you have a large amount of carpet to dispose of, we will review any landfill restrictions on weight and quantity to ensure you stay within those limits.
Some municipalities and counties have regulations concerning the use of dumpsters in residential areas or public right-of-way areas. If there are any restrictions or necessary permits for a rental dumpster at your home, we will direct you to the appropriate city or county department for more information and to start the permitting process. If a permit is required for a dumpster at your home or job site, it would need to be in place before your delivery date.
Check with your homeowners’ association if you have one to determine if there are any rules regarding a rental dumpster at your home. Some may restrict where you can place a dumpster or may have a limit on the number of days you can have a dumpster in front of your home.
When you need a dumpster to handle your carpet removal, give Discount Dumpster a call. To get started with your free quote and to set up quick delivery, call Discount Dumpster today for more information and to learn about our affordable options.
Table of Contents Can Propane Tanks be Thrown Away? How to Dispose of Propane Tanks 1. Wear Proper Safety Gear 2. Turn Off all the Devices Connected to Your Tank 3. Don't Put Your Propane Tank in the Trash 4. Bring Your Tank to a Retailer Propane is Safe to Use and Easy to Dispose […]
Table of Contents What is Green Building? 10 Green Building Materials to Use for Construction Projects 1. Bamboo 2. Hemp 3. Sand 4. Cork 5. Natural Clay 6. Natural Fibers 7. Ashcrete 8. Timbercrete 9. Composite Materials 10. Upcycled Building Materials Going Green is the Future Did you know that buildings account for 40% of […]