Commercial Carpet & Carpet Glue Removal
Commercial carpet removal is straightforward until the adhesive is exposed. Broadloom and carpet tile lift out fast. The glue underneath is what holds up a schedule, and it is the part most bids underestimate. We take both off and prepare the slab. Part of our flooring demolition and removal work.
What commercial carpet removal actually involves
The adhesive, not the carpet
Pulling carpet is quick. Removing the glue bed left behind is the real scope, and pressure-sensitive adhesive, multipurpose glue and older cutback all behave differently under equipment.
Carpet tile leaves more behind
Carpet tile is usually laid in a continuous film of releasable adhesive across the whole floor. Lifting the tiles leaves that film intact, so the residue area is the full floor area rather than isolated strips.
Tack strip, staples and transitions
Perimeter tack strip, staples and metal transitions have to come out before any grinding, or they damage tooling and leave marks in the slab that show through a thin finish.
What is going down next
How far the glue has to be removed depends on the replacement. New carpet tolerates residue that a coating or a polished floor will not. We set the removal standard from the next system, not from habit.
Removing commercial carpet and the glue under it
Carpet comes up mechanically, then the adhesive is removed mechanically as well wherever the slab and the schedule allow. Mechanical removal avoids the solvent residue, cure delays and ventilation problems that come with chemical stripping in an occupied building.
Lifting carpet and carpet tile
Ride-on scrapers cut and roll broadloom in strips and lift carpet tile in sections, with tack strip, staples and transitions pulled as the work advances.
Grinding the glue
Diamond grinding takes the adhesive film off the slab and works into edges and corners. It is the standard method for occupied floors because it is controllable and low in odour.
Large open areas
Across warehouse and big-box floors, shot blasting clears adhesive faster and leaves an even profile. It suits open, empty space rather than tight or occupied areas.
Dust and building operations
We run HEPA-managed dust containment and phase work by section, so offices, retail floors and healthcare spaces stay usable while the floor is being cleared.
How a commercial carpet removal project runs
Identify the adhesive
We check whether the floor is broadloom or carpet tile, what adhesive was used and how much of the slab it covers, along with access and power.
Test area
A small section shows how the carpet and glue release, which sets method, production rate and schedule before the scope is fixed.
Lift the carpet
Carpet, tack strip, staples and transitions come out in phased sections so the space around the work stays in use.
Remove the glue
The adhesive film is ground or blasted off to the standard the replacement floor requires, checked across the area rather than in one spot.
Profile and hand off
The slab is prepared to the profile the next system needs, cleaned down and handed over ready for new flooring, coating or polishing. Profiles follow the ICRI concrete surface profile scale.
Where we provide carpet and carpet glue removal
All West Surface Prep is based in Commerce City, Colorado and has worked on existing concrete since 1990. We take commercial and industrial removal work across Colorado, and travel for suitable projects in Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and South Dakota.
Our shop is in Commerce City, Colorado. Removal crews work out of there across the Front Range and travel for suitable commercial projects in the five states below.
Colorado12 cities
WyomingStatewide
ArizonaStatewide
New MexicoStatewide
South DakotaStatewide
Common questions about commercial carpet removal
Do you remove the carpet glue as well?
Yes. Carpet removal without adhesive removal leaves a slab that most replacement systems cannot be installed over. Glue removal is part of the scope.
Do you use chemical strippers?
We remove adhesive mechanically wherever the slab and schedule allow. Mechanical removal avoids solvent odour, cure delays and residue that can interfere with the next system bonding.
Can you work at night or in phases?
Yes. Most office, retail and healthcare carpet removal runs in phased sections or outside building hours so the space stays in use.
How clean does the slab need to be?
It depends on what is going down next. New carpet tolerates some residue. Coatings and polished concrete need the adhesive fully removed and the slab profiled, and we set the standard from the replacement system.
Get a commercial carpet removal quote
Send the building type, the approximate square footage, whether it is broadloom or carpet tile and what is replacing it. We will come back with a method, a sequence and a number.