installing floorboards (the old way)

we are about to install our reclaimed tas oak flooring. originally planned to secret nail it, but don't have the budget to hire the tools anymore. (also quite like to do it with a hammer!) Its got old holes in it anyway, so not worried about the appearance.

Can anyone share any advice, tips, run through the process?

What type of nails, clamps, pre-drill etc? How many at a time?

Its 63 mm x 19 mm all sorts of lengths if that means anything.

thanks a lot

G'day.

Go to www.timber.net.au and download the flooring data sheets.
They will give everything you need.

Be prepared to pre-drill the holes into boards this size it will save you a lot of splitting, particularly towards the end of the boards.

Often, I've found the best way to lay second hand boards is one at a time. This is due, in part, because of possible bows and bends in the timber and because it is old material there is a big chance that a lot of gunk and dirt is stuck on the top of the tongue, making it very difficult to pull the boards in tight 'specially if your trying to cramp up a batch of, say, six to eight boards.

One tip I'd like to offer is, when you start laying them don't drive the nails all the way down, leave them sticking up a bit so that if you need to pull up a section that's not going that good, you won't do any damage to the boards.

Have a think about the board placement before you commit to nailing them in, as you said, you have various lengths so make sure you don't have too many joins in one area and don't have any joins next to each other on the same joist.

Given that you have two and a half inch boards, normally these are only fixed with one nail, I recommend 50mmx2.08 bright bullet head nails for what your doing.

Good luck.

Here is a link to some board replacements I did recently.

And here is a link to another thread regarding board replacements.

thanks guys, someone suggested using liquid nails under the boards to make them more secure and also to help pack them up. Does this sound like a good idea? They would be impossible to remove I'd imagine. I guess I'll be packing up low joists with masonite anyway?

Cheers

Dusty - if I do one board at a time can I avoid hiring cramps? Is there another method? I understand they should be tight, but will probably find it hard to gauge the tightness!

thanks, once I figure that out, should be right.

Cheers