On Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:51:15 GMT, Stuart Noble
wrote:

RobertL wrote:
I know this has bee ndiscussed before, but I wanted to hear what
people think of a new possoble way to do it.

I have a 100 year old house with 4" floorboards. The shrinkage gaps
are several mm and I'd like to squeeze up the boards. However, I'd
prefer not to lift them all because (a) I would have to rip out the
skirting boards which is not easy to do without damaging them and (b)
I'd need to prize up the boards which is also hard to do without
splitting them.

Ideally I'd like a way to pull out the nails without lifting the
boards.

Has anyone done this by: drill out a circular 'plug' around each
nail, hammer the nail owen a bit (or pull it out) and then plug the
hole with a plug cut from an old board of the same set? I could
then slide the boards up without ever lifting them up off the joists
or out from under the skirting.

Or does someone know of a tool that will pull flooring brads without
wrecking the surrounding wood?

Robert

This type of thing maybe?

http://www.smithfrancistools.co.uk/Default.asp?Page=41

I find them very time consuming and they make a right mess of the
surface. Fine for packing cases, but I wouldn't use them on floorboards.

I don't think the plug idea is very practical. How would you stabilise
the drill, and how many nail heads would you hit with the cutter? IIRC
those things are slightly concave on the inside.

The other option, if you have access to a sawbench and some spare
boards, is to cut loads of strips. You inevitably need some about 2mm
thick to make up the width, but I'm sure the H&S police wouldn't be
happy with a fence set to 2mm. Also, gaps are rarely uniform, and taper
slightly over a distance, so the whole thing ends up a dog's dinner.
Not ideal if you're having bare boards.

I think you'll find removing the skirting and lifting the boards
quicker and cleaner in the long run. Once you've got one up, the rest
are normally a doddle because you you have good access to one edge. With
a couple of pry bars, there's no reason why they wouldn't come up cleanly.

I agree.I think you'd be kidding yourself if you think any way but
lifting them is going to be quicker or better . As said above once the
first one is lifted then the rest should be easier .Problems might
well be the skirtings which prevent the ends lifting if they are full
length boards ( remove skirtings to make it easier) and also if the
boards have been "secretly nailed " through the tongues or grooves .
When relaying them a flooboard cramp is a great help ( a pair at
least) . You can hire these .I got them from HSS.
Even doing all that you might still have a few gaps .Tapered slices
off an old board tapped and glued in to the gap should help the end
appearance