Today, I am sharing how to remove tack strips without damaging the floors underneath.
When you are able to pull back the old carpet and find beautiful hardwood floors underneath, it is like hitting the jackpot. Matt and I have removed a lot of carpet over the years. We got our first real experiment with it when we moved into our house. The original owners had put in hardwood floors, but then put carpet over them. When we moved in, removing the carpet was one of the first projects we did. The hardwood floors underneath were beautiful. They weren’t damaged at all and we just had to clean them once the carpet was out.
Our latest flip house has beautiful hardwood floors under the old carpet, so I couldn’t wait to get it up and get the floors refinished! We have had the opportunity to remove the carpet in other flip houses as well, so I feel like I am well-versed in removing tack strips. I have learned the tools and the method that makes removing tack strips easier and ensures I won’t ruin the hardwood floors underneath.
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How To Remove Tack Strips – Supplies:
6 in 1 Painter’s Tool (we call this the “wonder tool”)
Steps To Removing Tack Strips Without Damaging The Floors Underneath:
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- The first thing I do is take my “wonder tool” and put it underneath the corner of the tack strip.
2. Then, I use my Ball Pien hammer to tap the end of the “wonder tool” to get it all the way under the tack strip.
3. Next, I lift the “wonder tool” so I can get my mini bar under the tack strip. I lift and twist the mini bar (without too much force) to loosen the nails in the tack strip and pull the strip up. If the strip comes up in pieces or in wood shavings, don’t worry about it. Your main concern is not ruining the hardwood floor underneath. If you have nails that are still in the floor after the strip comes up, use the end of the minibar to pry them out.
4. Once you get the first nail up at the end you are working on, move the minibar down the tack strip (twisting and pulling upwards) to pry the strip up as you move along the rest of the strip. The tack strip may break off in the middle. No worries. You just have to start the process over again. If you find that you can’t get the minibar under the tack strip, don’t force it! You need to start with the “wonder tool” again to get it started.
5. As you get the tack strips and nails up, use a shop vac to clean up as you go. You don’t want any of the nails scratching the hardwood floors by walking on them or having them scoot around the floor as you work. I clean up each section as I go.
Here is a short video showing you the process in real-time:
Once you have all of the tack strips up, it is time to remove any staples on the floor from the carpet pad. I love using the “wonder tool” and these pliers for this job. A lot of times, I can just use the pliers to get the staples up, but some staples are so close to the floor, that I need to use the “wonder tool” to get them started.
This process takes a little time, but it is so worth it in the end. Don’t rush this process! If you do, you will end gouging the floors underneath. Trust me! I have learned the hard way. If you do it right, you will come away with beautiful hardwood floors.
I am so excited to keep plugging away at this flip house! I think it is going to be amazing after we give it some love. Make sure you are following along on all my social media channels where I am giving daily and weekly updates. You can see the full tour of the house on the day we bought it on my YouTube channel HERE.
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