How to Remove Stubborn Carpet Padding From Your Hardwood Floors
If you are not the first owner of your home, you are likely to be faced with outdated and worn carpeting. But sometimes, if you’re lucky, beautiful hardwood floors are left under the old carpet, just crying out for their chance to shine again. The trick is to remove the old carpet upholstery without damaging the hardwood.
How to prepare a parquet floor surface
Before cleaning, check the floor for staples. You can save your knuckles from bullying and make cleaning easier by removing all clothespins or carpet staples from the floor. To avoid damaging the floor, place a wooden stick under the pliers and press on it, not on the floorboard. Then scrape off any large pieces or loose pieces of the old foam pad with a plastic paint scraper.
Try warming up first
Before trying any solvents, take out your hair dryer and set it to high power. Try heating the remaining foam and scraping it off with a plastic scraper. Although this method does not work with all types of adhesives, it is the least toxic method for removing stubborn stains. Alternatively, you can also use a heat gun, but make sure it’s not high enough so you don’t burn yourself or burn the floor while scraping. If heat does not help, you can move on to solvents.
Then dish soap and water.
There are quite a few solvents that can be used to dissolve Styrofoam after you have prepared the floor. One simple option is dishwashing detergent mixed with a little warm water. This takes some patience, but can be effective in removing any remaining caked-on foam. To avoid damaging the hardwood with too much water, use a dampened sponge to spread the dishwashing detergent over the remaining padding. Let the soap soak in enough to loosen the lather in a small area and scrape it off with a paint scraper. Then rinse the area and dry it so that the water does not damage the floorboards. Make your way through the rum in small sections.
Or maybe you need a stronger solvent
If dishwashing detergent and water aren’t strong enough, you can also try mineral spirits or denatured alcohol. These products are used to dissolve latex paint and are often safe for flooring. However, to make sure of this, before starting work, make a small test patch in the far corner of the cabinet or in another hidden place. Using gloves, apply the thinner to the remaining foam with a cloth, allow it to penetrate the remaining pad, and then scrape it off with a paint scraper. Although mineral spirits have a slight odor, the vapors are harmful to you, so make sure you have good air circulation or wear a respirator to prevent exposure. Also, be aware that these chemicals are flammable, so store and use them safely.
If all else fails, grind it down
Your last option, if all else fails, is to sand down the residue. This is what can be called the “nuclear option” because after this process, you will definitely need to polish the floors. The benefit of sanding and refinishing is that you get a new shine with less effort.