how to remove the plastic mat on the steps in the staircase?

[dunken]

I have a staircase from the 70s that is made of pine, but on the steps, there is a plastic mat and protective covers at the front. The protective covers are easy to remove, but how on earth do you remove the plastic mat?

 

[Jan-Å]

I used a putty knife, knife, crowbar, heat gun and then sanded off the glue residue, a hell of a job but worth the effort.

 

[gadu^]

Jan-Å beat me to it...but in addition to that, you can use one of these...
http://www.biltema.se/sv/Bygg/Farg-och-Fog/Verktyg/Golvskrapa/
Scrape, scrape, yank, pull, tear, swear, scrape, yank, pull...

Then it's sand, sand, sand to remove glue residue...

The hard part is getting it right without leaving deep gouges, etc...

 

[Majjijann]

The easiest way is if you're really pissed off. Yanking, tearing, pulling, and above all swearing are the only things that work. The carpet is the easy part, then you only have the glue left...

I spent more than 40 hours on my staircase, more than an hour of sanding each step. Glue is stubborn and it gives you a backache, because it's not very comfortable to sit there and work. But I would easily do it again, because it turned out so well!

Good luck!

 

[bigsnucke]

Rent a lacquer spinner. It is worth every penny...

 

[dunken]

Got hold of a carpet stripper, going to test it and see how it goes

 

[Milkshaken]

Yes, a carpet stripper is probably the most affordable thing I've ever rented.... Damn, it is so convenient.....

 

[Fixar_Krille]

Why are you removing the plastic mat? Isn't there just chipboard underneath? What are you planning to lay instead that doesn't work on top?

 

[dunken]

On some steps, the carpet is "half-loose," and the carpet does not cover the entire step, so the surface is not even.