How do I check what my floorboards look like under carpet?

Pull back a corner in a wardrobe or behind a door -- carpet is only hooked onto tack strips at the edges and pulls free. You will see the species, the board width, the gaps, and any stains or damage in that corner. Check a high-traffic area too if you can, since wardrobes hide the best boards.

Are floorboards under old carpet usually worth polishing?

Very often yes -- carpet has protected them from wear and sun. Expect surface dirt, staple holes and possibly old finish, all of which sand out. The deal-breakers are extensive water stains, masonite or particleboard sheeting instead of boards, and cut-up boards from old plumbing work.

What is the black staining on floorboards under carpet?

Usually one of two things: water staining (black rings and patches where moisture reached the timber -- deep ones may not fully sand out) or old bitumen/adhesive from a previous floor covering, which sands off but slowly.

Floorboards Under the Carpet: What to Expect

One corner of carpet tells you most of the story. Here is how to read it.

TL;DR Lift a corner in a wardrobe: species, width, gaps and stains are all visible in one minute. Carpet-covered boards are usually excellent candidates -- protected from wear and UV for decades. Budget real time for staples and tack strips, expect some surprises (patched boards, stains, old glue), and know the deal-breakers: sheet flooring instead of boards, widespread water damage, or boards cut to ribbons by old tradework.

The one-corner test

Carpet is stretched over underlay and hooked onto tack strips at the walls -- it is not glued down (usually). In a wardrobe or behind a door, grab the corner with pliers and pull up. You are looking at:

Boards or sheets? Timber boards mean go. Masonite, particleboard or plywood sheeting means the original floor is gone or was never polishable -- stop here.
Species and colour -- a warm red could be jarrah or mahogany-stained pine; golden with knots is likely cypress or Baltic. Photograph it and compare species here, or send us the photo.
Board width and gaps -- wide old baltics with even gaps look superb polished. Random gapping is normal and mostly closes visually once coated. Gaps guide here.
Stains -- grey-black patches are water history. Small rings sand out; large black areas may be permanent. Check near external doors and old bathroom walls.

The cleanup, honestly

Between carpet-up and sanding there is a half-day of unglamorous work per room:

Staples. Hundreds of them held the underlay. Every single one must come out -- a staple hit by a sanding belt tears it and can score the drum. Pincers and a painter's tool; podcast recommended.
Tack strips -- pry them off and pull or punch every nail that remains.
Underlay residue -- old foam sometimes bonds to the boards; scrape dry first, it clogs abrasive fast.
Punch every nail -- walk the floor with a nail punch and hammer; anything proud of the surface meets the machine first.

What sands out and what does not

Finding	Verdict
Surface dirt, grey oxidised timber	Sands out completely -- this is the normal state.
Staple holes, small nail holes	Fill during sanding; invisible from standing height.
Old shellac or thin finish	Sands off easily.
Bitumen, thick glue patches	Sands off slowly -- costs extra abrasive and patience.
Water stains (small rings)	Usually sand out or fade to acceptable.
Water stains (large black areas)	Often permanent -- consider board replacement or embrace the character.
Patched/cut boards from old plumbing	Replace with matching recycled boards before sanding.

From here, it is a normal sand and polish

Once the floor is clean, flat and de-stapled, the job is the standard one: the full sanding process, a species-matched primer, and your choice of finish -- see choosing a sheen. Whether that is your weekend or a contractor's is covered honestly in DIY vs professional, and the numbers in what floor sanding costs.

Found boards? Send us the photo.

Ring or email a photo of your uncovered corner. We'll tell you the species, whether the stains will sand out, and exactly what the job needs -- before you commit to pulling up the whole house.

Call 1300 950 551