Lifting gel back carpet

[yesmaybe]

Carpet fitter has recommended gel back carpet for public spaces in a hotel, with wooden floorboards. Suggesting gel back carpet on entrance halls, bar, corridors. Then up stairs with nosing. Would need ply wood on the boards first to level the area.

Once glued down, can gel back carpets be lifted and replaced? It's an old building and occasionally (and typically only months after a new carpet is fitted!) we need to access the under floor cavity to run cables, run water pipes or such like. Hopefully we won't need to, but if we do in five years time, is it possible to lift gel back carpet and relay it? Does it stretch, rip, or just not to back down well?

Thanks for advice.

 

[dazlight]

Can’t you use carpet tiles

 

[crazydaze]

Carpet tiles would be easier to lift and replace, (but you'll have to break through the ply obviously).

Check if he is proposing to use a tackifier with the gelback (possible to lift that but still not as easy as carpet tiles) or something more permanent like F3 (that carpet won't be coming back up and being re-used).