Thanks for the feedback, Art.

Judging from the hole that was cut in the upstairs floor for the cold air
return, it is just one subfloor of diagonal pieces. I think I'm going to
try that screw remedy, it seems to be the most permanent of the choices.

Thanks again all.


"Art" wrote in message
nk.net...
Is it 2 layers of diagnol pieces at opposite angles? That is the way it
used to be done. I wonder if screws were put in from underneath to
connect the 2 layers together would help.


"CompleteNewb" wrote in message
. ..
Thanks for your responses, everyone.

This is a 1929 house, the subfloor is diagonal pieces, and it does seem
to be plugs over actual nails.

I also do NOT see any paper or vapor shield between the top hardwood and
the subfloor (I'm looking between them where there is a hole cut in the
floor for the cold air return to the furnace)




"aemeijers" wrote in message
...

"CompleteNewb" wrote in message
. ..
We recently ripped up the carpet in the living room, and the hardwood
floor underneath is 3-width pieces, with what appears to be those round
"dowels" which cover the nails. In other words, where the nail was
pounded in, there's a small cylindrical hole drilled into the plank
about 1/4 inch, the nail was punded in, then the nail head was covered
with a round wooden plug. One of the plugs cracked and came out because
it looks like the nail was forced up from underneath.

I have 2 questions about this:

1) The floor is unbelievably squeaky and creaky, and not just in a few
spots. The whole thing, all over, is unbeLIEVABLY creaky; our 30 pound
dog just walking around squeaks it at every step. Seriously, it's
crazy. I have heard this is typically because the planks are a little
loose, OR the subfloor where it is nailed into the joists is a little
loose. To begin trouble-shooting, how can I remove these plugs to get
at the underlying nail? Several plugs are a little above the
surrounding plank, but they seem to be glued in, or are at least too
tight for me to get them out via any means I have immediately at my
disposal. I don't see any protruding nails in the basement ceiling
(it's bare, so I can see the subfloor and joists), but even if I did, I
imagine pounding them up would break the plugs anyway, and I'd like to
avoid that. If I NEED to just break them to remove them and replace
them with new plugs, what's the best way to do that?

2) (moot if I have to break and remove the plugs from the answer to 1)
When I sand the floor to (hopefully) refinish, how do I handle these
plugs, especially the ones that stick up just a tad? It seems like
they'd tear the heck out of a sander, or at least the paper in it. Do
I just press on them and sand down until they're flush?

Any help is appreciated, and thanks for reading.
Are you absolutely sure there are nails under the plugs? If the one that
popped had a nail, is it possibly a later repair attempt? What year was
the house built? In anything since 1950s, it is highly unlikely that
there are actual nails under there. Most likely edge-nailed tongue and
groove, which explains why you see no nails from below. Is the visible
subfloor in the basement plywood or 45 degree 1x6 planks? That is a real
good clue as to age. Plywood means late 50s or newer, plank means early
60s or older. Faux plugs in floors were popular for several years in the
60s, and they did have a bad habit of popping out. My father actually
had to order bags of replacement plugs from Bruce flooring, for several
clients who kept having them pop. A high-end flooring shop should be
able to order replacement plugs, or you could just have a cabinet shop
turn a hardwood dowel to correct diameter, and slice a bag of them for
you. Installation is the same as Norm shows on his TV show- a little
glue (Gorrila glue would be ideal), pound in, and use a rasp or edge saw
to cut nearly flush, if needed. The floor sander should have little
trouble with them unless they are loose.

As to the squeaking- it is possible the original installation was
botched- no paper under the hardwood, not enough nails, boards nailed
too loosely, etc. Short of face-nailing with deeply-sunk nails and
careful puttying, I know of no permanent fix that doesn't involve
ripping the old floor out and starting over, and reusing old hardwood is
usually very labor intensive and less than 100% successful. If it is the
topside boards squeaking against each other, sweeping talc into the
cracks may help a little to lube them.


aem sends...