Tearing Up Hardwood Floors

Removing hardwood floors in one of the houses we renovated.

Tearing up hardwood floors. Okay so the fastest way to remove old hardwood floors is to cut the boards into smaller sections. By cutting the boards into small sections removal will go faster and smoother. Pry up the first few boards to give yourself room to work. If necessary go over the area again with a vacuum or mop to clear away any especially fine dust remaining.

Then we came up with this one which. So cutting them into smaller pieces of wood makes it easier to pry up. We used several techniques that we found very uncomfortable. Alternatively use a circular saw with a carbide tooth blade to make a plunge cut along the length of the sacrificial board and use a pry.

Sweep the sawdust wood chips and other debris into small piles then use a shop vac to suction them up. You can cut each section into approximately one to two feet wide portions. Cut the hardwood flooring perpendicular to the direction the flooring is lying.