Floor Prep

[Ottoman]

I have a bunch of flooring that needs to be installed as part of one of our current jobs. It is replacing carpet and old hardwood. The new floor will be some type of laminate. My question is what is the best (fastest) way to remove the old carpet pad staples, tack strip nails, and old hardwood flooring nails. I'm not about to do the old bash them over technique. Nor do I want to spend two days on my knees with a pliers. Though, I will if I need to. I'm just thinking there is a better ways. A grinder, SDS chisel bit, or day labor? What have you guys seen work well? This is an unoccupied home that is completely empty so being neat and pretty isn't much of a concern.

[tjbnwi]

Cut the carpet in 3' wide strips roll it up, leave the pad. I have a floor scraper I use to remove the tack strips, the reason I leave to pad, is I can place the tack strips on the pad and roll them up, saves some bleeding. I find the floor scraper will remove the pad staples. For the tack strip nails and floor staples/cleats, pry bars and channel locks.

I have considered useing an 8"x8" soil tamper, just never had a home to try it in.

Tom

[dgbldr]

What Tom said, and do it with cheap labor if you can.

[Graacc1]

Ditto what Tom said, and get a pair of "back nippers" to pull the staples and a small pry bar tool, I'm talking about the ones that have a handle like a screw driver about 5" long and have a "v" shaped pry bar cut at the tool end(proper name eludes my brain right now)but typically used for removing clapboard siding nails, does less damage than a typical pry bar, if any at all.

The back nippers are an old school tool, similar to a pair of channel locks but about 1" wide at the clinching end and round,so when the tool is closed on the nail/tack/staple it rolls nicely without gouging the material your prying the fastener from.

I seem to recall someone saying they looked similar to a blacksmiths tool for shoeing horses( i.e. pulling the nails from the shoe in order to replace them).

Geoff