People often think that once the carpet removal project is complete, then that’s it. Well, you’d be shocked to know that there’s a lot of cleaning that you need to do after this procedure. Luckily, some carpet removal companies offer free cleaning after the procedure as an incentive to home and business owners. But some will charge you a fraction of the cost you’d have paid to independent cleaners. The choice really is yours, as you can still even clean the space by yourself if you’re able to. But first, it’s very important that you hire a carpet removal firm like this one to get the job done well. Otherwise, you’ll be in for a rude shock at the end of your experience. Here’s what you need to do right after carpet removal:
1. Get Rid of the Surface Mess Just After the Carpet Removal
Once you or the professional service has completed the carpet removal project, you’ll need to start by handling the surface mess that’s left behind. Search for staples carefully while wearing gloves, so that you’re certain that they won’t prick you. Also, look for the tack strips carefully as you do this.
After you’re done with that, you need to sweep and vacuum the entire space rigorously. Make sure that you do a perfect job. Not doing so can ruin the good work put into carpet removal.
2. Remove Any Glue Residue
Most of the carpet installation processes involve the use of glues and other adhesives. Thus, after you’ve completed the carpet removal project, you’ll see lots of glue left on the floor. You need to get rid of it ASAP. When it’s still easy to remove it, you won’t use so much effort, as compared to later on.
Buy a glue-removal solvent or borrow if you don’t have one. This is the item that’ll make it a lot easier for you to get rid of the glue from your floor. In case you still experience stubborn patches of glue on the floor, you can additionally use a razor blade or wallpaper scraper. However, you should be ready for your floor or stairs to look like they have some scratches due to this removal process.
3. Deal With the Dark Stains after Carpet Removal
Are you wondering where all the dark stains on your floor come from? You’ll only realize that they exist once you remove the carpet and the floor is bare. Most of these dark stains emanate from pet urine. We know how annoying this can get for homeowners. Because you can’t possibly just ignore the stains and install new carpeting right away. You’ll need to find ways to tackle the problem by cleaning up the mess.
A quick approach here is to use sanding as a solution. However, this will only work if the stains aren’t so deep on the floor. If the contrary is the case, then we’re afraid that you’ll need to replace the boards that have been affected by the stains. Then you’ll have to replace them one by one. Of course, we’re referring to the hardwood flooring here. However, you still have to be ready to spend a significant amount on this replacement.
4. Make the Floors Shine Once More
In case you see that the wooden floors beneath the removed carpet are still neat and clean, you don’t just leave them at that. Especially when you’re switching to hardwood flooring, you’ll need to make them regain that shine. Because what’s the point of switching from carpets to hardwood floors only to have dull and unattractive flooring.
To achieve that sparkle and shine, consider buffing the floors using paste wax. This will gloss it look great. In case the floor has minor errors, you can simply sand and refinish it. Doing this will cost you around $3 for every square foot. But in case you want to stain the floors to achieve that new color, then you’d have to spend anywhere around $4 per square foot.
5. Check on the Baseboards
During the installation of the carpet, you’ll find that the baseboards probably got affected. They might have been raised around the walls so that they can cover the thickness of a rug. If this is the case, you can pry them loose. And if this isn’t possible, then you can consider reattaching them lower or just fully replacing them by buying new ones.
6. Collect All Debris from the Carpet Removal Together
You probably rented a dumpster for the project if you chose to do it all alone. You need to collect everything that came off the house and dispose of them inside the dumpster. This will help you to create order and reduce the amount of clutter inside the house.
Final Thoughts
Well, that’s just about everything that you need to remember to do after a carpet removal project. Doing all of them is important if you want to successfully complete the entire project.