Hi Handydandy! How are you? I myslef just ripped out over 700 square feet of carpet. I used a utility knife to cut the carpet into strips to roll up and remove, I used what looks like a crow bar with one end curved and one like a claw, a mammer and what ever muscles I had. Ripping up the carpet is easy, the pad also comes up with little effort, the tack strips hover ever are a different story. I would use the claw and hammer, wedging the claw under the tack strip by hitting it with the hammer and the nails would pop up. My 12 year old son did most of the tack strip removal. I then had someone come in and lay tile, it's beautiful. Good luck, Carebare64.

You shouldn't have to remove the baseboards. Poke into the edge of the carpet around the baseboards -- there should be enough room to pull it away from the baseboards.