How to Remove Engineered Wood From a Wood Subfloor

Remove all of the floor molding or baseboards from the room by inserting a prybar between the floor and molding, then prying up the nails. Work your way around the entire floor perimeter to detach the molding from the floor.

Walk along the sides of the room and look at the gap between the edges of the walls and the engineered flooring. Identify the side where the wood has a small projection, or tongue. The tongue side is the best side for starting the removal process.

Place a tape measure next to the engineered floor and measure the distance between the top of the engineered wood and the subfloor. This measurement will be small and can range from 1/16 to 1/4 inch, even more.

Set the blade depth adjustment knob on the circular saw to the same depth as the engineered floor. Place the saw in position next to the outer board to ensure it doesn't touch the actual subfloor. You want to cut through the engineered wood but not the subfloor.

Plug in the saw and put on eye protection and work gloves. Position the saw 15 to 18 inches away from the wall and insert the blade into one of the seams between the engineered wood boards. Pull the trigger and cut all the way down the room. Repeat the cutting process every 15 to 18 inches across the entire surface of the floor.

Walk to a side of the room that is perpendicular to the direction that you cut the first time and make identical cuts every 12 to 15 inches.

Insert the curved end of a prybar at one of the gaps along the edges of the floor and hit the top of the bar with a 3-pound sledgehammer to drive it under the engineered wood. Pry the wood off the floor.

Continue inserting the prybar and detaching the engineered wood across the entire surface of the floor.

Gather up all of the removed wood and throw it into a dumpster. Scrape the plywood subfloor with a floor scraper to detach any remaining glue residue. Sweep the floor thoroughly to remove the residue.