So begins my floor sanding project. As with everything in my house, things look good until the very last minute.
The images I’ve attached are the two problems I’ve encountered before getting ready to sand.
The first problem is the nails. Given enough time, I might try to find the person used an air nailer to drive nails in a random pattern on the floor and ask why.
As a second option, what I might do with the nails? I attempted to use a nailset to get them below with the floor to fill, but that didn’t work at all. These are full head framing nails, maybe with a little thinner shank. They’re flush enough with the floor that I haven’t been able to get a prybar or anything underneath.
The second issue is the 18×30 section that’s been cut away. The floor joists are fine, but I need to do something to match the flooring (sort of, at least). I was thinking of cutting a few oak strips of the same width and installing them before I sand the floor. I have a planer, so I could make some just a hair thicker and match the levels of the floor. Is that the best approach?
Anyway, thanks any thoughts. I really want to keep this floor and not cover it with carpet. Of course, that’s an option too. ARGGGHHH!
Thanks!
Patrick
Edited 4/25/2006 12:19 am ET by Corrib
Replies
To patch the floor you should 'stitch' in the replacement pieces if you can, which kinda means the replacement pieces should be tongue and groove. For a small patch like this if, you can't buy premilled flooring, you could cut a tongue and groove on a table saw with some set up practice.
As for the nails 2 thoughts come to mind. Are they long enought that they come thought the subfloor so you can hammer them up enough to catch them with a prybar. Plan 'B' is laborious. Very carefully grinding the head off and use the nail set to countersink the shank.
Don't you love life's little surprises!
Let's not confuse the issue with facts!
I can make some T&G with my table saw or shaper, no prob there. I don't have a flooring nailer, but would putting toenailing a finish nail through the tounge of each board and into the joist suffice?I have acess to some of the subfloor from below and some of the nails do stick through. As luck would have it, the majority of the nails are on the side of my basement with drywall. As you mentioned, life's little suprises...Anyway, I'll get as many as I can with the prybar. Would it bad to leave the rest in the floor? I'm not sure how visible they would be with a darker finish. I suppose I could grind them too, but I'm a little concerned about damaging the floor. Thoughts on a grinding wheel?Thanks for your help. I really appreicate it!
2 thoughts as well.
The headed nails need to come out. A cats foot prybar or a set of horseshoe pliers can be wedged under the nail heads for extraction. if it looks awful then use a chisel to replace some wood. clamp & glue.
Another approach would be to get an 1/8 inch dia bit and drill dead center on the nail head. as soon as the head comes lose, take a nailset and set the shank deeper than the top surface.
As for the stitching. you might as well do the right thing and go out to the lumber yard and find hardwood to match. Maple? Older lumber yards will have varying widths.
A power nailer thru the face with filler will hold it in place. If that seems insecure use some PL200, or the like, underneath the boards before you face nail them. Edges of HWF are always face nailed anyway. You can't get the floor nailer gun in on the last 18" or so...
Fill the holes with filler or use shellac mixed with the fines sanded from the floor.
Remodeling is more a matter of adapting rather than training or preparation. Every job has that 20 minute dance of where is the : Knife, hammer, square, nails, and on and on. I'd need a pickup truck worth of stuff to follow me on most weekend days.
One mantra always seems to hold true..."Consider the project in a bigger scope" otherwise you'll revisit the same little cruddy problem over & over. For example, changing a wax seal takes almost as much time as replacing a whole toilet. Sometimes another 50 bucks in parts and an hour of time results in a perminent change for the better rather than a bandaid on a blister.Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?
Booch,
With a little practice, your technique of drilling the screw heads worked great! For the most part, the screw head falls off and leaves a nice countersunk hole, kind of like the dimple a drywall gun leaves.
There are a couple spots where I didn't get the whole head of the nail, but I think I can get those out with an chisel.
Anyway, thanks again. This saved me a tremendous amount of time and aggravation. Not to mention the satisfaction factor of getting this done!
Patrick
It's good to hear a long background of fixing up mistakes is having an afterlife.Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?
The headed nails need to go. If you can't pry them up, then try drilling the heads off as previously mentioned.
I'm not sure if this is what the other guys were trying to say, but for the patch you need to rfemove some more boards so that you don't have a square patch. You need to go back to the next joint on each end for 2-3 boards so the fingers interlace.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
--- Anyway, I'll get as many as I can with the prybar. Would it bad to leave the rest in the floor? I'm not sure how visible they would be with a darker finish. ---How visible they are is not the only problem. You don't want to run over them with the sander -- it will create sparks, and the sanding dust is highly flammable/explosive.You really need to get them out.Rebeccah