Removing Damaged Bruce Flooring

Q: We have builder installed Bruce Natural Hardwood flooring (NOV 2001) installed in our kitchen and foyer. This is the nail/staple-down type. Despite following the maintenance and care instructions, the flooring looks simply awful. There are several cracks and lots of blackening in between each piece. We would like to remove the flooring and replace with a laminate however, I’m concerned that removing the flooring would be an awfully large task for DIY but I’m afraid too expensive to bring in a professional. There are several rooms connected to the foyer and kitchen and we plan to laminate those currently carpeted floors (about 1100 sq ft). We are very familiar with installing laminate flooring at previous homes and simply love the durability of it.
If we were to make this a DIY project – what would be the best way to pull up the existing flooring?
Many thanks!!!
Jamie
A: This process is actually much easier than you might think. There are several tools that are made specifically for this kind of work. There is a 5′ pry bar made for this task and as long as you work in a two person team this should make removing your floor a rather quick task.
The problems you mention with you flooring tends to happen when moisture is getting absorbed by the floor. The blackening is typically rot, mold or similar nasty problems related to your wood floor absorbing too much moisture from some source. I would highly suggest having the humidity of the air in your home tested to ensure it is not too high. Typically this level should be between 30 and 50%.