Taking an Old Carpet Out of a Bass Boat

Removing the old carpet is an important part of refurbishing a bass boat. You will have to do this every few years, as old carpet becomes soiled and worn. Carpeting is applied for comfort and protection on all horizontal surfaces inside the boat -- bottom and decking -- including storage compartment hatches. Boat carpets are usually held down with carpet glue or paste rather than nails or staples. You will have to remove the adhesive, as well. While not technically difficult, this is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process, and an assistant can make your job much easier.

Things You'll Need

  • Assistant
  • Work gloves – chemical resistant
  • Scraper
  • Acetone
  • Box cutters
  • Pliers
  • Crow bar
  • Screwdriver or chisel
  • Small hammer
  • Hack saw
  • Kneepads (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Begin prying up the old carpeting. Use a small amount of acetone to dissolve the adhesive and facilitate carpet removal. Pour the acetone sparingly directly onto the section of carpet you are removing – it will soak through to the underlying glue. Once the glue is loosened, there are several tools you can use to pull up the carpet. These include pliers for gripping the edge of the carpet, a crow bar for prying up the carpet and box cutters to carve out intractable pieces. If you like, use kneepads to cushion your knees as you work. Get your assistant’s help to pull up and roll large swathes of old carpet.

    • 2

      Remove all storage compartment lids and their hinges. Most hinges are held in place by stainless steel screws or aluminum pop rivets. You can use a screwdriver to take out screws, but pop rivets will need to be broken out. Do this by centering a screwdriver in the center of the rivet and tapping down on the handle with a hammer, breaking the rivet in two pieces. You will have to replace the rivet later. Note that if the rivets are made of stainless steel, you may have to resort to cutting through them with a hacksaw.

    • 3

      Remove the adhesive from the deck and compartment lids. The best way to do this is with a combination of acetone and scraping. You should wear chemical-proof work gloves for this process. A very light application of acetone loosens the glue, which can then be removed with a scraper. While not difficult, this is a time-consuming and painstaking process. However, it is necessary to remove all traces of glue and carpet fibers before you can put on new carpet.