Removing Carpet to Reveal Hardwood Floors

Since we knew we were going to be swapping out my daughter’s crib for a full-sized bed, it seemed like the perfect time to yank out the old berber in her Fairy Garden bedroom.  We were 95% certain there was hardwood underneath the carpet, as there is hardwood in our master bedroom and in the upstairs hallway. This is the process that we used, along with some tips we discovered along the way.

I started in the closet figuring that if the floor underneath was a disaster, at least it wouldn’t be a visible disaster.  Thankfully the floor underneath looked great!

First, I started  by moving the furniture out of the room and hoisting up any cords that would get in our way.

With all the furniture out of the room, it was even more apparent how icky the carpet was.  Blotchy, uneven, and awful with the wall color.

Armed with work gloves and a box cutter, we got to work.  The carpet itself came up pretty easily, being only tacked down on the edges, and along the seam.  I cut while my husband pulled and then he carted it out of the room.

 

Next up was the padding underneath.  It was not in as bad of condition as I expected it to be.  I dread ever seeing what the padding under our living room carpet looks like though.

Next we attacked the floor with needle-nosed pliers and and a pry bar.  After a few hours of prying up tack strips and pulling out staples, the wood floors were revealed.

 

 

 

They floors aren’t in perfect shape, having several gouges caused by furniture over the years.  But all in all, I think we were very blessed to have them be in such great condition.  Since they looked like this, we could skip a complete refinishing for now, and just do some spot work to remove the gouges.  I hit the bad spots with wood filler and, eventually, wood stain to help the spots blend in with the rest of the flooring.

 

 

Now that my daughter’s carpet is out, I am ready to tackle the other rooms upstairs!  Who wants to come help?

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Thanks,  Jessica