Carpet removal?

[Chestnut]

just taken on an allotment and, now we have cut back the undergrowth, we have discovered lots of buried carpet.... There were three different carpets on top of each other in the couple of square metres we have tackled so far, which took us a few hours with spade, billhook and stanley knife.

Can anyone recommend any more efficient / 'tried and trusted' techniques for removing them?

In particular, any hints or tips for the brittle bits where a previous plotholder had a bonfire on top of the (synthetic) carpets???

Thanks

[Martin H]

You have my sympathy. I also unearthed lots of carpet in various stages of disintegration when clearing my plot.

Hopefully the part you've found isn't typical. After all, the previous owners must have grown some crops somewhere!

I have no special tips, unfortunately. I just took off all the soil and weeds on each piece of carpet until it was completely exposed, then pulled it up / levered it with a spade. Then I spread it out to dry as much as possible, then folded it up and took it to the dump in the back of the car.

Perseverance got the job done eventually.

[Jay-ell]

I found that using a azada /mattock helped slice off the top surface of plants a d soil a lot easier than using a spade (although although irish shovel may also do the job).

Once the soil and weeds had been sliced off it was easier to pull out sections of the carpet, using a good sharp Stanley knife to cut it into manageable sizes.

[KevinM67]

I had the same problem - which unfortunately (and the Mods can verify this) I just had to use my great strength and brute force to remove it.

Having a body and physique to die for, can be a curse.at times, however in that case I was lucky enough to make easy work of it.

Although, that really wasn't the case at all - it was a nightmare, which nearly broke me. Honestly !!

Removing carpet was the hardest thing I ever did on my plot.- give me weeds anyday.

[Chestnut]

I certainly don't have a body/ physique to die for (yet!)
But if aching muscles yesterday are anything to go by, I reckon Carpet lifting is at least as good for my physique as spending the same time at the gym, so by the time I shift that lot I could be a new woman!

��

[KevinM67]

Yep, it's a total nightmare - the weeds/grass had grown right through the several carpets on my plot.

I tried digging it out, little bits at a time - but in the end I had to resort to brute strength. It nearly killed me.

[Jay-ell]

This is similar to the one I used

Harbour Housewares Full Size Azada / Digging Hoe - Rinkit.com

I originally started digging up carpet that has weed and a build up of soil on top of it and it was slow and laborious. I borrowed an azada and the work went a lot quicker.

Standing with my feet apart I carefully shaved the soil and roots off the top of the carpet using the azada back and forth cutting in between my feet (hence the careful bit). Once enough of the carpet was cleared I either pulled up the carpet or repeated the shaving this time cutting underneath the carpet and folding it back as I went.

Far less back breaking than the spade as I didn't have to bend over and the weight of the tool done most the work.

[Cadalot]

Been there done that one, and now doing it again on my new plot including finding craters dug, lined with carpet and backfilled with hardcore! Why would anyone do that? Rolls of carpet buried. My neighbours informed me that the last tenant did it all over the plot, Joy of Joys.

On my first plot see photo below all that area had carpet and after I removed the dross on top the clay under was hard and shiny and looked polished. No fork or spade would touch it, I had to use a pick axe to open it up then a fork and spade.

I recorded progress of the removal and discovery including finding sheets of glass under the carpet and lots of other delights on my diary & blog at http://cadalot-allotment.blogspot.co...max-results=20

[boatsman]

It could have been worse. It could have been linoleum, but then linoleum is organic so you could have cut it up a bit and left it in situ.

[sparrow100]

I am discovering new piles of carpet, some nearly totally rotted, some in rolls and some flat. It's a slightly warped guessing game...

I'd stick with what you are doing - with a mattock if it's deeply buried or a spade and pulling it up if it's more shallow. One of my beds will probably have tufts of red carpet in it for all eternity as, no matter how many I remove, more surface every year.

Good luck. Remember, you're following the 'Kevin Body Beautiful' plan...(yikes!)

[FlowerpotGirl]

I hate carpet after spending the past three months removing it from my plot. I didn't even realise it was there as weeds where growing out of it. I used a Stanley knife and cut it into strips which were easily rolled up and taken to the tip.

[Chestnut]

Thank you all. Stanley knife, spade, mattock and billhook it is, with a few upbeat tracks on mp3 player too!

[Jay-ell]

Thank you all. Stanley knife, spade, mattock and billhook it is, with a few upbeat tracks on mp3 player too!

May I suggest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLR55d0aLw8&app=desktop

Or possibly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yShvgXZQBTs&app=desktop

[Snadger]

May I suggest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLR55d0aLw8&app=desktop

Or possibly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yShvgXZQBTs&app=desktop

Cribbins is brilliant!

[Aberdeenplotter]

We have banned carpets on our site.