If the recycling facility can’t take your carpet, reach out to local carpet retailers or manufacturers. They may be willing and capable of recycling as well. [2] X Research source Carpet padding is easier to recycle since it’s only made of foam. Carpet is more complex but can be turned into plastic pellets and other materials. [3] X Research source It usually costs about 5 to 25 cents per pound (0. 45 kg) of carpet to recycle. Carpet does not break down in landfills. In the US alone, Americans dispose of 5 billion pounds (2. 3 billion kg) of carpet per year.
Be careful of stray nails or staples while you handle old carpet. Consider wearing protective gloves to be safe. Carpet can be thrown in a dumpster unless your town’s guidelines say otherwise.
Clarify where to leave your carpet for pickup. It may be in a different place than your regular trash can. Bulk pickup processes are different from town to town. Double check your community’s procedure to make sure all of your carpet can be taken.
Always call ahead to make sure the facility accepts carpet before making the trip. Some municipality dumps offer a small number of free trips per year.
Make sure the carpet is rolled and bagged before the junk haulers arrive. Prices usually range from $100 for small junk piles to $600 for a full truck-load of waste. Haulers recycle or donate whatever they can before sending the rest to a landfill. Research your junk haulers to see their environmental policies.
Clarify what can and can’t go in the dumpster along with carpet. Some companies won’t allow concrete or certain substances, for example. Ask about extended rental and weight limit fees, since these can increase the overall price. Rental rates vary by dumpster size. Small ones range from $100 to $350 per week, but very large ones can be up to $850 per week.
Donated carpets are usually refurbished and given to those in need of new flooring, like after a fire or a flood. Ask for a receipt with the charity organization’s name if you want to deduct the donation on your taxes.
Make sure your carpet is clean and in the biggest pieces possible to increase your chances of selling it successfully.
Always clarify exactly what you’re getting with your salesperson. Ask if removal and disposal are part of the installation fee or an additional charge. Remember, removal and disposal are not the same thing. Make sure your installer will take the old carpet with them after the new one is layed down. Removal and disposal typically costs about $1 or $1. 50 per square foot (0. 3 m) of carpet.
Put small pieces on the legs of furniture so they don’t scratch your floors. If you have a cat, make them a scratching post. Cut custom disposable car mats or place strips of carpet on your garage walls to protect your car doors when you open them. Keep a strip in your car trunk to use for tire traction on snowy days. Put strips on ladder rungs for better traction.
Ask about carpet recycling programs in or near your town, too. Carpet might be considered bulky waste in some towns or municipal solid waste in others, which affects how your community handles disposal. Guidelines for carpet may be different from town to town, so reach out to clarify before you settle on a disposal plan.
Shoe molding is the thin strip of molding that hides gaps between the flooring and baseboards.
Put on knee pads to protect your knees from nails and staples (and for general comfort since you’ll be on your knees a lot while you rip up the carpet).
If it won’t lift easily, cut a 6 in (15 cm) square with a utility knife in a corner of the room. Lift out the square piece and then pull the carpet by hand.
If there’s a closet, cut the carpet at the carpet door. Pull up and roll the closet carpet separately. Leave metal transitions between carpet and other flooring alone. Remove the carpet rolls from the room when you’re finished. [20] X Research source
Use the scraper to remove any staples holding the pad down if the subfloor is made of plywood or particle board. If the subfloor is hardwood that you want to preserve, use vise-grip pliers or a small, flat-blade screwdriver to carefully pull up the staples. Use a scraper to remove carpet glue from the subfloor. Pour boiling water on stubborn glue to loosen it, then scrape it after 10 minutes. [22] X Research source
If you’re putting in new carpet and the tack strips are in good shape, leave them where they are.
If any carpet fibers got stuck to painted baseboards, use a putty knife to scrape them free before yanking the carpet up to avoid damaging the paint job.
Make sure your subfloor is clean and fully dry before installing new carpet.
