You may think removing carpet is not a “thing” in NYC because it seems like everyone you know has hardwood flooring. You’d be surprised to learn that many people, especially those buying older homes that have been untouched for years, have to figure out how to remove carpeting that’s been around for generations. People encounter old carpeting in old brownstones, limestones, estate apartments, and single family homes in the outer boroughs. They usually remove carpeting because they want to expose original hardwoods underneath, put new hardwoods or some other type of hard-surface flooring in, or even put in brand new carpeting. Whatever your motive for removing carpeting, you’ll want to be careful not to damage the surface underneath. Following are some options for safely removing old carpet.

Gather Your Tools

In order to make easy going of removing carpet in your space, you need to make sure that you have all the tools necessary for the job on hand. Luckily, you don’t need many: knee pads, utility knife, work gloves, goggles or safety glasses, pair of locking pliers, and something to wrap the pieces in are all you need to get the job done.

Clear the Room Before You Begin

Remove all obstacles (furniture, clutter, curtains, etc.) before you begin. There should be nothing in the room except you and the carpet. If there is a door to the room and it swings inward, see if you can remove it from its hinges. This will help prevent any obstructions getting in your way as you remove the carpet in places like doorways and corners.

Start In a Corner

Start in one of your room’s corners, and put on your gloves. Next, use pliers or even a crow bar to dig into the corner of the carpet and start pulling. If your carpet was installed using tacks, you’ll feel them start to pull loose as you edge along. The carpet should start to raise as you move along the wall. As you move, bend the carpet down a couple of feet. When you come to the end of one wall, take a knife and cut the carpet into strips. Doing so will make it a lot easier to gather the entire carpet and remove it all at once when you’re done with the task.

Or . . . Hire a Reputable Professional

Seriously, if you can spare the expense, the easiest way to remove carpeting is to get someone who knows what they’re doing to do it. There are carpet removal companies that can seamlessly remove carpeting in a matter of a few hours — give or take depending on the job. Getting a company with great recommendations is key; you don’t want to have to worry about a damaged floor after you have the carpet removed. In NYC, some companies that specialize in junk removal like J & M Cleanouts are also experts in carpet removal. You could also turn to carpet and floor restoration/installation companies like Sandless Finish. Carpet removal is often a part of the service they provide.

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