How to Remove an Old Carpet Glued to the Floor

You may want to strip an old coat of carpet to expose the hardwood flooring underneath it. The main drawback is that the carpet is stuck on rather than stapled, which poses its collection of problems. We’ll teach you carpet removal for strip glued-down carpeting from your floor in this article.

Horrendously overpriced off-the-shelf items seek to make eliminating harsh carpet glue from concrete a breeze, but chemical strippers release poisonous fumes, whereas eco-friendly alternatives may be inefficient. In the end, scraping carpet glue by hand may well be the best option. But don’t worry, because we’ll show you DIY carpet removal if the glue is present in the equation.

Determine the Approach for the Carpet Removal

The first step is to figure out what type of adhesive you’re using. Pulling up an inch or two of carpet to test the cleaner under it is the safest way to do this. Commercial carpet glues and tar-based glues are the two most common types of adhesive used for carpeting.

If the carpeting is more than 60 years of age, the tar-based glue was likely used. In that case, mineral spirits could be the best option for getting rid of it. The color of tar-based glues is either medium to dark brown. If you use a generic carpet adhesive or glue, you will clear it with a citrus-based commercial solvent for carpet removal.

Since both the solvents and the old glue give off heavy odors during this period, you’ll want to consider opening doors and windows to clear the space. Finally, position all of your instruments and supplies in the room’s corner nearest to the entrance. You won’t have to leave the room to get them because you’ll be able to get them just as you’re finishing rolling up the last piece of carpeting.

Begin With a Scraping Tool

The first step is to use a scraping instrument to scrape as much glue as possible carefully. Although this does not eliminate any of the carpet glue from the floor, eliminating as many significant bits as possible is a safe starting point before using other carpet removal methods. Use a paint scraper, paint remover knife, 5-in-1 tool, or scalpel. Make sure the tool has a secure fit on the knob. To protect the palms, wear lightweight leather gloves. Knee braces are also recommended for what may still be a painful task.

If you can’t get rid of most of the carpet glue with grease alone, use heat to melt the dried adhesive to make it easier to peel or scour clean. There are two methods for doing this: using hot water or steam. Steam and drain adequate hot water to fully cover the carpet glue. Then allow it about five to ten minutes to melt after only wearing protective gloves. And preferably water-resistant leather boots or rain boots to shield your feet during the carpet removal.

So when glue begins to become pliable, scratch it out of the ground with that scraper tool. Work in short pieces so that the softened carpet glue can be removed until the water cools. When you’re through, use a towel to soak up as much water as possible to speed up the drying process.

Pull Up Carpeting from the Farthest Wall

It’s time to transition to work. The farthest corner at the entrance lightens the carpet corner from the floor with a utility knife. After pulling up around a foot or two of carpet, start walking backward. Pull the carpet for every couple of strides. Stop until only five feet of carpeting has been pulled up. Then, take the end of the carpeting about three or four feet out from where you just originated and pull it up too.

When you pick up the carpet, make sure to roll it under the older layers so you wind up with a single long roll rather than a large amount of clustered carpeting that would be impossible to take care of. Start on the next field after you’ve pulled up about five feet. The aim is to gather the carpeting in exact proportions away from the wall. This is so that you can quickly roll it up and release it from the room. You’ll need to climb over the roll to pick up the last few feet of the carpet after you’ve finished dragging it away from the wall.

Get Rid of the Glue

The adhesive on the subfloor must now be removed. If the adhesive was applied thickly, you might be ready to break it up with your knife blade. This is so that it falls away (just do that if the glue is thick since you don’t want to ruin the flooring).

Start by saturating the glue with a glue cleaner with a damp towel. It’s usually a good idea to test the cleaner on a specific area of the floor before using it on the whole room.

Final Thoughts

So, that’s how you handle a carpet removal project when there’s glue beneath the carpeting. As you can see, it’s not too hard to take care of when you have the right plan to use.