Lifting very old floorboards

James Peach · 17 Aug 2021 at 12:29

Anyone have any experience with this? They appear to be nailed in. I've pulled out the wood filler from between one of them (it was falling apart anyway).

They appear to be nailed down in many many places. Youtube videos make it look very easy but I can't see how I'm going to do this without breaking/ruining the ones adjacent to it.

Are there specialised tools?

DXP55 · 17 Aug 2021 at 12:46

I had to buy special tools to get floor boards up on my 1930's house

Hammer
screwdriver
chisel
circulare saw
crow bar
Plasters
book on learning some French sayings.

:eek:

jsmoke · 17 Aug 2021 at 12:50

Try a nail lifter and chisel, just have to chisel around the nail head then get the lifter under the head and pry it out a bit, then claw hammer. Will take a bit of time and effort.

dlockers · 17 Aug 2021 at 13:32

Funny you ask as I watched a video on it for absolutely no reason myself the other day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXJDwjkoEkQ

I suggest you get the right kit otherwise you will butcher the floor.

Armageus · 17 Aug 2021 at 13:40

A narrow pry bar as in the above video was fine when I lifted some of my old floorboards recently:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/magnusson-utility-bar-15/4594v

James Peach · 17 Aug 2021 at 14:06

Chiselling around the nail would surely damage them, no?
I want to sand them, treat them and put them back in with the gaps equidistant.

Here's what I'm dealing with:

DXP55 · 17 Aug 2021 at 16:53

with a gap like that this is where a spade chisel comes in - This is hand chisel not a drill one -then where the joist is put chisel in the gap and gently try and lift the board -having two would help or big screw driver -you might be lucky and nail will give or the nails will stay and go through the board - I don't know of any other way - it's been years since I lifted boards and they were T&G where you used circular saw to cut tounge off.
If the nails do come up with the board tap the board back down and nail might stay up -if so use a claw hammer to pull nails out
If the nails rip through you can just fill the holes with same colour filler or renail in old hole.
Must be a lot of draft coming up through those boards

James Peach · 19 Aug 2021 at 11:42

Update;
these are seriously old.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i64fnjxn1svsu83/IMG_5015.MOV?dl=0

Not going to be able to remove them so now I need to

- remove filler
- suck out all the awful things below the filler
- sand boards
- refill
- treat.

Deleted member 66701 · 19 Aug 2021 at 13:03

Why are you intent on lifting them up / treating them? Just lay some engineered flooring over the top.

Semple · 19 Aug 2021 at 13:23

amigafan2003 said:
Why are you intent on lifting them up / treating them? Just lay some engineered flooring over the top.

Will be more costly, but would certainly be a lot quicker, and save the faff of having to try and pry out the nails.

James Peach · 19 Aug 2021 at 14:28

Semple said:
Will be more costly, but would certainly be a lot quicker, and save the faff of having to try and pry out the nails.

Well there's no way I can lift them; they're about six inches in depth (see the video I just posted).

There are a lot and I rather like them; they're around a hundred years old.

dlockers · 19 Aug 2021 at 14:30

Definitely sand refill and treat. Looks like a lovely original floor.

Can you squeeze a wire down one of the gaps? Could get you the couple of plugs you want under the sofa?

James Peach · 19 Aug 2021 at 14:34

dLockers said:
Definitely sand refill and treat. Looks like a lovely original floor.

Can you squeeze a wire down one of the gaps? Could get you the couple of plugs you want under the sofa?

Good shout.
I can

I'll need to use some conduit but I can send wires down there and have them pop up under the sofa which will be fantastic.

- Do you think I need to plane the edges of the boards too where the filler has taken away a bit of the wood?

- Any ideas how to get out all of the dust and dirt that's packed between the boards? Hoover only does so much .

- How does one sand into the corners? I checked the sander lender place and they have a separate sander "for edges." Which is a bit frustrating as means I'll have to rent two machines and I'm concerned results from one machine will differ to another.

dlockers · 19 Aug 2021 at 14:38

James Peach said:
Good shout.
I can
I'll need to use some conduit but I can send wires down there and have them pop up under the sofa which will be fantastic.

- Do you think I need to plane the edges of the boards too where the filler has taken away a bit of the wood?

- Any ideas how to get out all of the dust and dirt that's packed between the boards? Hoover only does so much .

- How does one sand into the corners? I checked the sander lender place and they have a separate sander "for edges." Which is a bit frustrating as means I'll have to rent two machines and I'm concerned results from one machine will differ to another.

On the edges I'd use some very coarse sandpaper just to quickly nip off the very lose bits. Don't go too hectic as you'll end up taking chunks out.

Dust and dirt - just push it down the hole. Don't worry about getting it out too much.

Corner sanding is only possible by either a corner sander or renting the separate machine. It'll blend in but worst case finish by hand.

I know you have a lot of depth to play with but don't sand more than the top half a mill off or whatever.

James Peach · 19 Aug 2021 at 14:40

dLockers said:
On the edges I'd use some very coarse sandpaper just to quickly nip off the very lose bits. Don't go too hectic as you'll end up taking chunks out.

Dust and dirt - just push it down the hole. Don't worry about getting it out too much.

Corner sanding is only possible by either a corner sander or renting the separate machine. It'll blend in but worst case finish by hand.

I know you have a lot of depth to play with but don't sand more than the top half a mill off or whatever.

Good shout. How do I prevent sanding more than the top half mill? A setting on the machine I presume.

Would a corner sander be able to do the whole lot then? Not just corners?

I CAN'T PUSH THE DIRT INTO THE HOLE. I can't know it's down there. It's awful. There's so much. God knows what it is.

dlockers · 19 Aug 2021 at 14:45

James Peach said:
Good shout. How do I prevent sanding more than the top half mill? A setting on the machine I presume.

Would a corner sander be able to do the whole lot then? Not just corners?

I CAN'T PUSH THE DIRT INTO THE HOLE. I can't know it's down there. It's awful. There's so much. God knows what it is.

Follow the instructions carefully and watch lots of YouTube videos.

Corner sander will only be sensible for corners.

Trust me, push the dirt and forget about it. You don't want to knacker yourself out on stuff that doesn't need to be done.

I get the OCD angle but it's a waste of time!

James Peach · 19 Aug 2021 at 14:48

dLockers said:
Follow the instructions carefully and watch lots of YouTube videos.

Corner sander will only be sensible for corners.

Trust me, push the dirt and forget about it. You don't want to knacker yourself out on stuff that doesn't need to be done. I get the OCD angle but it's a waste of time!

Ok

Sorry; you said "Corner sanding is only possible by either a corner sander or renting the separate machine." I thought the separate machine *was* the corner sander. Unless you meant rent a person do sand the corners but, tbh, that's not a great way to put it. "Hire" sounds much better and you pretty much accomplish the same thing.

So, either way, I need two machines.

And getting the old filler out? Is that just a case of using a knife on hands and knees (which is what I've been doing thus far).

Do I need to buy a specific filler that allows for shrinking and expanding in hot and cold and also that allows for treatment? Ideally it'll be fairly close colour to the boards themselves.

Delvis · 20 Aug 2021 at 06:31

I take it none are loose?

As for mess, use a hoover at the same time?

curlyzoo2002 · 20 Aug 2021 at 23:07

I'm an electrician and this is the tools I use to lift floorboards
https://www.screwfix.com/p/magnusson-pry-bar-8/8640v
https://www.screwfix.com/p/magnusson-utility-bar-15/4594v
I use another tool from Toolstation but can't find it.
you will damage them

James Peach · 28 Aug 2021 at 14:03

Thanks all.
I've basically discover that they are at least 7" deep. that's right. My floorboards are 7" deep. Each one. So there's no chance of lifting them.
So I'm just going to sand them and then treat them.
Unsure whether to rent a massive sander or just use an orbital one myself. Probs the former.

Also need to look into treating price.

Question; what's the best way to cut a hold in a piece of wood when you can't get all the way through. A Dremel, right?
I want to fit a USB-C power hub in there but can't work out a way of doing it neatly.

Lifting very old floorboards

Deleted member 66701

Deleted member 66701