How to Pull Up Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are beautiful, durable and can be refinished at a fraction of the cost of a new floor. But if you want to put down a different type of flooring or salvage a hardwood floor from an old house, it's a fairly easy task. Pulling up hardwood floors from a good-sized room can usually be accomplished in one day. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Look for any screw plugs, bore them out using a drill and remove the screws underneath. Don't worry about finishing nails. Some older floors will not have screws and will simply need to be pried up.
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2
Pick a starting place and pry up a few boards. Salvaging the first few boards may be impossible, because damage is almost unavoidable. If you have difficulty prying up a starting point, cut a board out with a circular saw.
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3
Work from the tongue side of tongue and groove flooring and work a pry bar under each board and apply gentle pressure as you slide it down the length of the board. If glue was used to secure the boards, angle a chisel under each piece and use a hammer to gently tap it loose.
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4
Check the base floor for fallen screws, nails and embedded bits like nail stubs that may have broken away. Remove potentially dangerous hardware with large locking pliers.
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Tips & Warnings
To salvage old flooring, remove the nails with large locking pliers. Reject warped or badly damaged pieces. The rest can be sanded, finished and reused for a beautiful new floor.
Always wear protective eye gear when working with power tools.
