advice needed lifting floorboards / plywood

[andyb]

Hi all

Got a couple of jobs to do, which involves moving a radiator and altering some pipework under floorboards and plywood.

Whats the best way of liffting/cutting these and whats the best tools for the job.

The floor with the plywood is to be tiled over, the other room to remain with the floorboards.

just looking for the some advice as to how to go about it and what tools to use.

both rooms are located upstairs

cheers
andy

 

[Winston]

Get a board lifter, like a crow bar but if its chipboard its a pig I find anyway.

 

[Plouasne]

Get a board lifter, like a crow bar but if its chipboard its a pig I find anyway.

yep and rip the floor boards to shreds, as you lift them, get whoever taught you to do it that build the wall first, before you take him out and shoot him

The correct way, as I was taught by my old man, who started out as a cabinet maker, then after the war a chippy, so he should know what he was talking about
Was first to punch all the nails down below the floor board, then if T&G boards, and only 1 board was to be lifted, cut down the tongue of the board, and the board opposite, then with 2 electricians bolsters, either side of the board gently lift the board, cut the board across, if needs be in line with the centre of a joist, so no noggins are needed, when refitting the floor board

Treat ply the same way, but I would say if you can lift the whole panel, that way there is no cutting to do

 

[pauls]

if you can get a smallsection of board up and you have a circular saw set the depth of the saw just short of the depth of the floorboard and cut along the t&g with circular saw.

another good tool is the bosh 3 in 1 vibrating saw to cut along with

 

[justlead1]

Hi As has been posted prior but using a circular saw. Be mindful that electric cables, pipe etc live under there so set the depth of cut to the exact thickness of the board / ply and use wide bolster and claw hammer to leaver up cut board. Screw down when work completed. (stops the squeaky noises) Good Luck

 

[stevetheplumber]

little tip if your using a cicular saw to cut floardboards take of the piece of metal thats below the plate in line with the blade its there to hold sheets of timber apart when rippng down long cuts and gets in the way when pocket cutting
also a spade is good for lifting lage sheets of ply or hard board longer and wider than a nail bar

 

[dontknowitall]

I do what justlead1 has suggested.

Also I use a torch and small mirror to inspect underneath as soon as I can fit them under the boards. This is so I can check for pipes and cables as they don't always go in straight lines or where logic might suggest. And I take my time. I'd rather be off to the next job having checked properly for wires than the hospital or graveyard.

 

[Bernie2]

Plouasne tells it the proper way. Just watch out for cables. Try one of those combined cable and joist detectors. And when you cut the board try cutting it center of a joist as Plouasne says, but try making the cut on a 45 degree angle like a scarf joint.

Use fine toothed saws. If you notice most floor board saws have 11 - 14 teeth per inch. The ordinary saw is usually about 7 and makes a rougher cut.

So get two electricians bolsters, nail punch, and floor board saw some of which have curved blades.

Go easy knocking the nails in. You don't want the downstairs ceiling getting cracked.

 

[Winston]

You make it sound so easy it aint

 

[Plouasne]

You make it sound so easy it aint

It is very easy if you follow what Bernie, a couple of the other posters, and I have posted

The real art if it can be called that, is to punch the nails down first, and make sure that they are down below the bottom edge of the floor board, then remove the tongue from the board/s, (this can be a burgger if the boards are cramped up tight, but how many are), once this is done, its just working in the thin blade of an electricians bolster either side of a board to lift it

If you can chose a floor board/s that are butted together on a joist, this will make life even easier for you to lift the boards

 

[andyb]

and what tools would i need a circular saw or a angle grinder? Anyone got some suggestion as to which to get (ie make and model)

cheers
andy

 

[stevetheplumber]

yep and rip the floor boards to shreds, as you lift them, get whoever taught you to do it that build the wall first, before you take him out and shoot him

The correct way, as I was taught by my old man, who started out as a cabinet maker, then after the war a chippy, so he should know what he was talking about
Was first to punch all the nails down below the floor board, then if T&G boards, and only 1 board was to be lifted, cut down the tongue of the board, and the board opposite, then with 2 electricians bolsters, either side of the board gently lift the board, cut the board across, if needs be in line with the centre of a joist, so no noggins are needed, when refitting the floor board

Treat ply the same way, but I would say if you can lift the whole panel, that way there is no cutting to do

Dont try punching the nails down if your not on ground floor old lathe and plaster ceilings might have coped with this but it will crack a plasterboard ceiling

 

[w1nxn]

with chipboard i chip around nails with screwdriver first and pull'em out using claw hammer. then set circular saw 1mm less depth of board (usually 25mm board) and cut 1/2 way over joist, bolster to lift and crack remaining 1mm of board, bobs ya aunties husband.....

 

[bcp]

If you are going to make a habit of this, buy a Fein Multimaster.

 

[REDSAW]

go the soft way.
from underneath smash a hole in the plaster-board do the plumbing, then hang a nice picture over the hole............

 

[HTB]

Fein Multi Master is the correct answer.