We know that this is a hardwood flooring blog, but you'd be surprised how much we have to know about carpet in our line of work. Removing carpet is something we have to deal with more often that we'd like. Carpet removal can be a mess and sometimes even painful. There's a reason your flooring man is going to charge you for carpet removal. Read on if you'd like to pick up a tip or two if you plan on removing your own carpet this summer. 

"A lot of our customers underestimated how cumbersome removing carpet can be."

Removing carpet from a floor is no easy task. Leave yourself a bit of time if you've never done this before. It really doesn't matter where you start. You're going to want to move systematically from room to room. Our first piece of advice has to do with who you're going to be disposing of the carpet. Rolling the carpet into manageable rolls is going to save you from some headaches down the road. Have some tape handy so that you can keep these rolls together. Trust us, you'll thank us later. 

You may want to wear something to protect your mouth. Very old carpet can be severely deteriorated and produce an incredible amount of dust. You generally don't want to be breathing in a bunch of this stuff, so we recommend a mask. Gloves are also going to be incredibly helpful. The bottom of a carpet can be very coarse. Given enough time, your hands are going to start to really show some wear and tear. 

"When you roll this carpet, be very careful as to not cut yourself."

One of the most dangerous aspects of removing carpet has to do with the stairs. The way carpet installers lay carpet on stairs involves lots of stapling. The staples are seamless from the surface, but they are incredibly sharp on the other side. When you roll this carpet, be very careful as to not cut yourself. Carpet stables are difficult to see and can easily lead to infection. Be smart about how you're going to remove the carpet. It's best to take your time, especially if this is your first time. 

A lot of our customers underestimated how cumbersome removing carpet can be. We charge for this service, and we just want to make clear why we do this. If you insist on removing your own carpet, follow our tips to ensure that the process is going to be smoother.