How to Remove Indoor-Outdoor Carpet

If you have indoor-outdoor carpet at your home on your patio, sunroom, or in another space, it’s probably not your favorite feature. Indoor-outdoor carpet is intended to provide a sense of comfort while being very durable, able to handle a lot of foot traffic over several years. Unfortunately, it isn’t impervious and can be soiled, stained, ripped, and fade. When it does, you’ll have to know how to remove indoor-outdoor carpet.

How to Remove Indoor-Outdoor Carpet

When you are ready to remove indoor-outdoor carpet, you’ll probably quickly discover it’s not going to be an easy process because it’s often glued directly to concrete or to an old wood deck. If it is glued to something like a wood deck, be prepared to have to replace deck planks because these will likely be damaged, if the carpet is glued-down. Like taking out a kitchen soffit, you'll have to be careful with how you remove it to avoid causing damage to the walls and floor.

Removing outdoor carpet is no easy task – often it is glued down to cement and makes the task much more difficult than removing indoor carpeting. As carpeting outdoors can make or break the environment and mood of the space, replacing an old worn out carpet though a difficult task can be rewarding by remaking the space into an enjoyable one. --Do It Yourself.com

There are a couple of mistakes to avoid when removing glued-down carpet, whether it’s on concrete or wood. First and foremost, do not just try to peel it up by hand because it will cause undue stress on your body. Second, do not wet the carpet to “loosen” it to make it easier to remove from the floor. This will cause it to tear into small pieces and will greatly lengthen the amount of time and effort to complete. If that doesn’t happen, you could cause mold to begin to form during the time you’re trying to pull the carpet from the floor. In addition, it will probably create an unpleasant odor. Here’s instructions for how to remove indoor-outdoor carpet:

• Remove any furniture from the carpet. Clear the space out completely before you begin. If you have any built-ins that are installed over the indoor-outdoor carpet you want to save, you'll have to determine how to take the carpet out without causing damage to the built-ins.
• Cut the carpet into sections with a utility knife. Carefully cut into the carpet with a utility knife lengthways, creating a strip of about two to three feet wide. Start on one side and cut several strips. This will help to make the carpet removal a little less laborious.
• Scrape under the carpet with a floor scraper under the corners. If you have a floor scraper or rent one, use it to push the blade under one outer cut section, and scrape under the carpet to loosen it from the floor. (This can be very difficult and time consuming, if it's glued down well.)
• Pull up the cut-up carpet sections one by one. Now, you can pull up each individual section of indoor-outdoor carpet one at a time. Roll it as you go to make it easier to carry out of the space.
• Remove the adhesive from the subfloor. Use a glue dissolution solvent to remove the adhesive from the floor; following the manufacturer's instructions to get the best results.

After you’ve pulled the indoor-outdoor carpet up, you’ll need to dispose of it properly. So, just phone 800-737-5923 or visit Pro Junk Dispatch and we’ll take care of it for you.