Removing carpet from Hardwood Floors
#1
My carpet is not glued to the hardwood floor so removing it is not a probelm. However it is tacked down by upright nails on strips of 1 inch wood pieces which are nailed into the floor. How do I go about removing the strips? Do I need a special tool? Then what do I use to fill in the holes of the floor?
#2
A thin, flat prybar will work well to remove your carpet "tack strip". Drive the bar under the strip where the nails hold it down to the floor being careful not to let the sharp end of the prybar scrape the surface of the flooring. Start in a less-visible spot until you get the hang of it. If you plan to have the flooring refinished professionally, the contractor will have the best method for dealing with the holes. If you are satisfied with the finish, then you will probably end up using some of the colored wood putty available at hardware/ lumber stores. This type of putty will match well for color but remains soft in the holes. And you might expect a little black ring around each of the holes from moisture in the wood that rusted the nails. Hope you have some nice looking wood under there to enjoy!