Remodeling Like an Interior Designer by Exposing Hardwood Flooring

Newly Exposed Hardwood

Your house can look like an interior designer helped after a little remodeling.  Many older homes have hardwood floors underneath the carpeting.  If your carpeting is worn, you live in an older home, and you would like hardwood flooring, it may be worth taking a peak under your existing carpet in advance of remodeling.

Pick a corner that is normally covered by furniture and start at the baseboard.  It is usually pretty easy to get a corner of the carpeting to come loose by prying with a screwdriver or similar tool.  You’ll also have to pull up the carpet pad to see what is beneath.  It could be an interior designer dream, real hardwood.

To remove the carpet and expose the hardwood, you’ll need a few tools.  A utility knife is useful to cut the carpet into pieces that are easier to remove, roll-up, and move out of the house.  Carpet is attached to the floor with carpet strips along the baseboard.  These strips have upward facing tacks that are very sharp.  Use a remodeling crow-bar to pry the strips loose from the floor and be sure to wear gloves when handling the strips to avoid injury while you are remodeling.

The carpet pad will also need to be removed for this remodeling project.  The carpet pad is very easy to tear up, but you’ll find that it was held in place by lots of staples.  Staples in hardwood do not come loose very easily.  Some can be pried loose with a screwdriver, but a plier or vicegrip works really well for pulling them up.

If the hardwood is in good shape, all that’s left to do for this remodeling project is sweep, mop, move your furniture back, and enjoy your new space as if it were done by an interior designer.

(Photo Credit:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/programwitch/3781977603/)