Taking Carpet Off Stairs

Like this gaping hole.

Taking carpet off stairs. Heck you will be finding it everywhere for the weeks to come. Ripping off the carpet and painting the stairs was the best decision i made. I had no idea what i would find under the carpet. Replacing stair treads starts with tearing out carpet then staples and then cutting the old bullnoses.

Every 3 stairs i used a box cutter to cut the carpet from side to side. Paint the treads black and the risers white. Without damaging the wood you must reach under the carpet and pry it free. That carpet is coming off those stairs.

But one thing i ve learned in the diy world is this fact. This staircase makeover was accomplished in a weekend and looks like a professional proof that a staircase remodel can be a diy job. In fact it just got worse as i went down the stairs ripping that carpet and padding off. Grip the carpet with both hands for easier removal and to maintain balance and safety.

After i removed the padding i used a crowbar hammer and a flat edged screwdriver to remove the tack strip and staples. So bad that i started to question my sanity. This was a simple system that worked great and will also be how i handle it when dealing with the basement stairs too. I have pinned so many pages on pinterest with what i wanted to do.

Work from side to side. On your picture frames across the floor. I know it s really bad. The hardest part about removing carpet from stairs is starting.

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. All this is done inside your house so just imagine where all the dust is going to go. 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. I started at the bottom corner of the stairs by using a crowbar to pry the carpet away from the tack strip.

Use the vise grips to pull the carpet free from the riser. Removing carpet from stairs and replacing it with wood stair treads is a totally doable diy. But i had pulled a little bit back on the top step and saw that there was at least an overhang on the treads. Start at the top of the stairs and remove the carpet with the vise grips and utility knife.

Find a good place to start removing carpet from stairs. Not perfect wood but okay to paint. With gloved hands and using a screwdriver 5 in 1 tool or similar implement pry up a corner until you can gain a grip.