Luckily, changing your flooring can be done by the homeowner. In most cases, home buyers are looking to replace the carpet with a newer, more modern tile or hardwood floor. Once the carpet is removed, there will be some cleaning required before any other floor goes down. How to clean concrete floors after removing carpet? The main focus is removing the glue, tact strips, and carpet padding.
Let’s take a look below at how we can easily accomplish this project.
What Do I Need
Just like with any project in your home, you will require some tools and materials in order to accomplish this task. Removing the carpet and cleaning the concrete underneath can be a very tedious task. The carpet should come up fairly easily, but removing the glue and other materials will take some time. Let’s take a look at what you might need to get the job done.
- Pry Bar
- Putty Knife
- Gloves
- Bleach
- Hot water
- Sponge
- Floor scraper
- Wet/dry vacuum
- Broom and dustpan
- Mop
How Do I Clean The Concrete
When it comes to a project like removing carpet, you will want to have the necessary equipment to clean the concrete. Removing the glue and tack strips from the flooring is the longest part of the project. Let’s take a look at some recommended steps for how to clean concrete floors after removing the carpet.
- Remove the carpet – the first step is actually removing the carpet from the tack strips.
- Scrape away the dry adhesive and underlayer – use a hand-held scraper with sharp blades and adhesive remover to get the glue off the concrete.
- Clean and Sweep – as you scrape up the underlayer and glue from the concrete you will need to sweep it up into a dustpan. Also, use your shop vacuum or vacuum cleaner at this time to help suck up any remaining pieces.
- Add Bleach solution or Soap – at this point, you can add your bleach/one gallon of water mixture or dish soap/one gallon of water mixture to the concrete. Use a mop to clean the floor and get any remaining carpet glue off of the concrete. Be sure to wring out the mop as you go and do not put too much liquid on the floor at one time.
- Dry – let the concrete dry overnight. Once it is dry, check for rough spots that might need to be sanded down and smoothed out.
Other Recommended Maintenance
Now that you have a grasp of how to clean concrete floors after you remove carpet, it might be a good idea to read up on the longevity of various flooring. For example, how long does epoxy flooring last vs how long does laminate flooring last?
Next, if you have selected to use vinyl flooring for your carpet replacement, read up on how to store it before laying the floor down. Vinyl flooring will need to acclimate in the specific room that you are laying it down in. Be sure to study what the recommended acclimation period is.
Lastly, as you remove the carpet, you might damage the floor boards, or even notice some cracking of the caulk. Be sure to read up on how long it takes caulk to dry. You wouldn’t want to caulk and then lay your flooring. It might be a good idea to wait to caulk.
When Do I Call A Professional
Anytime you are looking to replace your carpet with a different type of flooring, you should call a professional. Using an experienced flooring contractor will save you time and money. A flooring contractor with a lot of experience knows how to get the job done quickly and with little destruction. If you aren’t sure who to call, use your local home inspection team. They can inspect your flooring and make a recommendation for upgrades. Also, they can refer a reputable flooring contractor.
Conclusion
Selecting the right flooring replacement for your carpet can be tricky. There are so many options these days, that selecting what works for the interior of your home could prove challenging. If you aren’t sure of the best approach for deciding, call on your local home inspection team. Not only will they recommend flooring that is popular for increasing the value of your home, but they can also find any other potential issues before you begin demolition of the carpet. Call Boggs Inspection Services to get your floors inspected during a home inspection in Lacey, WA, and surrounding areas.
