How to Loosen a Floorboard in an Apartment

Determine whether the boards are square-edged or tongue-and-groove. Attempt to slide a thin knife blade between the boards. If it passes through without meeting an obstruction the boards are square edged and not locked together. If the blade meets a wooden strip along the edge of the board then you have interlocking tongue-and-groove boarding.

Remove the interlocking tongue if the boards are tongue-and-groove. Rub the sharp end of the pad saw, or flooring saw, along the gap between the board to be loosened and an adjacent one. Continue rubbing until the tip of the pad saw cuts through the tongue of wood. Cut along the length of the tongue, using the pad saw like an ordinary saw. Cut at a shallow angle to avoid making contact with pipe work or ducting. When you're finished, you should have completely removed the tongue from one of the longer sides of the floorboard.

Insert a bolster chisel into the gap at either one of the board's narrow ends. Use whichever end is most convenient. Drive the chisel down into the gap using a mallet until you reach the joist, roughly an inch below the floor surface. Gently pry the board upwards to begin loosening the retaining nails.

Position the bolster chisel in the gap by the longer side of the board, adjacent to the first set of nails. Pry the board upward, gently, then move along the board to the next set of nails and again pry the board upward. Repeat for each set of nails along the length of the board. Continue to work back and forth along the board until all the nails are loosened.