Ok, now I've really got myself in deep. Over the weekend I purchased 30K sq.ft of antique strip maple from a soon to be demolished historic building. The terms of sale: get it out by spring. The floor is installed on sleepers over concrete floors. Anyone ever tried to remove such a large qty of material like this? Any tips?

Thanks
Chris

You're trying to save it right? For resale/reuse? You need some bodies in there. Hopefully, it was nailed down with cleats and not cut nails although you say it is antique so it may be nailed with cut nails. The idea is to GENTLY pry up at the tongue side and while doing that, hit the top of the board toward the tongue with a rubber mallet that won't mar the surface. You want to keep the T&G intact and not break them. Breaking the T&G will make the flooring fairly unusable. I hope you didn'y pay too much for it "cause it's gonna take you and a few other guys at least a week or so to get it loose. Then you gotta get the nails out of it and bundled up for shipping/transporting. I'd figure four guys at least two weeks for everything. Good Luck!

I saw an add in the new hardwood flooring mag for a neat little tool called a nail kicker, www.nailkicker.com looks like it would be worth checking out for this job.

NICE! What will they think of next?

Gary

I bought this wood 30k sqft for less than the price of a nice bottle of wine which also includes all interior fixtures...sliding door hardware, fire proof paint storage cabinets, 100 yr old work benches, etc. The building which housed a very famous picture frame manufacturer for nearly 100 years is scheduled for demolishing in the spring, so I have all winter. I hope to get enough salvage to cover my own floor showroom/loft whichh is about 4k ft. Worst case I'm out, well, a bottle of wine....what the heck it's worth a try.

The nail kicker tool will be ordered this evening!

Anyone have any idea what antique 2 1/4 maple sells for if it is in good condition? I've installed reclaimed maple gym floor a few times but it was always provided by homeowner/contractor.

thanks
Chris

well, around here (CA), first grade, #1, the best, 3/4" x 2&1/4" maple (new) sells for about $3.50 to $3.75 per sq.ft. delivered to site +tax. I've gotten it for less on sale occassionally. IMO, antique maple should and probably does contain much more birds eye and quartersawn than what we get today so that would increase it's value. The boards that have the end matching intact will be the most usable, therefore the most valuble. You will probably have more long pieces as well, which is nice. I'd say, if you could get $2.00 a ft. delivered for the usable stuff, you'd be doing pretty good. Personally,I don't think that I'd pay anymore than that, assuming it is quality. Now if it is #3, perhaps just .$75 a ft delivered. Either way, you should come out ahead.