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installation of the floating floor requires carpet, pad,
and tack strip removal over a concrete subfloor.
Approximately 500 square feet has been installed in this
new home with the balance of the installation going over
vinyl floor coverings in the kitchen and laundry areas.
Wait! Brand new you ask? Why did they install anything
to begin with? In many localities it is necessary to
have floor coverings for occupancy before you move in.
Considering the cost of builders upgrades and limited
choices, it sometimes pays to rip it out and start from
new.
Getting
Started. Removing Carpet and Pad
Only the
carpet needs to be removed as any floating floor can be
installed over vinyl floors providing they are
secure to the subfloor. To do so, cut the carpet into
manageable sections for ease of removal with a sharp
utility knife. In this case a little time is saved by
cutting through not only the carpet, but also the
padding, but may take some extra effort.
You would
think, considering we're dealing with new construction
the actual subfloor itself wouldn't need much
preparation. Think again! Painters are notorious for
spraying over anything. In this case we discovered they
didn't bother to sweep out anything when their work
began.
We also
discovered considerable chunk of dried mud that was
removed with a flooring scraper. One would also think
the carpet installers would remove it as well.
Eventually the homeowner will wonder what that lump is
they're always walking over, in a high traffic area to
boot!
Folks if
you want the work done right these days it pays to visit
the jobsite often. With floating floors it isn't necessary
to prep the floor like we often have to do with glue
down installations,
specifically dried paint. A
cushioned foam underlayment is placed over it before the
actual installation. However it is important to remove
all lumps left behind by drywall finishers, painters and
block masons. For more on floor preparation, recognizing
and fixing high or low areas visit our area on the right
hand side navigation titled Before The Installation.
Save time
and effort by rolling carpet and padding so they can be
disposed of easily. Banding with duct tape with also
make the waste removal guys more willing to pickup
instead of seeing a big loose pile at the edge of your
driveway on garbage day.
Removing Tack Strip
Our next
step would be to remove the carpet tack strip. Tools
include a flat pry bar and a hammer. Position
the flat bar in the area of the nail that holds down the
tack strip and strike firmly a few times. This should
loosen the nail. Move onto the next nail and repeat.
Tack strip nails are located approximately 8" apart.
Upon removal and sweeping or vacuuming it is not
uncommon to find depressions left behind by the tack
strip nails. With floating floors it is not necessary to
fill.
Surprisingly no prep was needed on this one except for
scraping and sweeping the floors. Off to starting the
installation, but first a few words about the product,
Coastal Woodlands by Bruce. The product was their
thinner 3/8" engineered longstrip type floor,
discontinued in late 2007. The company still
manufactures a 1/2 thickness as of this article update.
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