Has anyone had to remove 30 yr old carpet? What was the technique used for getting stuck on backing off floor?

Question

we have 30 yr old carpet to remove and the backing is stuck to floor. Need help in best quickest removal without alot of scraping.
Thanks for any techniques you may have used!

Answer 1

just use warm soapy water and let it soak for around half hour

Answer 2

If you plan to go back with new carpet, or refinish the surface under the carpet then I recommend a chemical solvent. The best I've found is gun cleaner in a spray can. You can buy it at walmart or any sporting goods store. The active ingredient in this is called trichloroethane. It smells bad and you need to use it in a well ventilated room, but it will remove nearly all forms of adhesive and grease. That's what makes it such an effective cleaner for guns.

An alternative you may consider is WD-40. This is a good cleaning solvent as well, because of the oil in it, and the aerosol propellant. The drawback is that it will leave a slight residue that you will need to clean up....ammonia works well for this.

Answer 3

just get a can of minral spirits or paint striper put on the area that needs to be cleaned then run a scaper over it and it should just peel off. it want hurt the floor and for the most part it want take but a couple of min.

Answer 4

Water ond oils are a no no if your saving hard woods. you need to scrape and sand. Some things are not easy.

Answer 5

Thanks for the advice.