Hello,

Is it possible to salvage old strip hardwood flooring to use again for hardwood flooring ?

I am about to start a remodel project and looking for some cost cutting measures plus I hate seeing things go into landfill when they can be repurposed - reused etc.

So I have two and half rooms with about 750 sq ft total of strip oak flooring (built in early 60's) that will be demolished and probably go into landfill and be replaced with some other product unless I come up with some sweat/labor and solution to reuse or salvage it.

Is it possible, is it viable, any special considerations for removal , storage and so on ?

Thanks for any helpful advice you can give.
Rob

On 8/7/2014 10:55 AM, wrote:
Hello,

Is it possible to salvage old strip hardwood flooring to use again for hardwood flooring ?

I am about to start a remodel project and looking for some cost cutting measures plus I hate seeing things go into landfill when they can be repurposed - reused etc.

So I have two and half rooms with about 750 sq ft total of strip oak flooring (built in early 60's) that will be demolished and probably go into landfill and be replaced with some other product unless I come up with some sweat/labor and solution to reuse or salvage it.

Is it possible, is it viable, any special considerations for removal , storage and so on ?

Absolutely!!

Without fail the first thing to go, after any usable crown, base and
shoe, when a house is being demolished to build a new one is any
hardwood floors are taken out, board by board, and recycled by the
demolition company.

It is even generally specified in the contract with the demolition
company, and part of their profit considered in their bid.

Go for it. It's not rocket surgery.

--
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Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
https://www.google.com/+eWoodShop
https://plus.google.com/+KarlCaillouet/posts
http://www.custommade.com/by/ewoodshop/
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)

On Thu, 07 Aug 2014 11:10:56 -0500, Swingman wrote:

On 8/7/2014 10:55 AM, wrote:
Hello,

Is it possible to salvage old strip hardwood flooring to use again for hardwood flooring ?

I am about to start a remodel project and looking for some cost cutting measures plus I hate seeing things go into landfill when they can be repurposed - reused etc.

So I have two and half rooms with about 750 sq ft total of strip oak flooring (built in early 60's) that will be demolished and probably go into landfill and be replaced with some other product unless I come up with some sweat/labor and solution to reuse or salvage it.

Is it possible, is it viable, any special considerations for removal , storage and so on ?

Absolutely!!

Without fail the first thing to go, after any usable crown, base and
shoe, when a house is being demolished to build a new one is any
hardwood floors are taken out, board by board, and recycled by the
demolition company.

It is even generally specified in the contract with the demolition
company, and part of their profit considered in their bid.

Go for it. It's not rocket surgery.
Should not be too difficult to salvage at least 80% unless it has
been sanded too many times and the top of the "groove" is too thin to
withstand removal. - in which case it is pretty much scrap.

"Swingman" wrote in message

On 8/7/2014 10:55 AM, wrote:
Hello,

Is it possible to salvage old strip hardwood flooring to use again for
hardwood flooring ? I am about to start a remodel project and looking
for some cost cutting
measures plus I hate seeing things go into landfill when they can be
repurposed - reused etc. So I have two and half rooms with about 750
sq ft total of strip oak
flooring (built in early 60's) that will be demolished and probably go
into landfill and be replaced with some other product unless I come up
with some sweat/labor and solution to reuse or salvage it. Is it
possible, is it viable, any special considerations for removal ,
storage and so on ?

Absolutely!!

Without fail the first thing to go, after any usable crown, base and
shoe, when a house is being demolished to build a new one is any
hardwood floors are taken out, board by board, and recycled by the
demolition company.

It is even generally specified in the contract with the demolition
company, and part of their profit considered in their bid.

Go for it. It's not rocket surgery.

Probably not but I sure wouldn't want to do it. I'm assuming they have
been angle nailed through the tongues with those hold-on-forever serrated
cleats. How DOES one get out boards without wrecking them?

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On 8/7/2014 11:55 AM, wrote:
Hello,

Is it possible to salvage old strip hardwood flooring to use again for hardwood flooring ?

I am about to start a remodel project and looking for some cost cutting measures plus I hate seeing things go into landfill when they can be repurposed - reused etc.

So I have two and half rooms with about 750 sq ft total of strip oak flooring (built in early 60's) that will be demolished and probably go into landfill and be replaced with some other product unless I come up with some sweat/labor and solution to reuse or salvage it.

Is it possible, is it viable, any special considerations for removal , storage and so on ?

Thanks for any helpful advice you can give.
Rob

Do I understand you to be asking if the floors can be salvaged *in
place*? Because that's how your question reads to me. If so, the answer
is definitely yes. Practically any surface damage can be sanded off,
yielding a brand-new surface.

We from one apartment into a larger one in the same building, in perhaps
1986. The building was built in the '30s. A lot of the tenants had
wall-to-wall carpet, but I knew there was oak flooring underneath. Nice,
too. every room had a "border" of 3 strips of contrasting woods (darker,
lighter, darker) all around the perimeter.

The flooring under the carpet in the new apt. was as dessicated as you
could imagine; dried out and completely gray, impregnated with the dust
of decades being under carpet.

Two guys with a drum sander and a detail sander made short work of that.
The job, including a couple coats of poly, was done in maybe 3 days. As
the apartment was empty, we left the door open to the hallway while they
were working.

A neighbor came by, looking puzzled. He couldn't understand why anyone
would install a beautiful, new and obviously expensive solid wood floor
in a rental apartment. It told him it was there already; we just had it
refinished. It was very reasonable too.

A look of wonder came over his face.

"That floor, that's in MY apartment too?", he asked. Suffice it to say
that *three* of my neighbors had their floors done that summer.

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On 08/07/2014 11:47 AM, dadiOH wrote:
....

Probably not but I sure wouldn't want to do it. I'm assuming they have
been angle nailed through the tongues with those hold-on-forever
serrated cleats. How DOES one get out boards without wrecking them?

In the '60s I'd expect the cut nail.

It's not terribly bad; you generally will sacrifice one or two rows by
ripping along the side to be able to get access to the tongue-side of
the main run and then just pry and pull. Often a head will pull thru,
it not another ploy is to get just enough gap and then use the sawzall
and cut the nail and clean up later.

It's always handy if the ceiling underneath happens to be open to be
able to drive the initial set up from below to get that initial purchase...

--

On 8/7/2014 10:55 AM, wrote:
Hello,

Is it possible to salvage old strip hardwood flooring to use again for hardwood flooring ?

I am about to start a remodel project and looking for some cost cutting measures plus I hate seeing things go into landfill when they can be repurposed - reused etc.

So I have two and half rooms with about 750 sq ft total of strip oak flooring (built in early 60's) that will be demolished and probably go into landfill and be replaced with some other product unless I come up with some sweat/labor and solution to reuse or salvage it.

Is it possible, is it viable, any special considerations for removal , storage and so on ?

Thanks for any helpful advice you can give.
Rob



Least expensive maybe is to simply have a wood flooring refinishing
company come in and refinish the existing floors.

On Thursday, August 7, 2014 1:00:31 PM UTC-4, Greg Guarino wrote:
On 8/7/2014 11:55 AM, Rob wrote:

Hello,
Is it possible to salvage old strip hardwood flooring to use again for hardwood flooring ?

I am about to start a remodel project and looking for some cost cutting measures plus I hate seeing things go into landfill when they can be repurposed - reused etc.

So I have two and half rooms with about 750 sq ft total of strip oak flooring (built in early 60's) that will be demolished and probably go into landfill and be replaced with some other product unless I come up with some sweat/labor and solution to reuse or salvage it.
Is it possible, is it viable, any special considerations for removal , storage and so on ?
Thanks for any helpful advice you can give.
Rob


Do I understand you to be asking if the floors can be salvaged *in
place*? Because that's how your question reads to me. If so, the answer
is definitely yes. Practically any surface damage can be sanded off,
yielding a brand-new surface.

[trim]

I mean to say the remodel requires total demolition of the rooms to the dirt.

So, the floors will be destroyed and probably thrown into the dumpster/dump truck unless I salvage them before demo starts.

The new rooms will need flooring. It would be nice to re-use existing oak flooring wood if possible and viable. Additionally I like idea of reusing things when possible.
Rob



Thanks for any useful advice.

On Thursday, August 7, 2014 12:45:42 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Thu, 07 Aug 2014 11:10:56 -0500, Swingman wrote:

On 8/7/2014 10:55 AM, Rob wrote:

Hello,
Is it possible to salvage old strip hardwood flooring to use again for hardwood flooring ?
I am about to start a remodel project and looking for some cost cutting measures plus I hate seeing things go into landfill when they can be repurposed - reused etc.

So I have two and half rooms with about 750 sq ft total of strip oak flooring (built in early 60's) that will be demolished and probably go into landfill and be replaced with some other product unless I come up with some sweat/labor and solution to reuse or salvage it.

Is it possible, is it viable, any special considerations for removal , storage and so on ?

Absolutely!!

Without fail the first thing to go, after any usable crown, base and
shoe, when a house is being demolished to build a new one is any
hardwood floors are taken out, board by board, and recycled by the
demolition company.
It is even generally specified in the contract with the demolition
company, and part of their profit considered in their bid.

Go for it. It's not rocket surgery.
Should not be too difficult to salvage at least 80% unless it has
been sanded too many times and the top of the "groove" is too thin to
withstand removal. - in which case it is pretty much scrap.


The floors do not appear to have been refinished maybe once since the original installation. I removed a stair cap once and the edge of those boards looked very thick. I guess I will not know for certain toil I pull something up.

Do the old flooring boards need to be edge plained or process for good fit during installation ?

Thanks for help.
Rob

On Thursday, August 7, 2014 1:42:37 PM UTC-4, dpb wrote:
On 08/07/2014 11:47 AM, dadiOH wrote:

...

Probably not but I sure wouldn't want to do it. I'm assuming they have
been angle nailed through the tongues with those hold-on-forever
serrated cleats. How DOES one get out boards without wrecking them?

In the '60s I'd expect the cut nail.
It's not terribly bad; you generally will sacrifice one or two rows by
ripping along the side to be able to get access to the tongue-side of
the main run and then just pry and pull. Often a head will pull thru,
it not another ploy is to get just enough gap and then use the sawzall
and cut the nail and clean up later.

It's always handy if the ceiling underneath happens to be open to be
able to drive the initial set up from below to get that initial purchase...
--

I've been in the tight crawl space and I believe you are correct with the Cut Nail so I guess that would help for easier removal.

Since I've never seen this done I would like to go about the most reliable way. Tricks from the masters

Thanks, Rob

On 08/07/2014 2:49 PM, wrote:
....
I've been in the tight crawl space and I believe you are correct with
the Cut Nail so I guess that would help for easier removal.

Since I've never seen this done I would like to go about the most
reliable way. Tricks from the masters

I presume they're oak? In a "former life" we recovered quite a lot of
wide clear pine from ante-bellum mansions in Lynchburg for use during
refurb of others where the one didn't want to retain the originality and
the latter did. In it, not be so terribly hard, it was often possible
to pull the head thru with a combination of pulling up and then driving
the fastener. They again were all cut nails in those days, of course.

With the oak that may or may not prove effective; some will depend on
what the joist material is as to how hard it is, too...

You can always decide it's not feasible; if you don't give it a try the
result is a foregone conclusion and you'll always wonder what if...I'm
one that I'd surely try, I've been known to save used nails when
demo'ing stuff here on the farm if they're over 8d and the barn and
machine shed has piles of old construction material going back nearly
100 yr--I can recognize the place from which some of it came--I used
some of the siding from the old chicken house when re-furbing the
original shop building Dad had basically abandoned after we first came
back. I don't recall for sure, but my best recollection would be the
chicken house came down in the very early '60s and we came back after
Dad passed away in 2000...so it waited a while to find a use but it was
still there...

--

On Thu, 7 Aug 2014 12:18:52 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Thursday, August 7, 2014 12:45:42 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Thu, 07 Aug 2014 11:10:56 -0500, Swingman wrote:

On 8/7/2014 10:55 AM, Rob wrote:

Hello,
Is it possible to salvage old strip hardwood flooring to use again for hardwood flooring ?
I am about to start a remodel project and looking for some cost cutting measures plus I hate seeing things go into landfill when they can be repurposed - reused etc.

So I have two and half rooms with about 750 sq ft total of strip oak flooring (built in early 60's) that will be demolished and probably go into landfill and be replaced with some other product unless I come up with some sweat/labor and solution to reuse or salvage it.

Is it possible, is it viable, any special considerations for removal , storage and so on ?

Absolutely!!

Without fail the first thing to go, after any usable crown, base and
shoe, when a house is being demolished to build a new one is any
hardwood floors are taken out, board by board, and recycled by the
demolition company.
It is even generally specified in the contract with the demolition
company, and part of their profit considered in their bid.

Go for it. It's not rocket surgery.
Should not be too difficult to salvage at least 80% unless it has
been sanded too many times and the top of the "groove" is too thin to
withstand removal. - in which case it is pretty much scrap.


The floors do not appear to have been refinished maybe once since the original installation. I removed a stair cap once and the edge of those boards looked very thick. I guess I will not know for certain toil I pull something up.

Do the old flooring boards need to be edge plained or process for good fit during installation ?

Thanks for help.
Rob
Nobody with half a brain will let you close to a planer with used
flooring!!!!! Those staple/nails/cleats are hell on planer blades -
and it only takes ONE little bit of one - not even a full nail.

On 08/07/2014 2:18 PM, wrote:
....

Do the old flooring boards need to be edge plained or process for
good fit during installation ?

Shouldn't -- there should be minimal damage at all on the groove edge as
all your reclamation work will come from the tongue side other than
maybe just a little help to separate once you've gotten the fasteners clear.

A quick pass w/ a belt sander to just wipe of the dust/grime would
probably be all I'd consider...

But, clare, "yes, I've run a _lot_ of reclaimed lumber thru both planer
and jointer" -- and once or twice I've knicked a blade. But, the cost
of a resharpening or even a set of blades or knives pales in contrast to
the cost of several hundred or thousand feet of hardwood new...not to
mention the difference in what 100- or 200-yo stuff is like compared to
present harvest, even in hardwoods as common as oak.

--

On Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:54:13 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 08/07/2014 2:18 PM, wrote:
...

Do the old flooring boards need to be edge plained or process for
good fit during installation ?

Shouldn't -- there should be minimal damage at all on the groove edge as
all your reclamation work will come from the tongue side other than
maybe just a little help to separate once you've gotten the fasteners clear.

A quick pass w/ a belt sander to just wipe of the dust/grime would
probably be all I'd consider...

But, clare, "yes, I've run a _lot_ of reclaimed lumber thru both planer
and jointer" -- and once or twice I've knicked a blade. But, the cost
of a resharpening or even a set of blades or knives pales in contrast to
the cost of several hundred or thousand feet of hardwood new...not to
mention the difference in what 100- or 200-yo stuff is like compared to
present harvest, even in hardwoods as common as oak.

Hardwood lumber, yes. but hardwood flooring, you just install it "as
is" and then run a floor sander over it and refinish it. And even when
planing old lumber, you go over it all 3 or 4 times with a metal
detector, and take the first cut with a "rough" blade that doesn't
care if it picks up a bit of sand or other crap.. Best way to
"repurpose" old wood is with a drum sander.

wrote

The floors do not appear to have been refinished maybe once since the
original installation. I removed a stair cap once and the edge of those
boards looked very thick. I guess I will not know for certain toil I pull
something up.

Do the old flooring boards need to be edge plained or process for good fit
during installation ?

Use a thin cut-off wheel in an angle grinder or die grinder to cut off the
nails where they come out the bottom, and cut off any large splinters down
there, too.

--
Jim in NC


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"dadiOH" wrote

Probably not but I sure wouldn't want to do it. I'm assuming they have
been angle nailed through the tongues with those hold-on-forever serrated
cleats. How DOES one get out boards without wrecking the?

Leave them in! Cut off the nail where it comes out the bottom, and any
splintering, too. A thin blade in an angle grinder or die grinder will trim
them up faster than you can pull the nails, and with a lot less damage, too.
--
Jim in NC


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On 08/07/2014 6:25 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:54:13 -0500, wrote:

On 08/07/2014 2:18 PM, wrote:
...

Do the old flooring boards need to be edge plained or process for
good fit during installation ?

Shouldn't -- there should be minimal damage at all on the groove edge as
all your reclamation work will come from the tongue side other than
maybe just a little help to separate once you've gotten the fasteners clear.

A quick pass w/ a belt sander to just wipe of the dust/grime would
probably be all I'd consider...

But, clare, "yes, I've run a _lot_ of reclaimed lumber thru both planer
and jointer" -- and once or twice I've knicked a blade. But, the cost
of a resharpening or even a set of blades or knives pales in contrast to
the cost of several hundred or thousand feet of hardwood new...not to
mention the difference in what 100- or 200-yo stuff is like compared to
present harvest, even in hardwoods as common as oak.

Hardwood lumber, yes. but hardwood flooring, you just install it "as
is" and then run a floor sander over it and refinish it. And even when
planing old lumber, you go over it all 3 or 4 times with a metal
detector, and take the first cut with a "rough" blade that doesn't
care if it picks up a bit of sand or other crap.. Best way to
"repurpose" old wood is with a drum sander.

I've done both...altho late commercial flooring is generally not worth
the planing. Most of the salvaged heart pine in Lynchburg was 5- or 6/4
initially but being pine had quite a lot of wear and all given the age
so sanding in place wasn't really the easy way to get a new surface. If
on has a drum sander it can do wonders indeed; if not the planer works,
too...

--

On Thu, 07 Aug 2014 21:02:31 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 08/07/2014 6:25 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:54:13 -0500, wrote:

On 08/07/2014 2:18 PM, wrote:
...

Do the old flooring boards need to be edge plained or process for
good fit during installation ?

Shouldn't -- there should be minimal damage at all on the groove edge as
all your reclamation work will come from the tongue side other than
maybe just a little help to separate once you've gotten the fasteners clear.

A quick pass w/ a belt sander to just wipe of the dust/grime would
probably be all I'd consider...

But, clare, "yes, I've run a _lot_ of reclaimed lumber thru both planer
and jointer" -- and once or twice I've knicked a blade. But, the cost
of a resharpening or even a set of blades or knives pales in contrast to
the cost of several hundred or thousand feet of hardwood new...not to
mention the difference in what 100- or 200-yo stuff is like compared to
present harvest, even in hardwoods as common as oak.

Hardwood lumber, yes. but hardwood flooring, you just install it "as
is" and then run a floor sander over it and refinish it. And even when
planing old lumber, you go over it all 3 or 4 times with a metal
detector, and take the first cut with a "rough" blade that doesn't
care if it picks up a bit of sand or other crap.. Best way to
"repurpose" old wood is with a drum sander.

I've done both...altho late commercial flooring is generally not worth
the planing. Most of the salvaged heart pine in Lynchburg was 5- or 6/4
initially but being pine had quite a lot of wear and all given the age
so sanding in place wasn't really the easy way to get a new surface. If
on has a drum sander it can do wonders indeed; if not the planer works,
too...
Pegged heart pine is a totally different situation than nailed or
stapled oak. And even nailed pine used fewer, larger nails that are
easier to find and remove. But a broken off cut nail can chew up a
planing blade pretty quick too.

On Thursday, August 7, 2014 4:54:13 PM UTC-4, dpb wrote:
On 08/07/2014 2:18 PM, Rob wrote:

...
Do the old flooring boards need to be edge plained or process for
good fit during installation ?

Shouldn't -- there should be minimal damage at all on the groove edge as
all your reclamation work will come from the tongue side other than
maybe just a little help to separate once you've gotten the fasteners clear.

A quick pass w/ a belt sander to just wipe of the dust/grime would

probably be all I'd consider...

--
[trim]

Thanks to all for the info and affirmations.

I plan to reclaim and hit it with some fine grit on belt sander to get dust, trash, dirt and knock poly-coat lip off as suggested.

I keep the nail problem solutions in mind, I don't fancy knocking all the nails out so the angle grinder sounds like a winner there but I will not know till I start.

Thanks again for all the help,
Rob

On Saturday, August 9, 2014 4:07:53 PM UTC-5, rmo
A quick pass w/ a belt sander to just wipe of the dust/grime would probably be all I'd consider... -- [trim] Thanks to all for the info and affirmations. I plan to reclaim and hit it with some fine grit on belt sander to get dust, trash, dirt and knock poly-coat lip off as suggested. I keep the nail problem solutions in mind, I don't fancy knocking all the nails out so the angle grinder sounds like a winner there but I will not know till I start. Thanks again for all the help, Rob

Getting in the mix late....

Oak is pretty hard and my experience is it may pop up pretty clean, depending on what it's nailed to. If there would happen to be some abnormally large nails in it, maybe a Cresent nail puller - http://www.sears.com/crescent-19-in-...&mktRedirect=y - would help that situation. I've used this tool so many times, salvaging, it's like my third arm.

Another option for finishing the boards: Flip the boards and use the underside. It may be cleaner, hence easier to prep and refinish.

Sonny

On Sat, 9 Aug 2014 16:33:31 -0700 (PDT), Sonny
wrote:

On Saturday, August 9, 2014 4:07:53 PM UTC-5, rmo
A quick pass w/ a belt sander to just wipe of the dust/grime would probably be all I'd consider... -- [trim] Thanks to all for the info and affirmations. I plan to reclaim and hit it with some fine grit on belt sander to get dust, trash, dirt and knock poly-coat lip off as suggested. I keep the nail problem solutions in mind, I don't fancy knocking all the nails out so the angle grinder sounds like a winner there but I will not know till I start. Thanks again for all the help, Rob

Getting in the mix late....

Oak is pretty hard and my experience is it may pop up pretty clean, depending on what it's nailed to. If there would happen to be some abnormally large nails in it, maybe a Cresent nail puller - http://www.sears.com/crescent-19-in-...&mktRedirect=y - would help that situation. I've used this tool so many times, salvaging, it's like my third arm.

Another option for finishing the boards: Flip the boards and use the underside. It may be cleaner, hence easier to prep and refinish.

Sonny
Most hardwood has grooves in the bottom - can't use it upsidedown. I
like a stanley "wonerbar" or equivalent for pulling flooring and a lot
of other jobs.

wrote:
I
like a stanley "wonerbar" or equivalent for pulling flooring and a
lot
of other jobs.
-----------------------------------------------
Stanley "wonerbar", AKA, The International house key.

A stanley "wonerbar" and a 2# drill hammer gives you access to almost
anything. G

Lew

Is it possible to salvage old strip hardwood flooring to use again for hardwood flooring ?

A friend made long wooden wedges which he drove with a sledge hammer and the flooring rolled up. He then drove out the nails from below and managed to salvage and reuse a good portion of the flooring.

wrote in message

On Sat, 9 Aug 2014 16:33:31 -0700 (PDT), Sonny
wrote:

Another option for finishing the boards: Flip the boards and use the
underside. It may be cleaner, hence easier to prep and refinish.

Sonny
Most hardwood has grooves in the bottom - can't use it upsidedown.

One _could_ sand them down. Lots of work and it wouldn't do any good
because there is a sizeable gap between the tongues and grooves on the
bottom

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On Saturday, August 9, 2014 8:16:15 PM UTC-5, cl wrote:
Most hardwood has grooves in the bottom - can't use it upsidedown. I like a stanley "wonerbar" or equivalent for pulling flooring and a lot of other jobs.

Most hardwood wide floor boards, today, have grooves on the bottom side. I don't recall ever seeing grooves on the bottom of old(*?) flooring. Rmo's 1960's flooring may or may not have grooves.

He states the flooring is "strip oak", so I'm assuming the boards are 2" wide, with a (typical?) slight oval tongue on one edge. I'm supposing the 2" boards are not grooved on the bottom side.

My shop has 2" oak flooring and there are spots that I've repaired with flipped and non-flipped salvaged boards. Our "old" cook house/card-playing/dude-hangout (today called a mancave) has 2" oak flooring, that has been repaired, similarly, on occassion. *That old cook house (somewhat remodeled) is, now, the residence of one of my nephew's. .... **and it's overall condition is often questionable, as per cleanliness standards.

Yep, a WonderBar, or two, is another good tool to have, handy.

Sonny

On Sat, 9 Aug 2014 19:59:09 -0700, "Lew Hodgett"
wrote:


wrote:
I
like a stanley "wonerbar" or equivalent for pulling flooring and a
lot
of other jobs.
-----------------------------------------------
Stanley "wonerbar", AKA, The International house key.


Sorry - that was supposed to be "wonderbar" - but yes, you COULD get
in trouble if you were walking down the street carrying one!!! (samr
goes for a screwdriver or a glasscutter - and for years I almost
always had a slim-jim in the truck)
A stanley "wonerbar" and a 2# drill hammer gives you access to almost
anything. G

Lew

On Sun, 10 Aug 2014 07:04:30 -0700 (PDT), Sonny
wrote:

On Saturday, August 9, 2014 8:16:15 PM UTC-5, cl wrote:
Most hardwood has grooves in the bottom - can't use it upsidedown. I like a stanley "wonerbar" or equivalent for pulling flooring and a lot of other jobs.

Most hardwood wide floor boards, today, have grooves on the bottom side. I don't recall ever seeing grooves on the bottom of old(*?) flooring. Rmo's 1960's flooring may or may not have grooves.

He states the flooring is "strip oak", so I'm assuming the boards are 2" wide, with a (typical?) slight oval tongue on one edge. I'm supposing the 2" boards are not grooved on the bottom side.
Some are, some are not.The 1 3/4 inch oak in the upstairs of my 42 +/-
year old house has 2 shallow round grooves the length of every board.
Much of the much older flooring did not - and some VERY old strip
flooring had saw kerfs the length of the boards to help prevent
cupping/splitting.)I've seen it in maple and cherry flooring - 100-110
year old homes.

My shop has 2" oak flooring and there are spots that I've repaired with flipped and non-flipped salvaged boards. Our "old" cook house/card-playing/dude-hangout (today called a mancave) has 2" oak flooring, that has been repaired, similarly, on occassion. *That old cook house (somewhat remodeled) is, now, the residence of one of my nephew's. .... **and it's overall condition is often questionable, as per cleanliness standards.

Yep, a WonderBar, or two, is another good tool to have, handy.

Sonny