PSA: I keep seeing guys skip the tack strip check on old floors

If the old strip is still solid, you can often reuse it and save a ton of time. I learned this after pulling up a carpet in a 1970s house and finding the original strip was still rock hard. How many of you actually check it first?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavinperez3mo agoTop Commenter

Still solid" doesn't mean it's good. That old strip can be a hidden nail trap that ruins your new carpet fast.

kelly_coleman613mo ago

Actually, that's the tack strip. Different thing.

the_skyler1mo ago

Read a blog post last week from a flooring guy who said the tack strip is actually the one thing you SHOULD keep if it's still solid. Backs up what @kelly_coleman61 said about it being a different piece. Replacing it usually just means more nails in the subfloor for no good reason.