In This Post:
– Remove Carpet
– Preparing the Sub-Floor
– How to Install Vinyl Floor
Does your carpet look stained, matted and worn out? Have you been thinking of replacing it with something that is easy to maintain and inexpensive? Vinyl tiles, planks or sheets can be the perfect flooring option for you. However, there are a few important things you should know before you start the process. For your convenience, we have jotted down some nifty tips to replace carpet with vinyl flooring. Make sure you follow each of the steps mentioned below for a smooth finish to your flooring.
Tips to Replace Carpet with Vinyl Flooring
You can’t just strip the carpet off the floor and install any other flooring on it. There are some important points to consider in the carpet removal procedure. This blog will, therefore, have two sections: One in which we will guide you in detail on how to remove carpet flooring and prep it for other flooring installation. In the second part of this blog, we will walk you through the process of installing vinyl flooring after you have carefully removed the carpet.
So, without further ado, let’s get straight to the first part – How to Remove a Carpet from the Floor?
Step-by-Step Guide to Remove Carpet Flooring
Removing the actual carpeting is fairly easy as compared to removing the under layer or padding of the carpet. You must ensure that the padding is carefully removed before you take up the second job of installing vinyl flooring. If you hire a professional to do the job, he will charge you quite a handsome amount for nothing.
For homeowners who like to do things on their own, this project can be exciting. After all, changing the flooring of a house completely revamps the entire feel and interior décor of a room. Moreover, the process is easy and does not require much professional expertise – just time and patience. So, let us take a look at the carpet removal procedure.
Wear Protective Gear
Safety first. Any list of steps or tips to replace carpet with vinyl flooring is incomplete if you’re not being advised to protect yourself. Before you tear down the old carpet, remember to wear protective gloves as the tack strips that lie underneath the carpet can be sharp and may cause an injury. Remove all the furniture from your room.
It is always wise to bend your back a little and not strain it much while lifting any heavy object such as a cupboard or sofa. Once the room is devoid of any piece of furniture, now you can work your way towards pulling the carpet off the floor. Remember old carpets have a lot of dust, so if you are allergic to dust or have other underlying health problems such as asthma, then you must also strap a protective mask on your face.
Pull and Roll
To detach the carpet from the tack strips that fasten the carpet and place it along the walls, begin from a corner. Use pliers to grab the carpet by hand and continue to pull it up an entire wall. Fold back about 2 ft of the carpet roll it over and cut easy-to-handle strips. If you do not want to cut out pieces of carpet, then simply roll it over.
Tack Strip Removal
Removing tack strips can be tricky. You would need a set of pliers to do the job for you. Wrench each one with a flat-head screwdriver and put it in a bucket. You can even break the strips as they are easier to handle once they are short.
Removing the Under Padding
The under padding is usually glued to the floor and is quite difficult to remove than the actual carpeting. You might need hours of work to get the sticky end of the carpet off the floor. Free the material underneath the carpet as much as you can by hand, and the rest that is stuck on the floor will have to be scraped off.
Step-by-Step Guide on Preparing the Sub-floor
Although installing vinyl flooring doesn’t need much prep, you must level the sub-floor just the same way you would for any other type of flooring. There should be no moisture and the floor should be nicely levelled out. Follow these steps to ensure the floor is prepped properly.
Clean up properly
You can sweep the floor but the best way to ensure there is no dust and the floor is thoroughly cleaned is to vacuum it. Scrape off the glue markings using a scalpel or any sharp object. Make sure nothing is sticking onto the floor. You would be tempted at this stage to wash the floor, but don’t wash it with water or the floor will have some moisture content which can loosen the vinyl floor tiles and planks when installed.
Level out the floor
If the floor seems uneven or not levelled out, you must identify the gaps and fill it with a floor compound. Use a lumber to find out the low spots on the floor. Fill out any areas on the floor that are a few inches below the level you are measuring.
Sand the floor
All of our tips to replace carpet with vinyl flooring can be rendered useless if you’re not following this particular step. Use a 120-grit sandpaper to sand the surface. It is important to level out the floor before you install vinyl flooring or else the floor will be bumpy and uneven. Vacuum all the sanding dust once done, then inspect any debris that you may have missed. Anything you leave on the floor could cause gapping.
Moisture Barrier
Use a plastic or a foam as a moisture barrier and also as a sound barrier. The padding underneath the vinyl flooring helps make a room soundproof, especially if you have kids around. Also, if the kid falls on the floor, the padding underneath protects the child from any injury.
How to Install Vinyl Flooring
For installing vinyl flooring, you must first choose from a variety of shades and styles of vinyl flooring. You can either purchase it online or visit a local outlet. If you have dark tan furniture, then go for a lighter shade of vinyl flooring to highlight the bedroom furniture. Once you have the right shade of vinyl flooring, then you would need a tapping block and a pull bar to secure the planks or vinyl tiles onto the floor.
Simply put some glue and then place the vinyl tile. Make sure you tap it thoroughly to avoid any bubbles. Along the wall, place the vinyl tile and cut out any extras using a knife.
There you go! You have successfully replaced carpet with vinyl flooring!
We hope this simple guide on replacing carpet with vinyl flooring would make the process easier for you. You should also check out the pros and cons of different flooring options and the prices of popular flooring options in Pakistan before selecting any particular flooring.
If you like a polished marble floor, then read our comprehensive guide on the subject: Marble Flooring Tiles & Their Rates in Pakistan. For more of such informative pieces, stay tuned to the Zameen Blog, the best real estate blog in Pakistan. Subscribe to the Zameen Newsletter appearing on the right hand side of the page. Don’t forget to write to us at blog@zameen.com and we will surely get back to you.
