To take up old carpet cut the carpet into long pieces, about 3 feet wide. This can easily be done with a carpet knife. Once you have made your cuts, place your hook knife into a corner near the wall with the tip facing down, and pierce the carpet with the tip and gently rock the knife away from you and pull backwards. The carpet should release from the corner fairly easily. It also could take a few tugs to get it out, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t come right up. When it does loosen, grip the edge firmly and pull up and towards you.

Once you have this down and you have removed the carpet from the edges, roll up the sections and carry out to a waiting trash can, or dumpster.

When removing carpet from steps, follow the above steps, but always start at the top and work your way down.

To take up old pad, you can do the same as you did for the carpet, cutting it into manageable pieces with your carpet knife. You should be able to then grip the corner, and pull back. While pulling back you can release the staples holding it down by sliding a hook knife sideways along the floor.

Roll up these pieces and dispose. Disposal can be done on-site or you can load your truck to take the scraps to the dump.

For removing glued carpet you can follow the same instructions. In addition to the above tools, you can use a scraper to help release the adhesive.

The area where carpet is being installed needs to be as hot as possible. Turning up the furnace the night before will be enough. If no heating system is in place, space heaters should be used. The carpet to be installed should also be exposed to that heat. This allows the carpet to stretch better when installing, preventing buckles from forming later.

All furniture and objects should be removed before installation. A lot of household can be moved with two people. Others will require a dolly or several people. Pool tables and solid wood entertainment centers have been the most challenging in my experience. The plastic pads that are put under the corners of a piece of furniture to help it slide are sometimes helpful.

In addition, old carpet and padding will need to be removed. Please check out “How to Remove Old Carpet” to get instructions on doing this easily and efficiently.

In some jobs, floor preparation must be done as well. This is minimal, and most jobs site will not require this step, but it is necessary for a good result in some jobs. Floor preparation usually involves sweeping and or shop vacuuming, leveling the floor, and in some cases tightening the sub floor with a few screws. Most major repairs fall under carpentry and are not done by the majority of installers.

The floor should also be swept and if needed a shop vacuum can be used to get large debris. When the floor is cracked or has small sharp drop-offs, a floor leveler is often the best solution. DAP Web patch 90 or similar floor leveling compound should be used. To level the floor here are a few simple instructions to ensure a flawless leveling job.

Near the area to be repaired, pour a pile of the powdered patch onto the floor. Using a flat trowel or float, indent the peak of the pile. The pile should resemble a science fair volcano project. Pour water from a container into the center of the pile while knocking down powder from the edge into the water. Keep mixing and adding water until you have a thin paste. Hold the trowel or float in your hand with your wrist tilted forward. Spread some paste over the uneven area. Place the long edge of the trowel on the higher part of the floor, keeping the trowel at around a 45 degree angle. Lightly drag the trowel lightly across the damaged area to where the floor is good. Rotate your wrist moving the trowel back around and across, slightly overlapping the last stroke. Continue applying less and less pressure until floor is smooth. Repeat again as needed and then let dry.

In addition to leveling the floor you may also have to repair any squeaks you might hear when you walk throughout the room. When this situation does occur you can easily place a few screws to keep the squeaking at bay. To stop a squeaking floor, first walk around the room and note any squeakiness. When you hear a squeak put a screw where you were stepping, this should stop the squeaking, if it does not add an addition screw. The screws should follow the same pattern as the nails in the sub floor. After you feel you have finished try to do one last round before installation.

Good preparation is important prior to the start of installation. Carpet needs to be as warm as possible to ensure proper stretching; cold carpet will buckle later when the temperature gets hotter. Most imperfections on the floor will show through the carpet after installation. Proper preparation will make the carpet look and feel better as well as extending is life and preventing the need for repairs.

Some carpet retailers will deliver the materials to the site, but this usually involves a fee.  When arranging a delivery the steps that need to be completed are, paying for any delivery fees, verifying the delivery address and time of the delivery with the vendor, making sure that there is adequate clean and dry space to store the materials on site, plan for moving of  materials on site, and inspecting delivered products.  Deliver fees are paid to the vendor who then arranges the delivery.  Payments are most often by check or credit card and due before shipment.  Verification of delivery address and times are usually done at the same time as the payments.  A space should be cleared, cleaned, and available at the time the materials are delivered.  Labor and tools to help unload materials should be available if needed.  Laborers and a carpet dolly or tow lift should be available to move materials on-site.  All delivered materials should be inspected by the homeowner or contractor for defects and to ensure that the correct materials were delivered.  Following these few simple steps can save a lot of time, money and trouble.

The main things to concern yourself with when picking up carpet are the vehicle, loading, and unloading and scheduling of pickup, delivery and labor.  A box truck, van, pick-up truck, enclosed trailer, open trailer, or dump truck are all ways to get the carpet to the job.   I would recommend a diesel 16 foot box truck with an above-cab storage area.  Along with protection from the elements, this will allow room for carpet, pad, tools, supplies, and employees.  The other option that I would recommend is an extended passenger or cargo van.  Diesel is also recommended here for fuel economy.  A van has limited storage compared to a box truck, but is more fuel efficient.  A pick-up truck with an extended bed or a dump truck can be used to transport carpet and other materials. An enclosed trailer or open trailer with a tarp can also be used.  All of the above vehicles are available for rent in most areas.

Tow straps, a carpet dolly, and if available a forklift with a carpet pole can be used for handling of materials.  Loading of the carpet and large quantities of glue onto the truck is usually done by the vendor, with the pad and small items carried by the vendee.  When unloading carpet on-site, it should be onto a carpet cart if it is to be cut somewhere else on-site.  Most rolls of carpet can be unloaded by one person pushing or pulling the roll out until they can put their shoulder under it and pulling off quickly.  When doing this, make sure you move out from under the carpet before the back end comes off of the vehicle.  For larger rolls a person may pull or push from inside or on the vehicle, while one or two people pull from the other side.  When two people are pulling they should lock arms under the carpet and pull as the person in the truck pushes. And to prevent injury, letting go before the back end of the roll hits the ground.  For the largest of rolls, the carpet can be pulled off with tow straps using another vehicle or unloaded with a lift.  Carpet can then be carried by hand, pushed on a dolly, or moved around with a lift.

It is important to ensure proper scheduling for delivery, pick-ups and labor force.  If a situation occurs where you have hourly laborers on the job and no materials, it is required by law that you pay those employees for their time.  In the construction business most delays become very costly.   Whenever possible materials should be picked up in advance.  Employees can either meet at a gathering point and travel to the site together or find their own way depending on the job.  Dependable and skillful workers are needed to successfully complete a carpet installation job.  Scheduling is key in determining the outcome of a job.  Its like the old adage says, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of protection”.

Getting the materials and labor to the site is essential.  Although difficulties will sometimes arise, good planning will help prevent a lot of common problems.  It is necessary to have the materials, supplies and labor there when you need them for the work to begin and end on time.   Good employees and properly executed logistics of delivery and transportation will save time, money and aggravation on any job.

Carpet Knives: Carpet knives are commonly used to cut up old scraps of carpet, so that can easily be removed from the job site. There is a double sided razor knife that is made for carpet use, the blades are sharper than normal utility knives, useful when cutting through the rough, hard carpet backing. The blades can also be replaced easily. You will probably go through a lot of blades so be sure to stock up!

A Common Carpet Knife

Hook Knife: A hook knife, also called a “hawk bill”, can be used to pry the edges of the carpet up, removing pad staples, and scraping small debris from the floor.

Metal Clamps: There are clamps that are designed specifically to grab old carpet when pulling it up, these are particularly useful when removing glued down carpet.

Hammer: A hammer is used to knock down staples and to remove tack strip.  I would recommend using a 22oz or larger hammer when installing carpet.

Molding Bar: A molding bar is used to remove molding on the edges of the carpet. These can also be used to pull staples out of the floor.  Look for one that is about 8 inches that will fit well in a toolbox.

Molding Bar used to pry off molding

Channel locks or pliers: These are especially helpful when needing to remove staples from the old flooring. I like to keep a medium sized pair of each (channel locks and pliers) with me on a job.

Floor scrapers: As the name implies, are used to scrape old carpet, glue and objects off of floors.  A large scraper with a 6 to 8 inch blade and long handle is good to have on hand.  A small one with a short handle can be kept in a toolbox for times when it’s not necessary to drag out the big one or when there are tight spaces.

Broom and Dustpan or shop vacuum: These are important to have at all job sites, they should be used to clean up the remaining bits and pieces on the floor after removal is completed.

These tools are important to have, and even more helpful for a novice. Most of these tools you should already have in your garage, for the others, it might be worth it to buy, especially if you are planning on doing a large area, or a whole house.

So go gather your tools and get ready to do some carpet removal. For some advice on how to best remove carpet or some helpful tips please see this article (How to Remove Carpet).

Standard clothing required for carpet installation include work pants, long sleeve shirt, and comfortable socks and shoes. The work pants should be durable and lightweight. Most installers wear jeans or khaki work pants. Your shirt should have long sleeves and be durable enough to protect against the rough backing of the carpet when carrying. The backings range from a softback to sometimes extremely rough. A regular 80% cotton shirt will probably do fine. Shoes should be comfortable but inexpensive shoes due to the heavy wear of carpet work. A sturdy pair of athletic shoes will be the best choice for most jobs, although some job sites will require you to wear steel toed boots. Wear the appropriate socks for the style of shoe worn.

The everyday safety equipment varies from job to job. Safety goggles, knee pads, and gloves are the most common. Some jobs may also require hard hats, steel toed boots or respirators.  Safety goggles are used when removing old flooring, hammering, using a pad stapler or electric tacker.  Some job sites require that they must be worn at all times.  Any brand from the local hardware store will work but some have extra features like anti-fogging lenses and different style choices.  Knee pads are useful when nailing strip onto a concrete floor or gluing adhesive to large areas.  I personally find them to be too uncomfortable to wear during actual carpet installation but i have seen a few mechanics wear them while installing.  Again any brand at the store will do fine or like my old boss, you can duck tape pad to your knees when you will be on a hard floor for a while.  Gloves are mainly worn when  removing old flooring.  They can be used when handling tack strip or rough carpet if desired.  Hard hats and steel toed boots along with safety goggles are usually a must on large commercial jobs such as hotels or office that are still under construction.  Another common safety device is the respirator.  They are most often used in the removal of old flooring, especially when removing asbestos tiles, and when there is a lot of dust on site.

Proper clothing and safety gear will greatly increase your comfort and protect you from harm.  Weather conditions and company policies can also affect what clothing and safety equipment must be used on a particular job.  Of course if you are doing it yourself find what makes you the most comfortable without compromising safety.  The most important thing to remember is to buy durable products that can withstand the abuse that carpet installation can cause or use disposable items.