# is there an easy way to remove staples in subfloor from carpet padding?



## tdeepness

i just ripped out my carpet and padding in my dining room and putting in engineered hardwood, lock and fold Bruce. i found that there's staples everywhere and have been using a mini pry bar but this is taking forever. any suggestions for doing it quicker?


----------



## rusty baker

A scraper will cut them off even with the floor. They won't hurt anything that way.


----------



## Shamus

We've always pulled them up using the small version of vice-grips. They are easy to use one-handed. One staple at a time. Probably pulled thousands over the years.

I guess I have never considered anything other than pulling them up. I suppose you could scrape them off. My only concern would be if that floor might be revealed years later and was capable of being refinished, say yellow pine or oak. Then someone would be wondering why they had all those little pcs of metal left in the floor.

Anyway, no easy way and if you decide on cutting them off with a scraper be careful you don't slice a finger or knee on those cut edges before you get the new floor laid over them.


----------



## brianr0131

Best method I have used is a pair of dikes (cutting pliers) but don't cut just grab the staple longways and use them like a lever. It's painstaking but usually that's the best way to get it done.


----------



## Giles

I recently ran into the same problem you have. My solution was to borrow a tool that is made for this job. It is basically a tool that looks like a garden hoe that has been straightened out. It has a thin, flexable, replaceable blade. Sorry I don't rember what it is called, but it worked beautifully. Box stores have them.


----------



## rusty baker

That's a spud hoe. They do work pretty good, too. Sometimes they need to be sharpened, because they are normally dull on both sides.


----------



## DUDE!

http://www.amazon.com/KR-Tools-11234-2-Inch-Pliers/dp/B002Q8HGTM
I'd rather pull them out them try to shear them off. Yes its lots of work but that is part of the project, can't skip the parts we don't like doing. There's probably not more the a million of them little suckers so put some knee pads on and get'er done. :thumbsup:


----------



## bikemandan

*more than just that one link*

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref...keywords=staple+puller&ie=UTF8&qid=1271471369

I'd only seen the super cheapie "tack puller" style. but they work quite nicely. It's a case of "The right tool for the job."

I actually first saw this tool in a DIY re-upholsering video. There are *a lot* of staples in upholstery.

Dan


----------



## Bud Cline

Floor scraper with the 8" razorblade type scraper works well. It will pull some and shear some but it will get the job done.


----------



## fubar79

Depends on the staples used. If its they arent too long (staple gun) you can use a shovel. ( spade end) Just did this today, worked GREAT. Slowly scrape the staple liking you are trying to skim off a thin layer of dirt. 

My kitchen vinyl on the other hand had long staples holding down the 1/4" OSB, they were a pain in the @ss and we used needle nose pliers.


----------



## shiloe

I just used one of the slim knife parts on my pocket knife. It is small and flat enough to slip under the staple and requires gentle effort! If the staple was put in unevenly and only one side pulls out of floor, bend the part of staple that's sticking out over the flat of the knife and pry it out diagonally so pressure is applied to the lowest part of staple still in floor. It will pop out easily! Also, if your blade doesn't lock, make sure your fingers aren't in its path if it should close on accident. Hope you try this, is way easier than any pliers and more efficient than scraping of tops of staples and leaving pieces in!!!


----------



## HDS

DUDE! said:


> http://www.amazon.com/KR-Tools-11234-2-Inch-Pliers/dp/B002Q8HGTM
> I'd rather pull them out them try to shear them off. Yes its lots of work but that is part of the project, can't skip the parts we don't like doing. There's probably not more the a million of them little suckers so put some knee pads on and get'er done. :thumbsup:


Dude has it right. Fence pliers are nice in that the curved tip lets you get some good leverage going. One added modification I'll suggest, add a spring to the handle to assist opening them up. Will really speed up the process.


----------

