Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - How to Remove Rubber Backing from Hardwood Floor

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Ricki726
09-12-09, 11:40 AM
I have a home that was built in 1958. The original carpeting in the bedroom used to be in the livingroom, but when we got new carpeting in 1985, the old carpeting and backing was moved to the front bedroom.

This carpeting was threadbare, so I started removing it from the floor. In some places it came up easily, in other places it does not come up at all.

How do I remove it from the hardwood floors, without damaging them?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Ricki726


marksr
09-13-09, 06:18 AM
Welcome to the forums Ricki!

I doubt you will be able to remove all the carpet, padding and tack strip without some damage to the wood floor. Sometimes paint thinner will help disolve the backing aiding it's removal - be sure to have plenty of fresh air ventilation and dispose of thinner rags properly! Mostly it will take scraping and plenty of elbow grease :eek: With some luck you might be able to refinish the floor with just some light sanding and filling in the holes left from the tack strip.