Making The Change From Carpeting To Wood Flooring
If you have a room in your home with worn out carpeting, you may have contemplated removing it so you could enjoy the original wood flooring hiding underneath. Revitalizing a wood floor involves a lot of work but the appearance of the result is one you can be proud of. Here are some instructions to follow when ripping out carpeting and restoring the wood floor panels underneath.
Taking Out The Carpeting
Remove any molding from your walls using the claw end of a hammer so you can see the ends of the carpeting it was covering. Remove any carpet staples from the perimeter of the carpeting using a staple remover. Make a cut in the carpeting in the far corner of the room. This will allow you to grasp onto it so it can be pulled from the floor. Have a friend help you pull the carpeting as it may be adhered to the floor pretty firmly if it has been present for several years. Roll the carpeting so it is compact enough to carry out of the room for disposal. You need to repeat the process with carpet padding if it is present.
Preparing The Surface
Walk through the room and hammer down any nails that may have become loosened from the wood planks. If you had carpet padding under your carpeting, there is a good chance you will need to scrape off remnants that have become stuck to the wood underneath. Do this with a plastic putty knife. This part of the project can take several hours, but it is necessary so you can see the beauty of the wood underneath. Use a vacuum to remove any pieces of padding as you work. Scrub any caked on debris from the wood using a mild wood detergent and a clean piece of microfiber cloth. When the floor appears clean, you can start the sanding procedure.
Finishing The Job
Rent an electric floor sander from a local hardware store. Use course-grit sandpaper to buff the entire floor with your sander. The edges will need to be done by hand as the buffer cannot reach these portions. Switch to medium-grit sandpaper and repeat. Finish with fine-grit sandpaper to give the floor a smooth surface. Vacuum all sawdust in between sandpaper switch-outs and again after you completed the job.
At this time you can stain the wood with a pleasing shade. Use a paintbrush to apply the stain directly to the wood planks and sop up any extra using a piece of microfiber cloth as you apply it to the floor. Allow the floor to dry completely and add a second coat if desired. Allow to dry again and add a coat of polyurethane to add some shine and to protect your floor's great new appearance.