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Replacing Carpet with Wood Flooring

Change the look of your carpeted floors. Try more half-day projects with host Steve Watson from Don't Sweat It!

Don't Sweat It : Episode HDSWT-107 -- More Projects »

Before: Unfinished Exercise Room

After: Perfect Plywood Floor

Materials:

birch plywood
floor adhesive
clear acrylic polyurethane
base molding

Tools:

table saw
miter box
brad gun
router with chamfer bit
rollers and brushes
long-nose pliers
float
pry bar
chalk line
rubber mallet

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Steps:

1. Remove the carpet (figure A) and padding (figure B). To remove the tack strip, tap the pry bar with a hammer under the strip and then pull it up (figure C). Use long-nose pliers to pull up any staples in floor.

Figure D

Figure E

2. Cut the birch plywood into 15-inch squares (figure D). Use the chamfer bit to cut a 1/8-inch groove on all sides of each tile. Cut thin pieces of wood for the grooves to hold the tiles together (figure E).

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H

Figure I

Figure J

3. Decide on whether to lay plywood in a tile (figure F) or brick pattern (figure G). Snap a chalk line to use as a guide when laying down the first row of tiles (figure H). Spread floor adhesive (figure I) and set wood tiles on floor (figure J), sliding each tile together with the thin wood pieces. The height of the door(s) may need to be taken into account for the change in the height of the floor.

Figure K

4. Nail base molding into place (figure K).
5. Apply acrylic polyurethane to floor with a roller and paint brushes, according to the manufacturer's instructions (figure L). Wait at least one hour for drying before applying a second coat.

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Also in this Episode

Don't Sweat It : Episode HDSWT-107
•	Screening in a Porch
•	Replacing Carpet with Wood Flooring
•	Building Steel Gates

Shows A - Z

Replacing Carpet with Wood Flooring

Change the look of your carpeted floors. Try more half-day projects with host Steve Watson from Don't Sweat It!

Tools

Related Articles

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Shows A - Z

Replacing Carpet with Wood Flooring

Change the look of your carpeted floors. Try more half-day projects with host Steve Watson from Don't Sweat It!

Tools

Related Articles

MOST POPULAR

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