Demolition work can be some of the more fun jobs to do around the house because most people love to play with a sledge hammer. However, while it can be fun, remember that these tools should be used properly to avoid personal injury. Removing hardwood floor is a simple task but a physical task that just about anyone can do with enough time and the right tools.
Preparing to tear up a hardwood floor is much easier than installing one because it doesn’t matter if the individual floor boards become damaged. They are just going to be thrown away anyway, so someone performing this task only has to be careful not to hurt the walls of a room. Tools that will be necessary to complete this job are work gloves, a crowbar, a sledge hammer, a circular saw, and a claw hammer.
The first thing to do is clean off the entire area of any free standing items found on the wooden surface. Once it is clear, use the circular saw to cut the floor into smaller pieces. The smaller the piece, the easier it will be to get up. However, larger pieces may ensure the job getting done more quickly. For this reason, it is important to work at your own pace.
After the cutting is completed, it is time to break up the wood so that it can be removed. It is important to be careful during this time because a sledge hammer is often used for this process. While you do want to break up the wood boards, you do not want to damage the surface underneath. Keep this in mind with every swing of the sledgehammer.
Finally, use the crowbar, chisel, or claw hammer to get all of the wooden planks off the floor. Choose the tool or combination of tools that works easiest and most efficiently. A claw hammer probably works best with a chisel because it serves a dual purpose as a hammer and a crowbar. Make sure that each piece of floor is carefully and completely removed. You may actually be able to salvage some of the pieces and either sell or reuse them for a new floor.
As soon as this last step is completed, the floor should be completely up and you can go to work cleaning up the surface to get it ready for the new flooring. It is important to remember that while this can be a fun project, safety should be a primary concern. This project requires the use of some large and dangerous tools and it is imperative that all safety rules are followed.