installing a hardwood floor on carpet underpading

[Thumbs]

I?m re-flooring our basement with hardwood. It?s about 600 sq feet, raised with an old glued on carpet. I pulled up the all the carpet and a thin layer of under carpet remains stuck to the half inch plywood. Removing this layer looks to be like quite a painful task (I gave it a small shot with a scraper). I?m thinking - forget it - I?ll just lay down the receiving paper directly on this under-carpet, then harness down my hardwood from there. Should anyone talk me out of this? Do I have to painstakingly remove this thin layer of under-carpet? I figure it?s no thicker than vapor retarder material that they sell to go underneath hardwood floors... anybody?

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Would you rather do it right, just once? Or, rip it all out and buy hardwood twice? And, let's not forget getting THE LOOK (and not much else) from your wife for three months afterward.

[dpb]

I'd first question the use of hardwood below grade -- it isn't recommended for traditional hardwood flooring products. Before progressing, I'd get the application confirmed from the manufacturer (and not from the kid walking the aisles at a BORG) or you might find it doesn't perform and there's no warranty for non-approved use. Just a caution...

Second, depends on what it really looks like which I can't see. In general, I'd vote w/ Joe it ought to come up, but if it is only the glue coat and very thin and more importantly, very even, probably could "get by". Best removal strategy would probably be to rent a power sander and use coarse grit to scrub it off...

_BUT_, (yes, another "but" :) ), if again you're talking conventional hardwood strip flooring, 1/2" plywood isn't sufficent subflooring for a nailing surface unless you can lay it perpendicular to whatever the underlying support is and it is something suitable for nailing to. If it's just 1x or similar and been in place on a slab for quite some time, I wouldn't put real high odds on it still being very solid unless the slab is unusually dry...

Overall, w/o knowing a whole lot more about the particulars, I'd be concerned that this isn't a good choice for your basement...

[marks542004]

A floor sander or polisher with a coarse pad should take off the remaining foam .

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Heck no, just go right ahead. We'd rather hear your tale of woe next year when you wonder where the mod odor is coming from or why the floor is not tight as it should be, etc.

Try an ice scraper on a long handle.

[kellyj00]

6" taping knife from walmart $4.47 broom handle - you should have one duct tape tying twine.

This will take it up fairly quickly. Sorry to hear that it's glued down, but it's just a cost of demolition sometimes that people use glue rather than staples.

it's 600 square feet, that should only take an afternoon or so. You'll be tired the next day.