Anyone out there have any secrets or tried and true methods for removing the nails from hardwood flooring, such that it can be reused? The flat nails that most floor nailers work with seem too flimsy to pound out from the bottom. Spent a couple of hours snipping them, seem to work ok. Anyone have any better way(s) to reuse this material?
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Can you punch them through from the top? Maybe grind a punch to the same profile as the nail head and have close support around the nail on the bottom. Or maybe grab the nail on the bottom with nippers or channel locks and pull it out.
I use end nippers and pull them through from the back. Takes a while to get the hang of applying enough pressure to grab the nail without snipping the nail, but I've cleaned thousands of feet of Maple and Fir flooring this way. I've even had good luck teaching my kids this method.
Jim and Uncle,
Thanks for the ideas, I havent tried punching the nails through or pulling them through. I give it try. The stuff is verry brittle, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. Have about 1000 sf to reuse.
Thanks,
Tim
Hate to bother you again but on the subject of the end block flooring and the photo you posted of it which I lost the thread to, how did you correct the situation of the blocks swelling and leaving the floor as the springy bubble thing. Did you inject glue in there and weigh it down flat till it set or what.
Sometimes when laboring I run these construction scenarios thru my mind and that one kept coming back. ThanksCharacter? I never had any problem with character. Why, people've been telling me I was one every since I was a kid.
What would you do? I'd be interested to hear what others might have done, too.
Man, I don't know. The various thickness thing could further complicate it. Seems running a saw blade between the blocks to relieve the tension would wreck it no matter how straight and careful you were even with a grout and refinish plus the labor. Maybe cutting the perimeter under the base board could give it some room to move back down. Inject some glue in there and a slew of screws up thru the subfloor into each block from underneath if accessable? Hate to think you'd have to take it all up and relay it. Did it swell just by heat and humidity or did water get directly in there? Character? I never had any problem with character. Why, people've been telling me I was one every since I was a kid.
Tim
I dont think its worth the effort trying to punch the nails through...actually its near impossible. What I do is take some pliers and bend the tips back and fourth a few times and they break off pretty easily
Be brittle
Namaste
Andy
"Attachment is the strongest block to realization"
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Andy,
Thanks, I'll give that a try too. I knew there was probably no simple easy way, but I'm open for ideas and try not to re-invent the tire whenever possible.
Tim