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installing a hardwood floor on carpet underpading Thumbs 01-15-2007
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Posted by Thumbs on January 15, 2007, 8:52 am


I’m re-flooring our basement with hardwood. It’s about 600 sq feet, raised
with an old glued on carpet. I pulled up the all the carpet and a thin
layer of under carpet remains stuck to the half inch plywood. Removing
this layer looks to be like quite a painful task (I gave it a small shot
with a scraper). I’m thinking - forget it - I’ll just lay down the
receiving paper directly on this under-carpet, then harness down my
hardwood from there. Should anyone talk me out of this? Do I have to
painstakingly remove this thin layer of under-carpet? I figure it’s no
thicker than vapor retarder material that they sell to go underneath
hardwood floors... anybody?

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Posted by JoeSpareBedroom on January 15, 2007, 9:03 am


> I'm re-flooring our basement with hardwood. It's about 600 sq feet, raised
> with an old glued on carpet. I pulled up the all the carpet and a thin
> layer of under carpet remains stuck to the half inch plywood. Removing
> this layer looks to be like quite a painful task (I gave it a small shot
> with a scraper). I'm thinking - forget it - I'll just lay down the
> receiving paper directly on this under-carpet, then harness down my
> hardwood from there. Should anyone talk me out of this? Do I have to
> painstakingly remove this thin layer of under-carpet? I figure it's no
> thicker than vapor retarder material that they sell to go underneath
> hardwood floors... anybody?

Would you rather do it right, just once? Or, rip it all out and buy hardwood
twice? And, let's not forget getting THE LOOK (and not much else) from your
wife for three months afterward.



Posted by dpb on January 15, 2007, 11:52 am



Thumbs wrote:
> I'm re-flooring our basement with hardwood. It's about 600 sq feet, raised
> with an old glued on carpet. I pulled up the all the carpet and a thin
> layer of under carpet remains stuck to the half inch plywood. Removing
> this layer looks to be like quite a painful task (I gave it a small shot
> with a scraper). I'm thinking - forget it - I'll just lay down the
> receiving paper directly on this under-carpet, then harness down my
> hardwood from there. Should anyone talk me out of this? Do I have to
> painstakingly remove this thin layer of under-carpet? I figure it's no
> thicker than vapor retarder material that they sell to go underneath
> hardwood floors... anybody?

I'd first question the use of hardwood below grade -- it isn't
recommended for traditional hardwood flooring products. Before
progressing, I'd get the application confirmed from the manufacturer
(and not from the kid walking the aisles at a BORG) or you might find
it doesn't perform and there's no warranty for non-approved use. Just
a caution...

Second, depends on what it really looks like which I can't see. In
general, I'd vote w/ Joe it ought to come up, but if it is only the
glue coat and very thin and more importantly, very even, probably could
"get by". Best removal strategy would probably be to rent a power
sander and use coarse grit to scrub it off...

_BUT_, (yes, another "but" :) ), if again you're talking conventional
hardwood strip flooring, 1/2" plywood isn't sufficent subflooring for a
nailing surface unless you can lay it perpendicular to whatever the
underlying support is and it is something suitable for nailing to. If
it's just 1x or similar and been in place on a slab for quite some
time, I wouldn't put real high odds on it still being very solid unless
the slab is unusually dry...

Overall, w/o knowing a whole lot more about the particulars, I'd be
concerned that this isn't a good choice for your basement...


Posted by on January 15, 2007, 6:56 pm



Thumbs wrote:
> I'm re-flooring our basement with hardwood. It's about 600 sq feet, raised
> with an old glued on carpet. I pulled up the all the carpet and a thin
> layer of under carpet remains stuck to the half inch plywood. Removing
> this layer looks to be like quite a painful task (I gave it a small shot
> with a scraper). I'm thinking - forget it - I'll just lay down the
> receiving paper directly on this under-carpet, then harness down my
> hardwood from there. Should anyone talk me out of this? Do I have to
> painstakingly remove this thin layer of under-carpet? I figure it's no
> thicker than vapor retarder material that they sell to go underneath
> hardwood floors... anybody?

A floor sander or polisher with a coarse pad should take off the
remaining foam .


Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on January 15, 2007, 10:13 pm



> Should anyone talk me out of this? Do I have to
> painstakingly remove this thin layer of under-carpet?


Heck no, just go right ahead. We'd rather hear your tale of woe next year
when you wonder where the mod odor is coming from or why the floor is not
tight as it should be, etc.

Try an ice scraper on a long handle.



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