Hello all,

As you can tell from my subject line, I'm a relative noob when it comes to hardwood floor installation, at least compared to you pros. I've installed two solid floors and three engineered floors so far, as well as oak stairs. That's the extent of my knowledge base.
My latest installation, a 3/8" Robbins engineered plank, was going smoothly with the use of a rented Bostich pneumatic stapler. I was making good progress when I apparently got carried away and ended up firing a staple into the face of the material. It's way in there, almost flush with the surface, but with enough to grab using needle nose pliers.
Is there any trick to removing it without damaging the surface?
Thanks

Dave

No, there isn't. A quality minded installer would replace the board he just buggered up.

Try to yank it out, but the floor runner staples are wire staples and it will snap before it comes all the way out .if it does then use a small nailpunch to set the legs of the staples. If it looks crap then tear the board out and don't do it again!

Sink it with a flat head screwdriver and a mallet. Putty. Move on. Feel stoopid. You are not likely to do it again. You seem bothered enough by it.

If you can jerk the board out,do that. Methinks you would not have posted this were that an option. A pair of BRAND NEW dikes could snip it off pretty clean if there were any staple crown proud of the finish floor. If it is flush,refer to my original suggestion.

Thanks guys. I'm going to try to yank it out and putty the resulting holes. Live and learn I guess. I would have torn out the board and started over but I was trying to finish a hallway with the material on hand. Didn't matter though, since I ran out of wood about 6 inches from the wall. Doh!