How to remove a carpet from stairs?

Oscar Humphries
by Oscar Humphries
Hello! I have just bought a new place but I have one major problem. The carpet on the stairs is in a terrible condition and I want to remove it. When I tried to do it there were awful glue leftovers underneath. Any idea how can I handle them, how to clean them? Is there a way of removing the carpet without leaving any traces?
  7 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Nov 27, 2015
    Try using a steam mop or a heat gun to remove the glue.
  • Elaine Elaine on Nov 27, 2015
    Using a larger steamer,(such as a wall paper remover steamer) will loosen the old glue. Then you can just pluck it up with a putty trowel. You may also want to try to use a belt or rotary sander to gently sand away the old glue residue. The latter is one I had to use once before, just mind the wood treads of the stairs, if you over-sand ,you can always use wood filler to repair. Hope this helps you Oscar.
  • Kathy Wimberly Williams Kathy Wimberly Williams on Nov 27, 2015
    Ive had a similar problem,however the carpet was very old and adhered to a beautiful pecan floor. I did as the previous post stated, I rented a steamer believing the carpet would come right off.Parts of it did. However, I then had to rent a sander to remove the glue residue, and restain. More work than I intended- but the stairway is the first thing people notice when entering the house. Good Luck!
  • Beth Lytle Beth Lytle on Nov 27, 2015
    You can also use a heat gun and a metal putty knife to scrape. It will be tedious, but if you are trying to save the wood underneath, it will be worth it. Otherwise, you can just re-carpet the steps and go over what is left.
  • Sherrie Sherrie on Nov 27, 2015
    You can use steam, or dry heat once you have ripped the carpet up, then sand and refinished,then seal.
  • Roberto Roberto on Nov 27, 2015
    There is a cleaner or glue remover called Goof off,you can buy at any paint store.
  • UpState UpState on Dec 04, 2015
    Rip Steam Scrape Goof-Off Scrape Sand Stain Seal