Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than that it's
quicker?

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?

As I plan on pulling them up again in a year
maybe a shorter narrower screw
so next year's can be secure?

There are hundreds of different screws on offer...

thanks

[g]


--

[george]

~

On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 18:40:34 +0100, "George \(dicegeorge\)"
wrote:

Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than that it's
quicker?


Historically boards were nailed with flooring brads through the
tongues( or was it the grooves) to hide the nails .

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?

As I plan on pulling them up again in a year
maybe a shorter narrower screw
so next year's can be secure?


There are hundreds of different screws on offer...

Just use ones long enough to go far enough in to the joist to secure
the boards and countersink the hole . I'd have though 8 or 10 size
would do .

thanks

[g]

George (dicegeorge) wrote:
Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's quicker?

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?

As I plan on pulling them up again in a year
maybe a shorter narrower screw
so next year's can be secure?

There are hundreds of different screws on offer...

thanks

[g]


George,


11/2" or 2" number 8 or 10 countersunk - you can either use the old steel
slot-head screw or the new-fangled phillips or pozi-drive twin-threads (my
preference even though I'm an 'old timer').

Remember though, no matter how you fix the damn things down, you'll *ALWAYS*
get a board that will squeak or groan after you've done the damn job. :-)

Tanner-'op

In article ,
George \(dicegeorge\) wrote:
Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than that
it's quicker?

If it is an old house, screws were expensive when it was built. Nails are
also less obvious if the boards aren't covered.

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?

I use 2" 10. Get a combination bit which drills pilot, clearance and
countersink all in one go.

As I plan on pulling them up again in a year maybe a shorter narrower
screw so next year's can be secure?

If you drill the correct holes the same size screw will be fine for
several removals and replacements.

--
*A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 18:40:34 +0100, "George \(dicegeorge\)"
wrote:

Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's
quicker?


Historically boards were nailed with flooring brads through the
tongues( or was it the grooves) to hide the nails .

SNIP


That's pretty recent history - historically there were no tongues and
grooves and floor boards were nailed with 'cut nails' - a method that
persisted from (at least) Roman times to late Edwardian times. Cut
nails are still available - their wedge shape makes a good fixing.

AWEM

Andrew Mawson wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 18:40:34 +0100, "George \(dicegeorge\)"
wrote:

Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's quicker?


Historically boards were nailed with flooring brads through the
tongues( or was it the grooves) to hide the nails .

SNIP


That's pretty recent history - historically there were no tongues and
grooves and floor boards were nailed with 'cut nails' - a method that
persisted from (at least) Roman times to late Edwardian times. Cut
nails are still available - their wedge shape makes a good fixing.

AWEM

Andrew,

That's what "flooring brads" are - cut nails by another name!

Tanner-'op

wrote:
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 18:40:34 +0100, "George \(dicegeorge\)"
wrote:

Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's quicker?


Historically boards were nailed with flooring brads through the
tongues( or was it the grooves) to hide the nails .


Snipped,

The idea of a flooring brad is to nail down through the face of the
floorboard - if you try using these through the tongues, you won't have a
tongue to fix the next board to.

If you are 'secret' nailing floor boards, you generally bang an oval or lost
head nail 'on the skew' through the side of the board above the root of the
tongue and then belt them below the surface using a nail punch (and hammer).

And long. laborious and f****ng arm aching job when using the method to fix
T,G and Veed boards to ceilings.


Tanner-'op

"Tanner-'op" wrote in message
...
Andrew Mawson wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 18:40:34 +0100, "George \(dicegeorge\)"
wrote:

Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other
than
that it's quicker?


Historically boards were nailed with flooring brads through the
tongues( or was it the grooves) to hide the nails .

SNIP


That's pretty recent history - historically there were no tongues
and
grooves and floor boards were nailed with 'cut nails' - a method
that
persisted from (at least) Roman times to late Edwardian times. Cut
nails are still available - their wedge shape makes a good fixing.

AWEM

Andrew,

That's what "flooring brads" are - cut nails by another name!

Tanner-'op


If you put a cut nail (by any name) through the tongue or groove of
any normal thickness floor board all you'd do is split it. They are
normally put about an inch in from the edge of 6 x1 or 5 x 3/4 plain
boards in my experiance, and tongue and groove boards are fixed using
oval or round 'lost head' nails.. concealed nailing through the
grooves uses a thin nail (relative to cut nails)

AWEM

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
George \(dicegeorge\) wrote:
Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's quicker?

If it is an old house, screws were expensive when it was built. Nails
are also less obvious if the boards aren't covered.

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?

I use 2" 10. Get a combination bit which drills pilot, clearance and
countersink all in one go.

Or use Turbogolds & a drill driver, no pilot, self countersinking.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 20:03:17 +0100, "Tanner-'op"
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 18:40:34 +0100, "George \(dicegeorge\)"
wrote:

Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's quicker?


Historically boards were nailed with flooring brads through the
tongues( or was it the grooves) to hide the nails .


Snipped,

The idea of a flooring brad is to nail down through the face of the
floorboard - if you try using these through the tongues, you won't have a
tongue to fix the next board to.

If you are 'secret' nailing floor boards, you generally bang an oval or lost
head nail 'on the skew' through the side of the board above the root of the
tongue and then belt them below the surface using a nail punch (and hammer).

And long. laborious and f****ng arm aching job when using the method to fix
T,G and Veed boards to ceilings.


Tanner-'op


I recently lifted the T+G boards in my Victorian flat and it was clear
this was the first time they had been lifted .They were secret nailed
using long cut brads through the tongues but the nails went in at such
an angle that they came out under the main part of the board so
avoiding splitting the tongue . Obviously you would never put the nail
clean through the tongue as firstly you would split the tongue but it
would not secure the board to the joists .

On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 20:09:05 +0100, "Andrew Mawson"
wrote:


"Tanner-'op" wrote in message
...
Andrew Mawson wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 18:40:34 +0100, "George \(dicegeorge\)"
wrote:

Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other
than
that it's quicker?


Historically boards were nailed with flooring brads through the
tongues( or was it the grooves) to hide the nails .

SNIP


That's pretty recent history - historically there were no tongues
and
grooves and floor boards were nailed with 'cut nails' - a method
that
persisted from (at least) Roman times to late Edwardian times. Cut
nails are still available - their wedge shape makes a good fixing.

AWEM

Andrew,

That's what "flooring brads" are - cut nails by another name!

Tanner-'op


If you put a cut nail (by any name) through the tongue or groove of
any normal thickness floor board all you'd do is split it. They are
normally put about an inch in from the edge of 6 x1 or 5 x 3/4 plain
boards in my experiance, and tongue and groove boards are fixed using
oval or round 'lost head' nails.. concealed nailing through the
grooves uses a thin nail (relative to cut nails)

AWEM

See my other reply to Tanner-op

wrote:
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 20:03:17 +0100, "Tanner-'op"
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 18:40:34 +0100, "George \(dicegeorge\)"
wrote:

Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's quicker?


Historically boards were nailed with flooring brads through the
tongues( or was it the grooves) to hide the nails .


Snipped,

The idea of a flooring brad is to nail down through the face of the
floorboard - if you try using these through the tongues, you won't
have a tongue to fix the next board to.

If you are 'secret' nailing floor boards, you generally bang an oval
or lost head nail 'on the skew' through the side of the board above
the root of the tongue and then belt them below the surface using a
nail punch (and hammer).

And long. laborious and f****ng arm aching job when using the method
to fix T,G and Veed boards to ceilings.


Tanner-'op


I recently lifted the T+G boards in my Victorian flat and it was clear
this was the first time they had been lifted .They were secret nailed
using long cut brads through the tongues but the nails went in at such
an angle that they came out under the main part of the board so
avoiding splitting the tongue . Obviously you would never put the nail
clean through the tongue as firstly you would split the tongue but it
would not secure the board to the joists .

Now that is unusual - and interesting.

I have spent all my working life on building maintenance (retired from it
now) and never came across cut nails used as secret nailing in floorboards
(lots of other things mind) - what were the thickness of the things?

Tanner-'op

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 20:03:17 +0100, "Tanner-'op"
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 6 Sep 2008 18:40:34 +0100, "George \(dicegeorge\)"
wrote:

Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other
than
that it's quicker?


Historically boards were nailed with flooring brads through the
tongues( or was it the grooves) to hide the nails .


Snipped,

The idea of a flooring brad is to nail down through the face of the
floorboard - if you try using these through the tongues, you won't
have a
tongue to fix the next board to.

If you are 'secret' nailing floor boards, you generally bang an
oval or lost
head nail 'on the skew' through the side of the board above the
root of the
tongue and then belt them below the surface using a nail punch (and
hammer).

And long. laborious and f****ng arm aching job when using the
method to fix
T,G and Veed boards to ceilings.


Tanner-'op


I recently lifted the T+G boards in my Victorian flat and it was
clear
this was the first time they had been lifted .They were secret
nailed
using long cut brads through the tongues but the nails went in at
such
an angle that they came out under the main part of the board so
avoiding splitting the tongue . Obviously you would never put the
nail
clean through the tongue as firstly you would split the tongue but
it
would not secure the board to the joists .

Are you sure those boards were original. I've owned quite a few
Victorian properties and never come across T&G floorboards.

AWEM

On 6 Sep, 18:40, "George \(dicegeorge\)"
wrote:
Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than that it's
quicker?

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?

As I plan on pulling them up again in a year
maybe a shorter narrower screw
so next year's can be secure?

There are hundreds of different screws on offer...

thanks

[g]

--

* * * * * * * * * *[george]

~

If you use a C2 or similar machine to drive the screws in without pre
drilling then you will never lift the boards without splitting and
damaging. So as suggested use a combination bit and pre drill so then
can come out later. On the subject of cut nails and T and G, I have
lifted boards in well over 1000 properties - mainly in London - and
have come across cut nails in oldT and T about 3 or 4 times.
they were normal cut nails - maybe a tad thinner but not significantly
but did get put thru the board thickness not the tongue. Who knows
they may even have been predrilled but I doubt it.
It was normally only on high class houses. Most were ex 6" by 1" pine
with nails directly thru about 3/4 " from the edge
Chris

In article ,
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
George \(dicegeorge\) wrote:
Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's quicker?

If it is an old house, screws were expensive when it was built. Nails
are also less obvious if the boards aren't covered.

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?

I use 2" 10. Get a combination bit which drills pilot, clearance and
countersink all in one go.

Or use Turbogolds & a drill driver, no pilot, self countersinking.

Not so good if you want to lift them again.

--
*I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Andrew Mawson wrote:
If you put a cut nail (by any name) through the tongue or groove of
any normal thickness floor board all you'd do is split it. They are
normally put about an inch in from the edge of 6 x1 or 5 x 3/4 plain
boards in my experiance, and tongue and groove boards are fixed using
oval or round 'lost head' nails.. concealed nailing through the
grooves uses a thin nail (relative to cut nails)

Cut nails tend to split the sort of crap we get these days instead of
wood. They were fine on the pine the Victorians got - when it was new. But
in centrally heated houses even that will often split with cut nails.

--
*24 hours in a day ... 24 beers in a case ... coincidence? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
George \(dicegeorge\) wrote:
Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's quicker?

If it is an old house, screws were expensive when it was built.
Nails are also less obvious if the boards aren't covered.

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?

I use 2" 10. Get a combination bit which drills pilot, clearance and
countersink all in one go.

Or use Turbogolds & a drill driver, no pilot, self countersinking.

Not so good if you want to lift them again.

? They come out fine IME?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

"Tanner-'op" wrote in message
...
11/2" or 2" number 8 or 10 countersunk - you can either use the old steel
slot-head screw or the new-fangled phillips or pozi-drive twin-threads (my
preference even though I'm an 'old timer').

Is there anyone in the world who prefers slotted screws?

Remember though, no matter how you fix the damn things down, you'll
*ALWAYS* get a board that will squeak or groan after you've done the damn
job. :-)

If our boards aren't squeaking at the top of the stairs I know that the kid
is in bed, we aren't being burgled and the dog isn't sneaking downstairs for
a ****. Every home should have 'em.

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
George \(dicegeorge\) wrote:
Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's quicker?
If it is an old house, screws were expensive when it was built.
Nails are also less obvious if the boards aren't covered.

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?
I use 2" 10. Get a combination bit which drills pilot, clearance and
countersink all in one go.
Or use Turbogolds & a drill driver, no pilot, self countersinking.
Not so good if you want to lift them again.

? They come out fine IME?


Yes - they come out fine, it's when you drive them in again. Unless the
first driving was a bit on the underdone side, the second tends to go in
too far, and to rip up any thread it cut the first time. Most especially
bad when you do that repeatedly.

However, they are so wonderfully easy to use in so many ways, I *do* use
them quite a bit. If it is something I expect to have to undo/redo, I
will probably use a more conventional screw. If it comes back to bite me
(i.e. was unexpected), I might replace the turbogold by a similar, maybe
slightly larger, conventional screw.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

R D S wrote:
"Tanner-'op" wrote in message
...
11/2" or 2" number 8 or 10 countersunk - you can either use the old
steel slot-head screw or the new-fangled phillips or pozi-drive
twin-threads (my preference even though I'm an 'old timer').

Is there anyone in the world who prefers slotted screws?

Funnily enough, I do for many jobs where pozi drive et all would really look
out of place.

Remember though, no matter how you fix the damn things down, you'll
*ALWAYS* get a board that will squeak or groan after you've done the
damn job. :-)

If our boards aren't squeaking at the top of the stairs I know that
the kid is in bed, we aren't being burgled and the dog isn't sneaking
downstairs for a ****. Every home should have 'em.

On Sun, 7 Sep 2008 10:31:18 UTC, "R D S" wrote:

"Tanner-'op" wrote in message
...
11/2" or 2" number 8 or 10 countersunk - you can either use the old steel
slot-head screw or the new-fangled phillips or pozi-drive twin-threads (my
preference even though I'm an 'old timer').

Is there anyone in the world who prefers slotted screws?

Probably Andy Hall. He'd have nothing to line up neatly when screwing
something together. It isn't the same with cross heads!

--
The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
http://www.diybanter.com

Tanner-'op wrote:
R D S wrote:
"Tanner-'op" wrote in message
...
11/2" or 2" number 8 or 10 countersunk - you can either use the old
steel slot-head screw or the new-fangled phillips or pozi-drive
twin-threads (my preference even though I'm an 'old timer').
Is there anyone in the world who prefers slotted screws?

Funnily enough, I do for many jobs where pozi drive et all would really look
out of place.

Remember though, no matter how you fix the damn things down, you'll
*ALWAYS* get a board that will squeak or groan after you've done the
damn job. :-)
If our boards aren't squeaking at the top of the stairs I know that
the kid is in bed, we aren't being burgled and the dog isn't sneaking
downstairs for a ****. Every home should have 'em.



Spotted a market opportunity. Stick on slotted heads. :-)

But I actually took the question to be referring to a preference other
than the obvious looks/aesthetics. And I think that will be almost
no-one who uses any form of screwdriving machine.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

In article ,
R D S wrote:
11/2" or 2" number 8 or 10 countersunk - you can either use the old
steel slot-head screw or the new-fangled phillips or pozi-drive
twin-threads (my preference even though I'm an 'old timer').

Is there anyone in the world who prefers slotted screws?

Oak floorboards on display screwed down with slotted brass screws with the
slots all lined up...

--
*Warning: Dates in Calendar are closer than they appear.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
wrote:
Are you sure those boards were original. I've owned quite a few
Victorian properties and never come across T&G floorboards.

arent's house was (late) Victorian and had original T&G floors and
cavity walls. Spoilt be not having an effective DPC.

Mine has no DPC - but no damp. The floors are above ground level so any
rising damp stays in the cellar. There's also a high skirting board with
no plaster behind it - even more of an area for any moisture to evaporate
off.

--
*Gravity is a myth, the earth sucks *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Bob Eager wrote:
On Sun, 7 Sep 2008 10:31:18 UTC, "R D S" wrote:

"Tanner-'op" wrote in message
...
11/2" or 2" number 8 or 10 countersunk - you can either use the old
steel slot-head screw or the new-fangled phillips or pozi-drive
twin-threads (my preference even though I'm an 'old timer').

Is there anyone in the world who prefers slotted screws?

Probably Andy Hall. He'd have nothing to line up neatly when screwing
something together. It isn't the same with cross heads!

Me too - they just look plain wrong in a Victorian house if on show - like
say door hinges or door furniture.
If you like cross heads so much do you swap all your electrical fittings
ones for them? ;-)

But for construction work they're ideal.

--
* What do they call a coffee break at the Lipton Tea Company? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"George \(dicegeorge\)" wrote in
:

Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's quicker?

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?

As I plan on pulling them up again in a year
maybe a shorter narrower screw
so next year's can be secure?

It really depends on the 'look' you want to achieve for the finished
job.

If the boards will never be seen again, then posidriv cross head screws
will be fine. On the other hand, if the floor is visible (eg stained
and waxed or varnished or sealed) then cross head screws (especially
bright plated varieties) look very out-of-place, particularly in a
period property.

I have renovated several Victorian / Edwardian houses. I use 8 x 1.5"
slotted countersunk brass wood screws. Bought in bulk (boxes of 200)
these are affordable, although more expensive than steel screws. Don't
buy from the sheds or you will end up v. poor - use a local fastener
company (try a local trading estate) or buy online from
http://www.screwsline.co.uk/brass_wood_screws_csk.php

As mentioned elsethread, get yourself a combined drill + countersink
bit, and adjust it to the depth required. Position the boards, drill
the holes, then finish by driving in the screws with a drill/driver.
I've put in many thousand of screws in old boards - and my experience
is that slotted brass woodscrews give a 'proper looking' finish.

And yes, they will come out again - in my experience, easier than cross
head screws which tend to 'cam out' when attempting to extract with a
power tool.

Hope this helps

--
Richard Perkin
To email me, change the AT in the address below
richard.perkinATmyrealbox.com

It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it
is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's.
It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs.
-- Oxford University Press, Edpress News

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in
:

In article ,
R D S wrote:
11/2" or 2" number 8 or 10 countersunk - you can either use the
old steel slot-head screw or the new-fangled phillips or
pozi-drive twin-threads (my preference even though I'm an 'old
timer').

Is there anyone in the world who prefers slotted screws?

Oak floorboards on display screwed down with slotted brass screws
with the slots all lined up...

Agreed. I have replied elsewhere in the thread with the same answer,
including a link to where to get them in boxes of 200 at a v.
reasonable price.

Kind regards

--
Richard Perkin
To email me, change the AT in the address below
richard.perkinATmyrealbox.com

It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it
is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's.
It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs.
-- Oxford University Press, Edpress News

Richard Perkin wrote:
"George \(dicegeorge\)" wrote in
:

Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than
that it's quicker?

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?

As I plan on pulling them up again in a year
maybe a shorter narrower screw
so next year's can be secure?

It really depends on the 'look' you want to achieve for the finished
job.

If the boards will never be seen again, then posidriv cross head
screws will be fine. On the other hand, if the floor is visible (eg
stained and waxed or varnished or sealed) then cross head screws
(especially bright plated varieties) look very out-of-place,
particularly in a period property.

I have renovated several Victorian / Edwardian houses. I use 8 x 1.5"
slotted countersunk brass wood screws. Bought in bulk (boxes of 200)
these are affordable, although more expensive than steel screws. Don't
buy from the sheds or you will end up v. poor - use a local fastener
company (try a local trading estate) or buy online from
http://www.screwsline.co.uk/brass_wood_screws_csk.php

As mentioned elsethread, get yourself a combined drill + countersink
bit, and adjust it to the depth required. Position the boards, drill
the holes, then finish by driving in the screws with a drill/driver.
I've put in many thousand of screws in old boards - and my experience
is that slotted brass woodscrews give a 'proper looking' finish.

I imagine there is a knack to driving a slotted screw with a drill driver?


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

In article ,
The Medway Handyman wrote:
I imagine there is a knack to driving a slotted screw with a drill
driver?

The little Makita impact one is brilliant for slotted screws with the
right blade - the kicking action seems to be less likely to damage the
slot than steady torque.

--
*Drugs may lead to nowhere, but at least it's the scenic route *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
The Medway Handyman wrote:
I imagine there is a knack to driving a slotted screw with a drill
driver?

The little Makita impact one is brilliant for slotted screws with the
right blade - the kicking action seems to be less likely to damage the
slot than steady torque.


I have been using mine over the last couple of days for removing many
such screws. (Ones that I had put in myself quite a few years ago. :-(
) It is, IMHO, absolutely fantastic at undoing all but the very
tighest/biggest screws.

Certainly worked better than my drill.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Rod wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
The Medway Handyman wrote:
I imagine there is a knack to driving a slotted screw with a drill
driver?

The little Makita impact one is brilliant for slotted screws with the
right blade - the kicking action seems to be less likely to damage
the slot than steady torque.


I have been using mine over the last couple of days for removing many
such screws. (Ones that I had put in myself quite a few years ago. :-(
) It is, IMHO, absolutely fantastic at undoing all but the very
tighest/biggest screws.

Certainly worked better than my drill.

I find mine great for those painted over screws holding door hinges. Quick
scrape to remove the worst of the paint, plenty of pressure & out they come.

Putting slotted screws in I think might be a little harder.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in
om:

Rod wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
The Medway Handyman wrote:
I imagine there is a knack to driving a slotted screw with a
drill driver?
Just use a low speed. With the right blade (the largest that will
fit) there isn't a problem.

The little Makita impact one is brilliant for slotted screws
with the right blade - the kicking action seems to be less
likely to damage the slot than steady torque.


I have been using mine over the last couple of days for removing
many such screws. (Ones that I had put in myself quite a few
years ago. :-(
) It is, IMHO, absolutely fantastic at undoing all but the very
tighest/biggest screws.

Certainly worked better than my drill.
Agreed. I picked up one of these jobbies on eBay (new) for a very
reasonable price after the discussion here a few weeks ago.

Works extremely well - before the rains came, I was painting the
external rear wall of the house and used it to remove all kinds of
old rusted in slotted screws. Without exception, they came out like
magic.

I find mine great for those painted over screws holding door
hinges. Quick scrape to remove the worst of the paint, plenty of
pressure & out they come.

Putting slotted screws in I think might be a little harder.
The problem with the Makita impact driver is that there is no speed
control. So unless the screw 'bites' almost immediately the result is
usually a damaged screw - and it doesn't matter if it's slotted or
crosshead...

Kind regards

--
Richard Perkin
To email me, change the AT in the address below
richard.perkinATmyrealbox.com

It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it
is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's.
It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs.
-- Oxford University Press, Edpress News

In article ,
Rod wrote:
The little Makita impact one is brilliant for slotted screws with the
right blade - the kicking action seems to be less likely to damage the
slot than steady torque.


I have been using mine over the last couple of days for removing many
such screws. (Ones that I had put in myself quite a few years ago. :-(
) It is, IMHO, absolutely fantastic at undoing all but the very
tighest/biggest screws.

Certainly worked better than my drill.

Yup - I had to take out some large screws which were covered in paint and
would usually have been a real pain, either by hand or with a ordinary
drill. But it just whizzed them out.

--
*Why is it that rain drops but snow falls?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Richard Perkin wrote:
The problem with the Makita impact driver is that there is no speed
control. So unless the screw 'bites' almost immediately the result is
usually a damaged screw - and it doesn't matter if it's slotted or
crosshead...

But that's really no different from an ordinary cordless drill used as a
driver. You need to make sure the bit is engaged before applying the
power, otherwise there's a chance of damaging the head. FWIW for undoing
screws you can use plenty of pressure - unlike when putting them in.

--
*Save a tree, eat a beaver*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 6 Sep, 18:40, "George \(dicegeorge\)"
wrote:
Is there any reason why my old floorboards are nailed, other than that it's
quicker?

As I will want to take my floorboards up in a year or so
I think I should screw the ones I'm repairing and replacing,
but what kind of screw?

As I plan on pulling them up again in a year
maybe a shorter narrower screw
so next year's can be secure?

There are hundreds of different screws on offer...

My take would be to nail them - sometimes nails are better than
screws, and this is one of them. You can pry up nailed floorboards
much faster than unscrewing all the screws you would use. Visible
screwheads in a floor look rubbish. You can fill a nail-hole, and
still get the boards up again.

The only time I would use screws on floorboards would be to eliminate
a squeak that nails can't solve, or on a wide-board hardwood floor,
where the boards are too wide for secret nailing - and then it's
really tedious plugging over all those screws.

Nails are a better solution in quite a lot of joinery situations,
because of the ability to pry them out without much damage, they are
much better suited to (reversible) 'invisible fixing' than screws.

They are also better than screws in other situations where shear
strength is important. The humble nail is an underrated fastener.

In article
,
wrote:
My take would be to nail them - sometimes nails are better than
screws, and this is one of them. You can pry up nailed floorboards
much faster than unscrewing all the screws you would use.

And they often split. Especially if nailed with cut nails.

--
*Gravity is a myth, the earth sucks *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 8 Sep, 14:50, "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
In article
,
* wrote:

My take would be to nail them - sometimes nails are better than
screws, and this is one of them. *You can pry up nailed floorboards
much faster than unscrewing all the screws you would use.

And they often split. Especially if nailed with cut nails.

--
*Gravity is a myth, the earth sucks *

* * Dave Plowman * * * * * * * * London SW
* * * * * * * * * To e-mail, change noise into sound.

I don't think I've ever split a board which hasn't already had a split
in it - and I've relaid the floors in most of the rooms in my house,
which is Victorian, i.e. nailed with rusty old cut brads which have
been there for over a century. As long as you ease the end of the
board up with care to start with, once you have got it up enough to
get a pry bar under both edges, they either pop out, or pop through.

With 100+ year old screws, you'd be looking at a new floor.

On 8 Sep, 15:34, wrote:

It's probably ok with square edged boards, but I'd rather remove screwed down
T&G boards than nailed ones.

Maybe - but on t&g, it should really be secret-nailed - which is a
lot easier to get out, again, than secret-screwed would be. If they
have to be fastened through the face, I wouldn't find visible screw
holes/heads a good enough finish, so they would need to be screwed and
plugged - and that's not much fun to get up again, even with the
shellac instead of glue trick. You can't use filler or you'll never
get the damn things out again.

Given a choice, I'd always go for the nail-holes which can be filled
on softwood. I'd look at it as being the same principle as nailing
rather than screwing architraving/sash-beading/skirting boards etc -
it's just (generally) a better fastener for the job.

The message
from "Dave Plowman (News)" contains these words:

In article ,
wrote:
Are you sure those boards were original. I've owned quite a few
Victorian properties and never come across T&G floorboards.

arent's house was (late) Victorian and had original T&G floors and
cavity walls. Spoilt be not having an effective DPC.

Mine has no DPC - but no damp. The floors are above ground level so any
rising damp stays in the cellar. There's also a high skirting board with
no plaster behind it - even more of an area for any moisture to evaporate
off.


DPCs are a good thing -- BUT the reality is that they're really a cheap
substitute for adequate drainage of the site. If the site is
well-drained to start with, then a dpc is a work of supererogation. If
the water table is kept low enough by adequate site drainage a dpc has
nothing to do.