Staples seem to be everywhere. These are used to hold carpets and cloth runners on wooden floors and furniture.
Although staples on wood can be a helpful thing, taking these out can be difficult. The reason is, staples latch onto the wood. Now, when you decide to take the table runner or carpet off, you will need to remove the staples properly.
If the staples are not removed properly, they will damage the wood. Be it a wooden table or wooden furniture, staples can chip the wood and leave a big dent on the surface.
These dents on the wooden surface will make it difficult for you to use the surface. Also, it will leave more room for damages.
If you want to learn how to remove staples from wood, then this is the place for you. There are many ways to remove staples from wood. We will go step-by-step for one of the easiest ways, and then briefly brush over other methods.
Steps on how to remove staples from wood
Before we get into the steps of how to remove staples from wood, here is what you will need:
- Bent nose pliers.
- Clean Rags.
- Prying tools.
- Sealant.
- Wood putty.
Step 1: Prepping the area
The first step in our how to remove staples from wood guide is to make sure that you know what you’re doing.
So, before you begin to pull the staples out, scope the area out. Look at the carpet or the cloth runner, and how many staples you need to pull out. Also, you should consider looking into the aspect of how deep the staples are.
This will help you to understand how much work pulling the staples out will need.
Step 2: Pulling the staples out
Now, the second step in our how to remove staples from wood guide is to pull out the staples. Use the bent nose pliers and position them between the staple head.
Make sure that the plier is secure. Then, all you need to do is pull on the staple. This will help you to pull out the staple in one, swift motion. Use the lever to have a firm grip.
A firm grip will help you to pull out the staple.
Step 3: Clean the area
Next, you should clean the area out. This can be the last step in our how to remove staples from wood guide, which can be followed up with Step 4 (optional).
Use the clean rag you kept aside, and brush off the area. Usually, when you pull the staples off, you don’t see anything. But in some cases, small wood chips or shavings may come off as well. This will need cleaning.
That said, you should brush off all the dust and let it be.
Step 4 (Optional): Sealing and Perfecting the area
If you want to be perfect with your woodwork and have some more time at hand, you can follow onto one more step.
The first three steps barely take two to three minutes. Now, once you pull out the staples using our how to remove staples from wood guide, here is what else you can do:
- Get the wood putty and follow the instructions on the back to create it.
- Then use a toothpick or a thin stick to add wood putty in the holes in the wooden surface.
- Once you’re certain that the wood putty has dried, lightly brush the sealant on top.
And that’s all. This is the last step in our how to remove staples from wood. But remember this should be done only if you have more time at hand.
Other ways to remove staples from wood
When it comes to learning about how to remove staples from wood, there are many options to try from. One of the commonest ways to pull out staples from wood is to make use of staple pullers. These can be found at any stationery store, and are practically super easy to use.
Apart from these options, you can make use of the following tools as replacements for the pliers and staple pullers:
- Curved Long Nose Plier.
- Fencing pliers.
- Nail puller pliers.
Apart from these substitutes, here are some other ways or methods to remove staples from wood:
- Making use of a cat’s paw is another easy method. This is one of the easiest ways to pry any staples from lumber. Be it a wooden chair, floor, or furniture, this can be used to pull out the staples. Cat’s paw is a 6-inch long, sharp tool with a bent end.
- Making use of a subflooring shovel will be a great way to pry out many staples on the floor. This method is usually used by flooring companies. When you have a carpet removed, there are just too many of these staples on the floor. So, a shovel (subflooring) can easily pull out many staples. All you need to do is position the subflooring shovel at a 45-degree angle and slide the shovel along the floor. Remember to apply force. This will pull out the staples easily.
- Hand tools are easy to maneuver. So, if you’re looking for an inexpensive method on how to remove staples from wood, then use whatever sharp tool you have to pry out staples. Make use of the pointy end to pry staples out.
- A non-traditional way of removing staples from wood, you can make use of a pair of scissors. You can make use of the pointy edge of the scissors and put it under the staple head. Then simply forcibly open pull it out.
Conclusion
You can make use of the methods mentioned above to remove the staples from a wooden surface. The steps above will help you to neatly remove the staples from the wooden surface.
That said, anything with a sharp or pointy edge will help you take staples out. The act of removing staples from wood is usually just a matter of a few minutes. You won’t need more than three to four minutes to do this.
