Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Particle Board Underlayment Removal
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08-14-00, 07:11 PM
I am currently remodeling my kitchen and adjoining family room and will be installing laminate flooring in both rooms. The family room had carpeting and the kitchen had sheet vinyl. When the house was built (mid 70s), the builders used particle board underlayment on top of the plywood subfloor and used some kind of adhesive to apply it. They then installed the sheet vinyl on top of the particle board.
Here's the problem.....I need to remove the particle board in order to get the flooring level throughout both rooms. However, when I try to pull up the particle board, it just shreds into little pieces. Is there any way to remove the particle board easily? I cannot install plywood underlayment in the other areas due to a variety of transition reasons.
Please help if you have any ideas!! Thanks!
Here's the problem.....I need to remove the particle board in order to get the flooring level throughout both rooms. However, when I try to pull up the particle board, it just shreds into little pieces. Is there any way to remove the particle board easily? I cannot install plywood underlayment in the other areas due to a variety of transition reasons.
Please help if you have any ideas!! Thanks!
08-14-00, 08:34 PM
Are you sure it's glued? Sometimes it's just stapled down so good that it seems like it's glued. Most installers won't glue down particle board to the subfloor. If it is glued, you're probably gonna have to chip it up inch by inch with a flat bar & hammer, base shoe lifter, wrecking bar, chisel, grenade (just kidding on the last one). It's a bear of a job. Good luck.
Scott www.stephensfloor.com (http://www.stephensfloor.com)
Scott www.stephensfloor.com (http://www.stephensfloor.com)
08-14-00, 09:02 PM
Unfortunately, yes.....the particle board is glued down. I spent about 30 minutes last weekend with a hammer and flat bar (pry bar) chipping away at this and managed to remove about 4 sq feet. The total area is about 100 sq ft, so I think my evenings and weekends are going to be fun for a while.
I can't believe that I'm the only one who has had to deal with this. What would a pro do if faced with this problem? I have to imagine the labor cost would be tremendous if I simply hired somebody to "just make it happen."
P.S. - When I replaced the flooring in my front entryway with ceramic a couple of years ago, I got so fed up with how difficult this process was that I simply pulled up the entire subfloor and started over. I cannot believe how moronic the builders were in using this procedure.
I can't believe that I'm the only one who has had to deal with this. What would a pro do if faced with this problem? I have to imagine the labor cost would be tremendous if I simply hired somebody to "just make it happen."
P.S. - When I replaced the flooring in my front entryway with ceramic a couple of years ago, I got so fed up with how difficult this process was that I simply pulled up the entire subfloor and started over. I cannot believe how moronic the builders were in using this procedure.