Hi,
We have to remove 800 square feet of nail down 1/2" engineered hardwood. This was installed using a power nailer and barbed, hooked nails approximately 1 1/2" in length. Boards were nailed approximately every 6".
I am competent at renovations but have never removed nail down flooring. Is this a difficult task to do or should I let the professionals remove the floor. Is it possible to remove the boards to be reused and will the floor have to be sanded after removal of the boards?
Thanks

There is the easy way and the hard way. The easy way destroys the flooring. The hard way preserves it.
) The easy way. Cut through the flooring (NOT THE SUBFLOOR) by running a circular saw every couple of feet perpendicular the the direction the boards are laid in. The simply pry them up with a 3 ft. crow bar. That 1/2 engineered will pop of the subfllor real easy. You may not even need to cut it.
2) The hard way. GENTLY pry up each board without damaging the T&G's.
For both ways you'll need to pull the cleats out of the subfloor.

BTW, why are you removing this floor?

Thanks for the reply. The flooring was (a) damaged during installation or (b) was defective, a or b. Chipped ends, several delaminations, splintered edges in many places. The supplier is offering to replace the entire floor at his cost.
A pity as the floor is one month old.

Can the floor be sanded and refinished?