Taking Carpet Off Stairs

Find a good place to start removing carpet from stairs.

Taking carpet off stairs.

Each piece of carpet was also wrapped around the edges of the stairs and around the balusters so i had to remove the staples holding it in place from underneath green arrow below. If both the treads and the risers are carpeted you may be able to slide the blade of a utility knife along an edge without scratching the wood. Paint the treads black and the risers white. I know it s really bad.

That carpet is coming off those stairs. Removing carpet from stairs and replacing it with wood stair treads is a totally doable diy. I had no idea what i would find under the carpet. Not perfect wood but okay to paint.

Start at the top of the stairs and remove the carpet with the vise grips and utility knife. Use the vise grips to pull the carpet free from the riser. This was a simple system that worked great and will also be how i handle it when dealing with the basement stairs too. Like this gaping hole.

Ripping off the carpet and painting the stairs was the best decision i made. But one thing i ve learned in the diy world is this fact. Work from side to side. Without damaging the wood you must reach under the carpet and pry it free.

Grip the carpet with both hands for easier removal and to maintain balance and safety. Removing carpet from stairs and replacing it with wood stair treads is a totally doable diy. The carpet will be stapled extensively and old staples seem designed to poke fingers or palms so proceed carefully during this step and throughout the removal process. But i had pulled a little bit back on the top step and saw that there was at least an overhang on the treads.

Cut the carpet with a utility knife under the nose of the landing. Every 3 stairs i used a box cutter to cut the carpet from side to side. Heck you will be finding it everywhere for the weeks to come. This staircase makeover was accomplished in a weekend and looks like a professional proof that a staircase remodel can be a diy job.

All this is done inside your house so just imagine where all the dust is going to go. So bad that i started to question my sanity. With gloved hands and using a screwdriver 5 in 1 tool or similar implement pry up a corner until you can gain a grip. I started at the bottom corner of the stairs by using a crowbar to pry the carpet away from the tack strip.

The hardest part about removing carpet from stairs is starting. Replacing stair treads starts with tearing out carpet then staples and then cutting the old bullnoses. After i removed the padding i used a crowbar hammer and a flat edged screwdriver to remove the tack strip and staples.