Hi,
DH and i recently bought and older home that has gorgeous hardwood floors under carpeting. Some of the carpet had been in place since 1945! eek.
This past weekend we removed all of the carpets and found that in one room there was horsehair padding under the carpet. It was stuck to the floor in places, and almost appears gluey and furry at the same time. We cannot seem to get it up with mopping or gentle scraping. I was wondering if you have any suggestions that will not damage the floor?
Also in another room we have areas of foam padding that are stuck in spots. I have tried a little vinegar and water and that loosens it a little but not completely.
Any help is appreciated!
TIA
Re: Carpet pad removal
Are you planning to re-finish the floors? I'm trying to figure out whether you're trying to not gouge the wood or if you're trying to keep the exisiting finish in-tact.
For the foam pad, look closely. Sometimes there are tiny tacks that hold the foam in place (I've seen them overlooked before). If you find any, you'll need small needlenose pliers to pull them out. Most installers use fairly large staples, but there are some who use these itty-bitty tacks to minimize damage to the floor.
http://pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi#general
We arent planning on refinishing, they are in really good shape except for these few stuck spots. but if we cant remove the spots without damage then we may have to refinish.
Thanks for the tip about the small staples. we did find and remove those. the foam spots that are stuck appear almost as if they are glued on...
Ick.
Try some goo gone. It seems to work magic on sticky stuff. It might work for that too. I've used it on all sorts of surfaces and it hasn't damaged anything yet.
Apply some goo gone, let it soak for a minute then try to scrape it off gently.
http://pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi#general