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You may note
several methods in which to repair or replace one or two
boards on a nail down hardwood floor. The principle is the
same as I've seen This Old House regular Tom Silva use a
method to drill holes into the affected areas first then
hammer and pry the damaged sections apart. This works fine
for those that want to keep sawdust to a
minimum.
Our method calls
for making two cuts on the board to be replaced. The first
step calls for adjusting the circular saw to
be used the actual depth or thickness of the flooring. This
helps to keep sawdust low and not having to cut into the
subfloor. Our example shown is a repair on a bordered floor
that involved covering radiator holes and some damaged
sections.
Where Should I
Make The Two Cuts?
Most
professionals simply cut two lines with no set measurement
in mind down the middle of the board. On the other hand, by
keeping the cut to about 3/8 of one inch from each long
seam, you'll be cutting through the nails that were used to
fasten the floor. This can speed up the process especially
if they're barbed cleat nails that can be very troublesome
to remove anyway. As always keep a keen eye on safety if
attempting such a project.
But, if you're
dealing with an older floor, say prior to the 60's this
method cannot be used safely. The years before plunger
nailers came thicker steel cut nails were used to fasten the
flooring. No circular saw will go through these nails
without rattling the man behind the tool. It is also not a
safe way to do this kind of repair. This could be also be
one reason why Tom Silva doesn't bring out the skill saw
because he sees these older floors all the time.
In my travels I'm
always looking for new ideas or "how guys do things
different." This repair was done in the Baltimore area with
the installer making the two cuts to each board end joint,
then making a cross cut on an angle in the center, thereby
making it easier to remove the first piece.
As luck would
have it our installer did not take the long cuts all the way
to the end joint of the next board. Doing so will create
fewer problems as when the three strips being removed
can sometimes cause damage to adjacent
pieces. Once the cut out is removed you'll find the
center piece will come out easily by wiggling and raising
the piece at the same time. Depending on what side of each
board the floor was nailed the trick here is using a sharp
chisel and hammer.
Chisel Away The Scraps
In our photo
example the chisel itself is used to bite into the loose
pieces and tapped on an angle with the hammer. This will
force pieces into the center and no damage will be
incurred on other areas. Keep as far away from
the next seam if that area is to be saved.
Surprises are
always common when working in older homes. We were taken back
to find the actual thickness of the flooring was 1/2" thick.
Obvious it had never been refinished, nor did it have an end
matched tongue and groove system, which was common with
older floors that were generally top nailed rather than
nailed into the tongue.
Another surprise
was the method of installation with 6 penny finish nails. It
definitely made removal a much easier task.
To Be Continued |
