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My attic has tongue and groove planking down as the floor, and I need to do some work up there. I'd like to only remove a couple planks in the middle of the field, rather than pulling up half the floor to get to the point where I need access.

The planks are nailed down (face nailed), and there is not a large enough gap between them to get any type of saw in to cut the tongues (nothing thicker than a razor will fit). The floor will have to be put back together when I'm done, so I don't want to do too much damage when removing the boards.

How can I remove a few boards in the middle of the floor, without damaging any of the planks (too bad)?

ChrisF
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Tester101
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3 Answers3

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If you really want to try to save the plank, BMitch's instructions for removal are spot on but instead of a circular saw, get yourself one of these babies:

enter image description here

The square blade shown here will give you clean end cuts, and for your long run, this blade will be your friend: enter image description here

You'll get very straight, TIGHT cut lines along the seams, be practically invisible when all is back in place.

The Evil Greebo
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4

Bite the bullet and sacrifice a single plank, as Steve suggests.

If looks aren't too important or you can't find a replacement board, measure the depth of the planks and set a circular saw to that depth. Get a long straight edge (2x4, extra plank, etc) that you can put on the floor, attached with a couple screws or some very stable weights if you don't want to screw it down. The board should be attached so that the base of the saw runs along it and the blade cuts off the tongue of the adjacent board, freeing the grooves of the board you want to remove. You'll end up with a gap the size of a blade width when you reinstall it.

If looks are important, then cut out one board without damaging the adjacent boards, and get a replacement board. Remove the bottom of the grove on the replacement board so it can be reinstalled from above.

BMitch
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1

Could you drive the nails all the way thru? You might damage the edge of the first board you try to pry out.

aphoria
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