Many homes used to have carpets completely covering their wood floors. Today, people often take out the carpet to expose the wood underneath. But then you have to deal with the carpet staples left behind on the floors.
Getting rid of the old carpet staples is key before you refinish or put new flooring over your wood boards. We’ll give tips so that you can know how to remove carpet staples from wood flooring to avoid messing up your floors in the process. Keep reading to learn easy step-by-step methods to clear the staples and make your floors look beautiful again.
Step-by-Step Guide to Remove Carpet Staples from Wood Floors
Use Pliers to Pull Out Staples
Pulling out carpet staples with pliers is the easiest method to remove them. Here are some pointers on using this manual method:
- Gather a staples container, pliers, hammer, putty knife, and razor blade. Safety glasses and gloves are also useful.
- Bend any staples flush with the floor so they don’t pose a tripping hazard while you work. Hammer them down if needed.
- Use the razor blade to scrape off any staple remnants stuck to the floorboards.
- Discard the removed staples into your container for safe disposal.
- Check for staple marks or scratches in the wood. Use wood putty as needed to fill holes after taking out all staples.
It’s easy and cheap to pull out nails with pliers. However, larger locations in particular can make the process boring and time-consuming. In addition, the floor could get damaged throughout the process if you aren’t careful.
Rent an Advanced Floor Stapler with a Remover Plate
For very large rooms or whole houses, rent an air-powered flooring stapler with a staple remover plate. Select a rental unit designed for hardwood floor staple removal. Professional flooring crews use these. Attach the staple remover plate to the stapler head instead of a staple loading plate.
This allows you to position the stapler over each staple and pull it out. Connect the stapler to an air compressor for power. Set the psi for just enough force to remove staples without damaging wood. Position, lower the plate, and trigger the power stapler to remove each staple. Make passes across the entire floor to get every staple.
Tap down any proud nails with a hammer. For safety, wear ear and eye protection when operating the power stapler. Fill small holes if needed when all staples are gone. Consider renting a professional floor sander too for resurfacing. Renting this kind of specialty flooring stapler can make removing hundreds of staples go very fast. The power does all the work of clawing them out. Just one afternoon and the task is done.
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Employ a Carpet Staple Puller
For faster removal on big jobs, use a specialty carpet staple-pulling tool. This affordable hand tool makes the process much easier on your back too:
- Place the tool jaws under the staple you want to remove. Squeeze the handles together to clamp down.
- Keep squeezing while you pull up forcefully to extract the staple.
- Move methodically around the floor to remove all the old staples. Wear knee pads for comfort.
- Collect all staples so none get left behind. Discard them safely.
- Patch small holes as needed with color-matched wood filler once the floors are clear.
This manual staple puller works almost like a pair of giant pliers. The jaw design protects your floors by applying pressure evenly around staples. Quick squeeze-and-pull motions let you remove many staples in far less time than using ordinary pliers.
Clean Up Floors and Finish as Desired
Once you clear all the carpet staples, take time to clean up the floors before refinishing or installing new floor coverings. Sweep and vacuum floors well to remove dirt, debris, and any leftover staple pieces. Clean out all corners and crevices. Touch up nail holes, cracks, or other flaws with appropriate color wood putty. Let dry completely. Sand very lightly if needed to smooth down wood filler patches. Clean floors again when done.
Apply a new stain, sealant, polyurethane, or other finish coating of your choice. Protect floors from foot traffic until cured. Install new carpet, area rugs, or solid flooring surface per the manufacturer’s recommendations. Your once-hidden wood floors are now pristine and ready to shine again! Taking time to remove old staples carefully prevents issues later under new floor coverings.
Wrapping Up!
Eliminating carpet staples is an essential step when exposing wood floors. This article has covered handy methods for the people searching for how to remove carpet staples from wood floors using manual tools or more powerful equipment. Now you know how to safely remove leftover staples without harming beautiful floorboards.
The process takes some physical effort but yields great results. New interior design possibilities open up for spaces liberated from dated carpeting. Just think of all the praise your refurbished wood floors will receive from family and friends! We are the top rated supplier of carpets in Dubai. If you feel any question or need any help you can contact us.
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