During many flooring projects, it is necessary to remove old flooring materials before installing anything new. Commonly, homeowners decide to tear up old carpet to either install an entirely different flooring type or to lay new carpet. In many older homes, when you tear up the existing carpet you will reach hardwood flooring. In some cases, you might want to refinish and repair the hardwood flooring. However, if the hardwood flooring is damaged too greatly, it might not be worth your time to try to repair it. In other cases, you may have a different flooring material in mind, and removal of the hardwood flooring is necessary to reach the sub-floor. Removing hardwood flooring can be a bit of a chore, which is why we have compiled these quick tricks for making the process faster and easier.
Start With The Right Tools
Remember, every project should start with the investment in quality demolition equipment. Using the right tools will make the difference between a tedious task and an efficient project. When it comes to removing hardwood flooring, there are a few tools that will make your job easier.
First, you need to choose the right demo bar. This 60” demo bar is ideal for flooring, deck boards, and other similar projects. Using the right demo bar will allow you work rapidly and will place less strain on your back. This demo tool is weighted to provide excellent momentum for hardwood flooring projects.
Normally, you would also need to purchase a nail puller. However, if you purchase the 60” Gutster Demo Bar you get the added bonus of a built in nail puller on the back of the head of the tool. If you use this tool, you will not need to bend over to remove nails, which can contribute to a greater efficiency in your project.
Along with a sturdy demo bar and nail puller, we recommend you invest in a quality pair of vice grips. Although many nails and staples can be removed with your nail puller, some nails and staples may be broken, and vice grips will allow you to grab ahold of the broken nails and staples to remove them.
Lastly, if you want to make your hardwood floor removal faster and easier, we suggest having a circular saw on hand. You can rent a circular saw if you don’t own one and you are not ready to invest in one yet.
Cutting Your Project Into Smaller Sections
Begin your project by cutting the hardwood flooring into smaller sections with your circular saw. If you do not have a circular saw on hand, you can still perform hardwood floor removal, but simply skip this step. Cut the hardwood flooring perpendicular to the direction the flooring is lying. You can cut each section into approximately one to two feet wide portions. Make sure to set your saw blade to the thickness of your hardwood flooring, so as to not damage the sub-flooring. By cutting the boards into small sections, removal will go faster and smoother.
Note: Determine at the beginning of the project if you wish to salvage the hardwood pieces for resale, or if you will be scrapping them. If you wish to keep them in tact, the project will be more time consuming, but could pay you back monetarily. The value of keeping your hardwood flooring pieces in tact will depend greatly on the type of wood used and the condition of the wood.
Get To Work Tearing Up The Flooring
Once you have the flooring cut into smaller sections (or if you skipped that step), get to work tearing up the flooring with your demo bar. This part of the process can strain your back, so try to keep yourself as vertical as possible. If you find your back is feeling fatigued, take breaks. For most homeowners who are performing hardwood flooring removal as a DIY project, the process will need to be broken up over multiple days. Aim for working on the flooring each evening for an hour of time to prevent yourself from overdoing it.
If you want to see the Gutster Tool in action on hardwood flooring, check out this video:
As you can see the Gutster Demo Bar makes the removal process simple and efficient.
Clean Up Debris As You Go
As you tear up the flooring, be sure you keep your workspace clean. Working in piles of debris not only will slow you down, it can also lead to injuries as you trip over piles of flooring or step on old nails and staples. We recommend you use a magnetic strip of metal to quickly clean up nails and staples as you go. A clean workspace is a safe workspace.
Purchase Your Gutster Bar Today
If you are looking to remove old hardwood flooring, invest in a Gutster Demo Bar today. We know you will appreciate the difference this unique tool can make. We designed this tool to help make demo projects faster, safer, and easier. Whether you are a professional demolition contractor, or you are a homeowner looking to perform some of your own renovations, we know you’ll appreciate the outstanding design of the Gutster Demo Bar. Check out the 60 inch demo bar for hardwood flooring removal here.