Recycled boards, removing old nails... why?

[BigCal]

Hi everyone...

I think it might be stoopid question time...

For those that don't know i'm putting down some recycled boards - replacing particle board... I have the recycled boards now and I just started pulling the nails out of one... then i thought why? I'm not going to re use the holes left by the old nails and all I am going to have to do is putty up the old hole... so as long as the old nail fall between the joists is there any issue with leaving them and just bending them flat?

like i said it might be a stoopid question so go easy please...

Cheers
Callum

[Ivan in Oz]

Floor Sanding comes to mind.

[echnidna]

Flkoor sanding is one reason, another is safety whether laying them or crawling under the house when they're laid.

If you pull them right through the board with a pair of pincers they come out quite fast and don't damage the top face

[BigCal]

I have to give them a good tap with a hammer to get the filler to come out and break the surface of the finnish thats on them already... then i can just pull them out with pliers...

I guess sanding would be an issue if I sand more than they are already punched....

[Tools]

As Echidna said, pull them out through the back and leave the existing filler in.

Tools

[BigCal]

hmm, they dont come out too easily pulling them right thru the board...

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

But, IMHO, the extra effort is worth the end result.

[journeyman Mick]

Or, if the heads are recessed and puttied in you could cut the protruding nails off the bottom of the board with an angle grinder and a cutting disc. Of course, you have no idea how deep any of the nail heads are and there is a chance you might find some with the floor sander.

Mick

[BigCal]

OK, I pulled em out with some pincers... gee did i get sore hands doin it tho!!