A new look for your room could be hiding under the carpet. Take a peek; you might find hardwood flooring underneath.

Removing carpet laid over hardwood floors sometimes takes a bit of work. Here are some recommendations from the Hardwood Manufacturers Association’s Hardwood Information Center:

l If an adhesive was used, determine its type. A dark or tan adhesive usually is tar-based and can be removed with mineral spirits. A light or clear adhesive is usually from carpet tape and can be removed with an all-purpose adhesive remover. If the adhesive is yellow, it’s probably carpet adhesive. Most of it can be lightly scraped or chipped off, and the remainder removed with an all-purpose adhesive remover.

l Once the adhesive is removed, sand the floor first with coarse sandpaper and then with finer paper before finishing.

l If the carpet was installed with wooden tack strips, pull the strips up carefully, then fill the holes with wood putty.