I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

On Tue, 6 Apr 2010 05:07:08 -0700 (PDT), ls02
wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

Not at all. Why do you want to take it out?

If it is to protect it, you'd be better off covering it with OSB until
the job's done. [though just the slightest amount of caution would
make even that unnecessary- especially since you plan on sanding it
when you're done.

Even if there are sections that need to be replaced, I'd just fix them
when the job is done-- you'll tear hell out of that flooring getting
it up.

Jim

On Apr 6, 8:07*am, ls02 wrote:
I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

It's labor intensive. You won't find much interest among pros to do
this but if the labor is yours, it's "free" right? Carefully pry
each board up and away from the adjacent one. Remove the nails.

On Apr 6, 7:07*am, ls02 wrote:
I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. --H

On Apr 6, 5:46�pm, Heathcliff wrote:
On Apr 6, 7:07�am, ls02 wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. �I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. �--H

the amount of damage done to remove the old floor makes it a loser
project. bettewr to start new, ands end up with a good job.

rather than a killer amount of work, ands at best so so results

I had to pull up just a little, wouldnt ever consider doing a large
area

On Tue, 6 Apr 2010 14:50:53 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Apr 6, 5:46?pm, Heathcliff wrote:
On Apr 6, 7:07?am, ls02 wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. ?I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. ?--H

the amount of damage done to remove the old floor makes it a loser
project. bettewr to start new, ands end up with a good job.

rather than a killer amount of work, ands at best so so results

I had to pull up just a little, wouldnt ever consider doing a large
area

I've seen some pretty impressive reclaimed industrial wood floors. It's
expensive and is really done for the looks rather than the wood.

zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
On Tue, 6 Apr 2010 14:50:53 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Apr 6, 5:46?pm, Heathcliff wrote:
On Apr 6, 7:07?am, ls02 wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?
If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. ?I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. ?--H
the amount of damage done to remove the old floor makes it a loser
project. bettewr to start new, ands end up with a good job.

rather than a killer amount of work, ands at best so so results

I had to pull up just a little, wouldnt ever consider doing a large
area

I've seen some pretty impressive reclaimed industrial wood floors. It's
expensive and is really done for the looks rather than the wood.

Aren't industrial floors usually face-nailed? Those are a whole lot
easier to pull up and recycle versus tongue-nailed. (Like the difference
between damn near impossible, and merely a horrendous PITA.) Either way,
you can count on destroying a good fraction of the boards. Usual
practice is to leave old floor in place, and creatively weave in new
boards or an artistic inlay, in the areas where floor had to be
disturbed. If a room is simply getting bigger, you add a wood stripe at
the transition, and go ahead and lay new floor. It is what it is, and
people can always tell when walls have moved.

--
aem sends...

On Apr 6, 5:46*pm, Heathcliff wrote:
On Apr 6, 7:07*am, ls02 wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. *I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. *--H

You seldom find it nailed to floor joists. It's generally nailed to a
subfloor. It's not that hard to get up if you use several flat pry
bars and start at the tongue side. It is a whole lot of labor
though. If it was really laid directly on joists and nailed to them
that would be harder.

On Apr 7, 7:57�am, jamesgangnc wrote:
On Apr 6, 5:46�pm, Heathcliff wrote:

On Apr 6, 7:07�am, ls02 wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. �I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. �--H

You seldom find it nailed to floor joists. �It's generally nailed to a
subfloor. �It's not that hard to get up if you use several flat pry
bars and start at the tongue side. �It is a whole lot of labor
though. �If it was really laid directly on joists and nailed to them
that would be harder.

old wood, like 50 year old is super dry and splits easily.

unless the existing wood is really special in some way your far better
off just replacing it.

anyone who doewsnt believe this just try pulling up a small area, to
get the experience

On Apr 7, 8:44*am, " wrote:
On Apr 7, 7:57 am, jamesgangnc wrote:





On Apr 6, 5:46 pm, Heathcliff wrote:

On Apr 6, 7:07 am, ls02 wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. --H

You seldom find it nailed to floor joists. It's generally nailed to a
subfloor. It's not that hard to get up if you use several flat pry
bars and start at the tongue side. It is a whole lot of labor
though. If it was really laid directly on joists and nailed to them
that would be harder.

old wood, like 50 year old is super dry and splits easily.

unless the existing wood is really special in some way your far better
off just replacing it.

anyone who doewsnt believe this just try pulling up a small area, to
get the experience- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I don;t know that I would agree that it is "super dry" as it's not
drier than it's surroundings. It does seem to harden with age but
oak's damn hard anyway. Won't argue about the labor. No harm in the
op trying it before buying replacement. Without seeing the specific
installation we don't know what it's nailed to or how many nails are
in it. I too have pulled up small areas for repairs and it was a
chore.

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message
...
On Apr 6, 5:46 pm, Heathcliff wrote:
On Apr 6, 7:07 am, ls02 wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. --H

It's not that hard to get up if you use several flat pry
bars and start at the tongue side.

Yes, it *is* hard to get it out. It's also damn near impossible to do so in
a manner that will make it possible to put it back down.

Or, to look at it another way, there's no way, after pulling it up, that the
OP won't have to buy more wood (to replace what split, splintered or
disintegrated during removal) because it's not going to do down like it came
up, jigsaw puzzle fashion.

You'd have to have it resanded anyway, after reinstalling it, so why not
just leave it down during the remodel? It wouldn't take much effort to
protect it against the major stuff, and the minor stuff would come out with
the sanding job you'd have to do anyway.

Leave it in place.

On Apr 7, 10:12*am, "Joe" wrote:
"jamesgangnc" wrote in message

...
On Apr 6, 5:46 pm, Heathcliff wrote:

On Apr 6, 7:07 am, ls02 wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. --H

* It's not that hard to get up if you use several flat pry
bars and start at the tongue side.

Yes, it *is* hard to get it out. *It's also damn near impossible to do so in
a manner that will make it possible to put it back down.

Or, to look at it another way, there's no way, after pulling it up, that the
OP won't have to buy more wood (to replace what split, splintered or
disintegrated during removal) because it's not going to do down like it came
up, jigsaw puzzle fashion.

You'd have to have it resanded anyway, after reinstalling it, so why not
just leave it down during the remodel? *It wouldn't take much effort to
protect it against the major stuff, and the minor stuff would come out with
the sanding job you'd have to do anyway.

Leave it in place.

Good point. Guess I assumed he had structural floor changes
involved. But even if he is building walls there's no reason he can't
frame right on top of the hardwood. Or saw out a slot for the wall.

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message
...
On Apr 7, 10:12 am, "Joe" wrote:
"jamesgangnc" wrote in message

...
On Apr 6, 5:46 pm, Heathcliff wrote:

On Apr 6, 7:07 am, ls02 wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. --H

It's not that hard to get up if you use several flat pry
bars and start at the tongue side.

Yes, it *is* hard to get it out. It's also damn near impossible to do so
in
a manner that will make it possible to put it back down.

Or, to look at it another way, there's no way, after pulling it up, that
the
OP won't have to buy more wood (to replace what split, splintered or
disintegrated during removal) because it's not going to do down like it
came
up, jigsaw puzzle fashion.

You'd have to have it resanded anyway, after reinstalling it, so why not
just leave it down during the remodel? It wouldn't take much effort to
protect it against the major stuff, and the minor stuff would come out
with
the sanding job you'd have to do anyway.

Leave it in place.

Good point. Guess I assumed he had structural floor changes
involved. But even if he is building walls there's no reason he can't
frame right on top of the hardwood. Or saw out a slot for the wall.

I didn't think about adding a wall, but you're right. If that's the plan,
just saw a slot.

On Apr 6, 9:05*pm, aemeijers wrote:
wrote:
On Tue, 6 Apr 2010 14:50:53 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Apr 6, 5:46?pm, Heathcliff wrote:
On Apr 6, 7:07?am, ls02 wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?
If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. ?I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. ?--H
the amount of damage done to remove the old floor makes it a loser
project. bettewr to start new, ands end up with a good job.

rather than a killer amount of work, ands at best so so results

I had to pull up just a little, wouldnt ever consider doing a large
area

I've seen some pretty impressive reclaimed industrial wood floors. *It's
expensive and is really done for the looks rather than the wood. *

Aren't industrial floors usually face-nailed? Those are a whole lot
easier to pull up and recycle versus tongue-nailed. (Like the difference
between damn near impossible, and merely a horrendous PITA.) Either way,
you can count on destroying a good fraction of the boards. Usual
practice is to leave old floor in place, and creatively weave in new
boards or an artistic inlay, in the areas where floor had to be
disturbed. If a room is simply getting bigger, you add a wood stripe at
the transition, and go ahead and lay new floor. It is what it is, and
people can always tell when walls have moved.

You're probably right. I once knew where they were ripping up an old
bowling alley. I would have loved to get my hands on some of the
Maple boards, but the guy doing the work told me to forget it. They
always destroyed it getting it up.

"Jim Elbrecht" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 6 Apr 2010 05:07:08 -0700 (PDT), ls02
wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

Not at all. Why do you want to take it out?

If it is to protect it, you'd be better off covering it with OSB until
the job's done. [though just the slightest amount of caution would
make even that unnecessary- especially since you plan on sanding it
when you're done.

Even if there are sections that need to be replaced, I'd just fix them
when the job is done-- you'll tear hell out of that flooring getting
it up.

Jim



Ditto on the OSB...Cover the floor with flooring paper , lay the OSB on top
cutting out jogs , ect to get it as close to the walls as possible...Put
duct tape on all the joints...Lay down a tarp on top of that if you are
doing wet work in certain areas , like cutting tile with a wet saw , plaster
work or masonery...Done it MANY times with excellent results...HTH...

On Apr 7, 6:57*am, jamesgangnc wrote:
On Apr 6, 5:46*pm, Heathcliff wrote:

On Apr 6, 7:07*am, ls02 wrote:

I am doing a major remodel of my house. I want to disassemble existing
hardwood floor and re-install it after remodeling. The hardwood is
solid oak sanded and finished after installation. I will sand and
refinish it after re-installation. How practical and economical is
this?

If it's tongue and groove flooring, which it probably is, and
installed properly (angle nailed to each joist), taking it up without
major damage to it is hard to do. *I would look really hard for some
other way, before trying that. *--H

You seldom find it nailed to floor joists. *It's generally nailed to a
subfloor. *It's not that hard to get up if you use several flat pry
bars and start at the tongue side. *It is a whole lot of labor
though. *If it was really laid directly on joists and nailed to them
that would be harder.

Yes. Although it seems to me that at least in installations new enough
to have plywood subflooring, generally they try to hit the joists
through the subfloor. I know I did. Regardless, the amount of labor
and the failure rate make this a tough job.