How to Remove a Railing for a Sunken Family Room

Place a thin handsaw flat against the floor next to a spindle on the handrail. Saw into the wood, keeping the saw even with the floor, until the spindle is detached from the floor. It will still be attached to the handrail. Repeat this process with each additional spindle, leaving the posts in place.

Use a chisel to remove the handrail between the two posts. Work the chisel into the filler that is holding the rail to the posts, tapping the end of the chisel with a hammer to cut into the wood. Do this at every spot where the handrail is attached to a post. Once the rail is detached, lift the entire piece away from the posts, bringing the attached spindles with the handrail.

Remove the posts from the floor with a thin saw, in the same way as the spindles, and remove any hardware that is used to secure the posts to the floor or wall, detaching the posts completely. Sweep the area to remove any sawdust and dirt.

Apply a thin layer of drywall compound to any holes in the wall with a putty knife. Let the product dry according to manufacturer directions, and then paint over the patch with touch-up paint in the same color as the rest of the wall.

Measure the holes in the carpet that were left behind by the railing, and cut patch pieces from carpet remnants that match your existing carpet. Cut several pieces of carpet tape so that they will fit inside each hole, and peel the backing off the tape.

Secure the tape to the bare floor, and then line up the carpet patch with the hole, making sure that the nape of the patch is going in the same direction as the rest of the carpet. Press the patch into the hole firmly, and place a heavy object over the hole so the carpet is secure. Repeat this process with each additional hole, and remove the heavy object after 24 hours. Trim any stray carpet fibers with sharp scissors.

Remove any damaged floor boards with a chisel, being careful not to damage the surrounding boards: push the end of the chisel into the joint between the damaged floor board and the surrounding boards, working your way around the piece until it is lifted up from the rest of the boards. Then, use a small pry bar or the end of your hammer to remove the board completely.

Replace the damaged board(s) with a replacement board, using wood glue or finishing nails to secure it, depending on the type of floor you have. If you use nails, fill the holes with wood putty.

Sand the floorboard and apply the same base, stain or topcoat that you used on the rest of your floors if they are unfinished.