Remove Carpet Pad

What happens in this clip

With the carpet and tack strips removed, it's time to tackle the carpet pad. Inspect how the pad is attached. If the carpet pad was secured with staples, use nail-puller pliers to pull each staple individually from the floor. If the pad was attached using adhesive, you may need to scrape it up with a floor scraper or apply a commercial adhesive remover to loosen it. Roll up the removed padding and dispose of it appropriately.

Goal: Clear the subfloor of the carpet padding.

What's used

Tools

• Dust Mask
• Nail-puller Pliers
• Vice grips
• Scraper
• Putty knife
• Work Gloves
• especially when pulling staples or using adhesive removers.

Materials

• Commercial Adhesive Remover
• Contractor Garbage Bags

About the full video

This project provides step-by-step instructions on how to remove old carpet and its padding. It covers identifying the type of carpet installation (tacks vs. tack strips), removing shoe moldings, cutting and rolling up the carpet, extracting tack strips, and finally, removing the carpet pad, whether it's stapled or glued.

Step 5 of 9: Remove Padding

The carpet padding is typically loose under the carpet. Reach under the edges of the removed carpet (or where it was) and pull out strips or sections of padding. If it's stapled, use a staple remover or pliers to detach it.

Open this step in the guide

Every video in How to Remove Old Carpet from Stairs

1. Step 1: Secure the Area

   • 0:55–1:00 Prepare and Protect Adjacent Areas
   • 0:55–1:00 Seal Off Entryways
   • 0:26–0:34 Mask and Protect Surrounding Areas

2. Step 2: Loosen Carpet Edges

   • 0:58–1:33 Loosen Carpet from Tack Strips
   • 0:44–2:00 Remove Old Carpet

3. Step 3: Pull Carpet Up and Away

   • 0:21–0:50 Remove the Carpet
   • 0:58–3:40 Cut and Remove Main Carpet Sections
   • 0:44–2:00 Remove Old Carpet

4. Step 4: Remove Carpet Backing

   • 3:40–4:20 Remove Carpet Underpad
   • 0:02–0:09 Remove Carpet and Padding
   • 0:40–1:09 Remove Carpet Pad and Tack Strips

5. Step 5: Remove Padding

   • 2:46–3:43 Remove Carpet Padding
   • 1:00–1:25 Remove Carpet Pad (this video)
   • 1:33–1:40 Remove Carpet Padding

6. Step 6: Remove Tack Strips

   • 4:56–5:35 Remove Tack Strips
   • 0:31–0:55 Remove Tack Strips and Staples
   • 1:02–1:12 Remove Tack Strips

7. Step 7: Clean Stair Treads and Risers

   • 0:14–0:23 Initial Cleanup and Debris Removal
   • 0:23–0:26 Clean and Prepare Stairs for Finishing
   • 1:49–2:08 Clean Up Debris

8. Step 8: Inspect and Repair Stairs

   • 0:55–1:21 Apply Wood Filler to Blemishes
   • 7:20–7:30 Final Touches and Cleanup
   • 0:07–0:25 Inspect and Fill Imperfections

9. Step 9: Dispose of Materials

   • 1:07–1:12 Bag Carpet Sections
   • 7:37–8:39 Roll Padding with Tack Strips for Disposal
   • 3:46–3:50 Dispose of Carpet Debris