Is there a product that can cover up wood floor staples that are sticking out a bit?

[Brian Troiano]

In our kitchen, we have old wood flooring. And there are actually a couple of staples that are sticking out above the surface of the floor in a couple of places. It’s the kind of thing that if you are not aware, your foot can step on it and get hurt. Is there a product that exists that can cover up the staples and make them safer? I have no idea myself. I tried hammering them in a little more, but they will not go down anymore. Thanks for any advice anyone may have.

 

[Reach4]

I would grab the staples with a diagonal wire cutter. Pull it up enough to go to a small locking pliers to pull it out the rest of the way.

Another possiblity is to lift with a small wood chisel to pry up and be able to grab the staples.

Fill with the best-match wood filler, or even use a wood filler pencil if the holes are small.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hj]

What kind of flooring do you have that they stapled it down? If you cannot drive them down, then you have to pull them out.

 

[WorthFlorida]

A nail is a nail, like a pin when they work out of the wood, and a staple has a crown maybe as small as 1/8 of an inch. If it is a staple you can usually pull it out. If you can get under the crown but as stated above a set of diagonal cutters can work it out or dig down a bit with the cutters and cut the protruding piece off.

With a very old floors the wood is very dry and hard, and a chance that it is a hardwood so hammering wont help. If you have a punch you might get it to go further into the wood.

 

[hj]

Again, floors were seldom, if ever, installed with nails or staples through the surface of the material.

 

[Reach4]

Again, floors were seldom, if ever, installed with nails or staples through the surface of the material.

The wood floor could have been covered with carpeting that was stapled. When the carpet was pulled up, some staples remained.

 

[Geo422]

I use a floor scraper that carpet layers use. Long handle with an 8 inch blade on it. Just push it with some power scraping the floor and it will jerk the staples out of the wood floor without causing and harm to the floor. Price is like 29.00 at HD