Q: We installed a 100 year old salvaged floor that is heart pine. Although it is in pretty good shape, we want to clean it up a bit and fill the scratches and gouges. Everyone we have talked to wants to sand and refinish, but we don’t want to lose the ‘old’ look of the [...]
Installing Used Wood
Don’t want to lose the ‘old’ look of the floor by sanding
May 26, 2011
Installing Used Wood Comments Off
Dec 302010
I have removed some oak flooring from a renovation job in a house and plan on installing it in my house. I have removed all the nails from the back but there is some glue on the the back which is sometimes hard and sometimes brittle. What is the best method for removing this? This leads to my next question. What is the the best way to re-install the oak strips (type of nails, glues etc.)?
Jan 142010
I took out some old hardwood strip flooring from a renovation job and pulled out the nails from the back and plan on cutting out the damaged wood and re-installing the good wood in my home. I have put down a tongue and grove plywood subfloor and am wondering if finishing nails or using a glue would be the best way to install the old hardwood. It is not tongue and grove, it’s simply strips.
I recently bought about 1200 feet of 2 1/4 birch flooring that was ripped out of a gym. I plan on laying this in my new house. The only problem is that the flooring has a fair bit if grit built up around the tongue and groove area. I need to remove this grit before I lay the floor, so that it will fit tightly together. Do you know the quickest and easiest way to do that?
Grit built up in the tongue and groove of salvaged wood
December 10, 2009
Installing Used Wood Comments Off
Nov 052009
Can I leave some old glue on the bottom of the 3/4′ solid walnut T&G floors I salvaged and use a 1/4′ or thinner pad under to make up the difference, so they don’t have high spots?
We just bought a 1950′s home with all original hardwood floors. They were covered in carpet and still in pristine shape. We’re in the process of remodleing the home, which includes moving several walls and expanding off the back of the house. We really want to save as much of the wood as we can and reuse it in the main part of the house. Prior to construction starting we want to pull up all the floors. Is this possible without damaging them so that we can relay them once the house is complete?
We really want to save as much of the wood as we can
April 7, 2007
Installing Used Wood, Removing Boards, Ripping Out Old Flooring Comments Off
Nov 072006
My wife had 3/8″ ***** (cheaper) engineered hardwood installed in a bedroom, but it was laid with the joists, instead of across. I am now putting in the same product in another bedroom and hallway and will be laying it perpendicular. Can I remove and re-lay the before mentioned bedroom without ruining it? I think it was stapled.
Oct 252006
I have just salvaged nearly 800 square feet of red oak flooring. Many pieces have had their tongue or groove cut off where the planking has met the wall. Still other pieces were installed butted end to end with the tongue or groove removed (they were probably salvaged and reinstalled years ago). All in all, the floors seemed to hold up well and really did not look too bad. My question is this, should the ends be run through a router to restore the tongues or grooves before installing?
Sep 272006
We obtained about 500 sq. ft of maple gymnasium flooring that we want to refinish and install in our cabin. The flooring is probably 50 years old or more and has been heavily waxed, and it looks as though there may be a shellac finish under that. We had to dismantle the flooring but we are at a loss as to the best way of taking the finish down to the bare wood, removing the old gym lines, and then refinishing.
Refinishing used gymnasium flooring
September 27, 2006
Installing Used Wood, Ripping Out Old Flooring Comments Off
Jul 302005
We have original approx. 2 inch oak floors in dining and living room. Now that we have opened up our kitchen, we want to rip out linoleum and extend the oak. Is this possible to match the boards?
Jul 302005
We recently were able to salvage 500/700 s/f of maple flooring from our local school that was being torn down to build a new one. The question is, is there a tool to remove the build up that accumulated between the joints in the floor. For the last 30 years the floor was covered by carpet. This stuff is like concrete. The floor was originally put down in the 1900′s. the boards are 13/16 thick and just under 2-3/4 wide. I would prefer not to have the T and G remilled, do they make a special scraper for T and G.
