Hey Tim,
I live in a 30 year old home with a finished basement. The carpet in the basement is a very old and is the sturdy short office type pile. It is the most hideous orange shade ever imagined. This carpet is heavily glued directly to the concrete beneath it, and will not come up. Do you have any tips on how to remove it short of using a jackhammer? Any help would be GREATLY appreaciated.
Thank you
Rhea
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Rhea,
You need to slice the carpet into three-foot wide strips from wall to wall. Use a standard razor knife. You will need to change blades frequently as the tip will dull as it runs against the concrete. The trick is to peel the strips off the floor as you might pull a wet piece of wallpaper off a wall.
Starting at one end you need to work with a sharp flat scraper to get the carpet up. This may be done with a hammer tapping the scraper under the carpet backing. Once you have three or four feet detached, you or someone else may be able to start to pull the carpet backwards as you would remove the lid from a tin of sardines. It is not going to be easy, but it is possible. It may require two people pulling on the strip. Be careful not to fall backwards.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB