Everyone is looking to save money these days in any way they can. When it comes to taking on a home project yourself, you have the potential to save a lot of money, but also the potential to mess up something important and spend more money getting it fixed than you would have had to spend hiring someone to do it in the first place. Taking a risk can be difficult for some, but worth it in the end if it saves you money. For others do it yourself, or DIY, is too much of a risk and they will happily spend the money to hire a professional to do the work and worry about the hassles.
If you want to attempt a DIY project involving flooring, you are probably risking less if you have carpet floor covering. Carpet tends to be the least difficult type of flooring material to remove, making it an easier DIY job. You could even remove the carpet yourself and hire someone to do the rest of the work.
To remove carpeting you will either need to remove the tack strips, or simply pull the carpet away from the wood or concrete floor to which it has been glued. If the carpet was not installed with a pad, it is likely that it is glued onto the subflooring. Carpet that has been glued in place can take more time and effort to remove. Usually the best method of removing carpet installed in this manner is to pull up an edge and cut the carpet in 2- or 3-foot wide sections with a utility knife. Once you have cut it into pieces you can pull up on an edge and pull the carpet off piece by piece.
If the carpet is glued to a concrete floor, or other type of floor that can get wet without damage, you may want to consider using some water to loosen the carpet glue. Let the water soak into the carpet and on the floor for at least 30 minutes before attempting to remove. The water will soak into the glue and make the carpet easier to release from the flooring underneath.
Carpet installed with tack strip is easier to remove. A screwdriver can be used to loosen an edge of the carpet to be removed. Then use pliers to pull the edge of the carpet up from along the way. Some homeowners may find that there are metal trim strips that were installed to keep their carpet in place. If this is the case, the lips of the metal strips will need to be bent upward in order to allow for the carpet to be fully removed.
If part of your project involves removing old carpet for good, you probably do not have much to lose by attempting this home DIY project yourself. However, if the same carpet will need to be replaced at the end of your project, it may not be worth the risk to attempt it yourself. You may risk destroying carpet you want to put back into place, which will cost you more money when all is said and done.
Hiring a contractor to do the work for you can save time, frustration, and hassle. Sometimes it can even save you money in the long run. However, doing it yourself saves money and you may learn you have a new skill in the process. Before making a decision about whether your project should be a DIY one or a hiring out one, take a good look at your budget, skills, knowledge, and tolerance level when things do not go the way you planned.