Hi all, I am new to this post and first time installing this type of hardwood flooring. I have been lurking a little while and have gotten some great ideas from this forum and decided to join.
I have recently acquired a very nice maple hardwood floor that came out of a gym, looks just like a local basketball court. The finish of the floor is pretty beat up, but the wood underneath the finish is still in great shape. From what I can tell it is really nice stuff, made by Robbins Inc.. I have approximately 2,000 sq ft and want to cover the first floor of my home, about 1,100 sq ft. For the past two weeks I have been pulling nails and inspecting the boards, sorting and marking the good and damaged. I am in the process of trying to clean all the boards prior to installation and I have a couple of questions. I am not ready to install yet, still have to pull carpet and particle board underlayment. Plan was to nail hardwood down to 3/4" plywood which appears to be in good shape, but will know more as I pull out underlayment. This project will take a couple of months but I do have a couple questions I am hoping you guys could help me out with, so here goes:
1.) Is there a type of cleaner if any could I mix to wipe the T&G and surface dirt off? I have been trying to do with a brass wire brush, but it seems to take a lot of time. [img]Hi all, I am new to this post and first time installing this type of hardwood flooring. I have been lurking a little while and have gotten some great ideas from this forum and decided to join.
I have recently acquired a very nice maple hardwood floor that came out of a gym, looks just like a local basketball court. The finish of the floor is pretty beat up, but the wood underneath the finish is still in great shape. From what I can tell it is really nice stuff, made by Robbins Inc.. I have approximately 2,000 sq ft and want to cover the first floor of my home, about 1,100 sq ft. For the past two weeks I have been pulling nails and inspecting the boards, sorting and marking the good and damaged. I am in the process of trying to clean all the boards prior to installation and I have a couple of questions. I am not ready to install yet, still have to pull carpet and particle board underlayment. Plan was to nail hardwood down to 3/4" plywood which appears to be in good shape, but will know more as I pull out underlayment. This project will take a couple of months but I do have a couple questions I am hoping you guys could help me out with, so here goes:
1.) Is there a type of cleaner if any could I mix to wipe the T&G and surface dirt off? I have been trying to do with a brass wire brush, but it seems to take a lot of time.
2.) What would you recommend for "useable" damage? (i.e.: tongue broken less than 4"-6" one spot along a 6' length, grove broken 4" on one end, tongue split about 8", but still in tact,etc..)
3.) I am debating if I should rent the equipment to refinish or should hire it out. Plan was to do about 800 sqft, then have it done. What do you think it would cost if I were to do DIY vs Professional to sand and poly?
4.) What would you recommend for stain and poly options? I have read a little bit on the Monocoat, no VOC's and seems to look very good. I have a friend who did his recently and is happy, but I don't know longevity.

I have stopped by a local flooring shop and since they don't refinish floors, they sub-out, they were unable to answer my questions. I am very anxious to get started as allergy season is right around the corner and I want to get the floors in prior to that for my families sake.

Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Bill

Bill,

I am sure that any answer given to you will raise disagreement among flooring professionals. Much of what you are asking regarding damaged boards can only be answered on a case by case, or rather, board by board basis. I will try to answer as well as I can, and I hope that a few others respond so that you can verify my answers or perhaps get varied opinions so as to make a more educated decision as you proceed.
Before I begin, though, I want to say that using salvaged flooring is at least twice the work of using new and you can typically expect 30-40% waste.
1.) The most important part of the floor to be cleaned prior to installation is the tongue and the groove. Be sure the tongue and flat surface above the tongue are free from any dirt, wax, tape, paint, and old finish before you install the wood. It is not important to clean the face of the board because it will be sanded.
Home Depot and Lowes sell a carbide tipped scoring knife in their tile flooring section. This is a nice little tool for cleaning debris from the top of the tongue and groove areas.
2.) Broken tongues and grooves are always a judgment call. Typically, you do not want to put in a board with a broken tongue opposite a broken groove. Examine the broken tongue to be sure the wood below is not split because this is the "meat" the nail goes into and is what will hold that board in place.
For me, a broken groove is more troublesome than a broken tongue.
3.) Hire a professional. When that floor was milled at the factory, it was uniform in size (supposedly). After it was installed, it was sanded flat to the surface on which was installed. When re-installed, it has no semblance to uniformity. A professional has the equipment that can make a decent floor out of this dog's dinner.
4.) Ask the professional you hire. If you trust him to do the work, trust his experience and the products with which he is comfortable.

By the way, when asked to sand salvaged floor, I add 50% to my price because it typically is at least that much more of a headache.

Best of Luck!

Additionally, I would recommend installing this floor with cleats and not staples. Perhaps someone else can comment on whether there is a benefit to using 18 gauge cleats as opposed to 16 gauge.
Staples are more likely to split the tongue on harder woods.

Thank you for the reply.
You confirmed exactly as I was thinking about the tongue and groove. I might have to repair some of the them as I might need to re-mill some of the grooves on the ends due to splits. The guys who removed the floor actually did a really good job with minimal damage. As you mentioned, as I was denailing the boards I was doing an inspection and "grading", so I have an idea what is good and have marked the areas that are in question.
This weekend, I did a test install with about 8-10 boards. In preparation for the rest of the flooring I wanted to see how the boards would be able to go together. Just like you suggested, small area of broken tongue but no grooves, it was a test of what I might and might not be able to get away with. As i removed a portion of the underlayment, I noticed the subfloor not to be flat, thus had to remove a small section. In doing so i verified the subfloor thickness only to find out that it's only 1/2 plywood. Now I have to drop back and punt, I will need to resheet the floor with 1/2 plywood to provided enough structure to support.
With this new finding, I will need to push the project back a bit until I am able to get enough cash to move forward. So I will continue to work on cleaning the boards, reinspect and prepare for the next steps. Thanks for the suggestion on the carbide tipped scoring knife, I will check that out and pick one up within the next couple of days.
I appreciate your comments and time to reply. I will update as the project progresses. I don't mind putting in the time, it's the lack of money that is the determining factor of this project.

Thanks,
Bill

Re-purposing wood is a great idea and the story behind yours will be a great conversation piece.

My only caution is prior to installation ensure that the flooring has acclimated to the environment. The moisture content in the gym, in storage, and in your home may not be the same; therefore the wood needs to adjust to the environment in which you will be installing it. If it does not adjust prior to installation it could result in cupping, crowning, and other problems. In some cases acclimation goes quickly and in others it takes time. The only way to be sure is to have an accurate wood moisture meter. When interviewing flooring installers make sure to ask them about the acclimation process and how the verify the moisture content in the boards.

Wagner Meters offers more information about this at: http://www.wagnermeters.com/flooring/wood-flooring/5-reasons-wood-flooring-installers-need-wood-moisture-meter/