Real Estate Investor · Kansas CIty, MO · Member since 2009 · 93 posts · 8 votes
There are quarter/half dollar size chunks of (old) carpet padding on the hardwoods of a unit I just bought. They are so old, the chunks have more of a hard "gummy" texture to them and are stuck quite nicely to the floors.
What are some of the best methods to remove the padding residue without sacrificing the beautiful hardwoods? :help:
I just scub them off with acetone and a rag. DO a test spot first, but the acetone shouldn't strip the floors if you're carefull. You can buy Acetone in any hardware store next to the paint thinner.
I just scub them off with acetone and a rag. DO a test spot first, but the acetone shouldn't strip the floors if you're carefull. You can buy Acetone in any hardware store next to the paint thinner.
MikeOH, does not use pad for this reason. He says the only way to get it out is with a floor sander. PM him. I would try the chemicals first. Arnt you going to have to sand the floors anyways?
Watch the nasty fumes and wear gloves with that acetone - it's nasty stuff.
Powerscraper? I just bought a Dremel multi-max - bet the scraper would get these up pretty quickly.
I was watching the Fein version for a long time but couldn't cough up the $300+ for one, the patent finally expired and there are going to be a bunch of cheap knockoffs on the market. That dremel will pay for itself pretty quickly even with occasional use.
I've done a bit of rehab linoleum scraping and some test plunge cuts in wood - amazing tool.
Aren't there a lot of hole from the staples? Scape them with a putty knife. You said stick padding right? Not Rock hard stuff stuck to the floor right? MikeOH uses a sander when nothing else works. I still think you'll have to sand them down though to get a good finish. IMHO
What you really need is something to loosen the "adheasive". Acetone is one way, but I would also look into some of the new adheasive removers.
The one that I am thinking of is called something like Gunk or Gum. It was created as an tape adheasive remover. And I have heard (never tried it) that if you pool it on a paricularly tough area and let it sit for a little while to loosen the "gum". Then attempt to remove the spot. If this made the chuncks smaller then reapply and wait a little longer before removing.