Old Floors to New Floors - what you need to know
Removing old flooring and replacing it with a new floor covering is a relatively straight forward process, which most home owners and do-it yourselfers can tackle on their own. Most reasonably handy homeowners will already have the necessary tools, or can rent them inexpensively at your local rental center.
Removing old carpeting is the easiest and quickest flooring removal project. Just grab a corner of the old carpet with a pair of pliers and it should come off the tack strip easily. Using a utility knife, cut the old carpet into manageable strips, being careful not to cut into the underlying pad, if you intend to save the pad. Roll up the strips and carry them to the trash. If your pad is worn out or soiled, it can easily be removed with a floor scraper, if it is on a cement floor; or pulled up and all the staples removed, if it is on a wood subfloor.
Removing old sheet linoleum, commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms requires a little technique and a lot of elbow grease. Try to grab a corner or edge and just start to pull up the old sheet. Often it will peel up easily, except where there has been a lot of traffic. Using a floor scraper, you can usually remove most of the old flooring, the trick is to hold the scraper at just the right angle to be effective. In stubborn areas you may need to use an adhesive remover to soften the adhesive. Even though the entire planet is going green, don’t waste your time using a water based adhesive remover. Use a solvent based remover for much better results; just be sure to follow the directions on the container. Linoleum tiles are removed in much the same way, though they will usually come up rather easily. Some older tile will contain asbestos, so be sure that you know exactly with what you are working, and use proper precautions, if warranted.
Removing ceramic or porcelain tile from your floors can be a big job. Start by breaking several tiles with a hammer and remove the pieces. One you get an edge, you can lift the tiles with a floor scraper by jamming it under a tile then prying it up from the subfloor. If your tile was properly set, of if you have a large area to remove; it may pay to rent a pneumatic scraper, which will make quick work of lifting the tiles. Once all the tiles are removed, take the time and effort to remove the thin set mortar bed with your scraper. Getting the subfloor smooth is the key to acquiring a professional looking job when you install your new flooring
Installation of new flooring requires some basic know how, which you can obtain from your local home improvement center. Take your time, and you will be able to obtain professional looking results with a little practice and patience. Remember, you don’t have to replace your old flooring with the same type of material that you removed. Times and styles change and so can your floor coverings.