Best Way To Remove Carpet From Stairs

Over time, carpets become old and worn, and stairs are one of our houses' most heavily trafficked areas. If you've recently purchased a property with carpeted stairs or are merely upgrading your current home, a stair carpeting removal is likely in order. Fortunately, you can wipe the slate clean in hours with a few tools and a little know-how.

First, Look Beneath The Carpet

If your carpeted stairs are flanked by bits of hardwood, the hardwood flooring most likely does not extend beyond the visible edges. Lodging pieces on the borders instead of whole hardwood risers is a systematic way for builders to replicate the high-end look of more expensive full-length steps.

When you've removed the old carpet, you'll need to replace the risers or lay new carpet and padding in the areas.

Once you've worked out what's beneath the carpeting, you'll need to break the seam along the stairwell's edges.

Removing Carpet from Stairs: A Step-by-Step Guide

• Pry up a corner with gloved hands and a screwdriver, 5-in-1 tool, or similar device until you can obtain a grip. Because the carpet will be heavily stapled and ancient staples appear to be designed for stabbing fingers or palms, continue with caution at this phase and throughout the removal procedure. A tack strip—basically a length of batten with razor hooks protruding out—will sit along each edge of the carpeting in addition to staples, necessitating the use of gloves.
• Pull the carpet back in fast motions now that you've obtained a handful of carpet to continue cracking the seal along the borders or hardwood expose.
• The entire stretch of carpet along the stair, usually one horizontal and one vertical piece, will lift, exposing the old carpet padding and tack strips. You may also wish to remove both of these components, depending on the age of the material.
• If the baseboard along the margins has been painted several times, scrape up stray carpet threads that have become stuck to the wall by the paint with a putty knife. Take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have flawlessly painted baseboards.
• Take a pry bar and hammer it underneath the nail heads that maintain the strip down while moving the bar up and down after pulling up the foam cushioning.
• After removing the majority of the stripes and foam cushioning, carefully pull out each staple or nail with large pliers, hammering down any break during removal.

How to Remove a Runner from a Carpet?

It's considerably easier to remove carpet runners with bar rods and floor clamps, though you may also need to remove adhesive.

• Simply detach the clamps at the horizontal and vertical intersection and store the rod assembly somewhere safe.
• Using intermittent pulls, carefully pry up a corner (top or bottom). Stair runners are usually installed as one continuous piece and are held down by extra staples or furniture nails.
• Before continuing, double-check for stray nails and staples after the bulk of the material has been removed.

How to Get Rid of an Old Carpet?

The best way to dispose of old stair carpets is to use heavy-duty trash bags. If required, use a razor knife to cut the rug into manageable pieces and roll them into tubes before throwing them away. Use gloves since stray staples and nails will be sprinkled throughout the material.

Without a professional, removing carpet from stairs can be done in a day or weekend. Because stairwells are frequently found near the entrance to a home, removing old carpet and replacing it with a new style can leave a lasting impression and serve as a welcoming greeting to everybody.