How To Remove An Old Glued Down Indoor-Outdoor Carpet From A Patio

It was very trendy for a period of time in the 1980s to glue indoor-outdoor carpet to the surface of a patio. Some people may still adhere indoor-outdoor carpet in this manner. Removing the carpet can be difficult, but is made easier with the correct materials and the proper technique. The job requires a lot of elbow grease, but very little expense. Depending on the size of the patio, the job can take a couple of hours to an entire day to complete.

Step 1

Lift up a corner of the carpet enough to get a 6-inch drywall knife underneath. If the first corner you choose does not come up, try another corner.

Step 2

Work the drywall knife under the carpet as you pull up on it. Depending on the amount of glue used, you may be able to tear pieces of the carpet up without the use of the drywall knife. If the carpet has been thoroughly glued down, scrape the drywall knife under the edge of the carpet as you work it off the surface of the patio.

Step 3

Sweep off the leftover carpet debris from the surface of the patio.

Step 4

Apply an adhesive remover to the entire surface of the patio. Use an old paint brush to brush the adhesive remover into the surface. Apply an extra amount of remover on areas that have more glue present. Let the adhesive remover set for the recommended time according to the container.

Step 5

Scrape the surface with the drywall knife to remove the glue. Remove the chunks of glue from the edge of the knife after each stroke.The adhesive remover breaks down the glue so it can be scraped off the surface.