How to Take up a Sub Floor

A subfloor is nailed to the joists on each floor of your home. Subfloors are typically created with wood or particleboard sections, and nailed in place. Above the subfloor is your flooring -- usually carpet, tile or wood. You have to remove this to access the subfloor underneath. Removing the flooring above is often more of a job than taking up the actual subfloor. To take up your subfloor, you will have to remove wood planks and tiles will have from the subfloor piece-by-piece.

Crowbar
Hammer or Philips screwdriver

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the flooring from on top of the subfloor. To pull up carpet, insert the tip of a crow bar between the carpet and the tac strip underneath to dislodge it. Then pull it up. You can use a crow bar to pull up wood flooring as well. For tile, place a towel or cloth over it. Then use a hammer or sledge hammer to break up the tile and dislodge the pieces from the subfloor.
- 2
  Find the nails or screws that are holding the subfloor to the joists beneath.
- 3
  Insert the claw of a hammer underneath each nail head in the subfloor. Then pull up the heads to remove the nails. In some cases the subfloor may be screwed into the joists, use a Philips screwdriver to unscrew each nail.
- 4
  Pull up the subfloor once you have removed all the nails or screws.

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