Two weekends ago we began preparations for laying the flooring in our new library. As I’ve shared previously our timber is second hand timber, stored for several years from when we salvaged all the timber from a two storey Convent school prior to demolition.
First task is to clean the floorboards from decades of dirt, accumulated as they sat under carpet being tramped over by hundreds of feet.
PC set up a ‘cleaning station’, wherein each board was placed in a ‘slot’, the ‘criss-cross’ saws were run along the groove of each board pushing out the dirt, sometimes the tongues needed cleaning too.
For two days the children worked tirelessly carrying the boards from the timber stack to the ‘cleaning station’, working in tag teams. Once a sufficient number of boards were cleaned they were then carried over to the ‘drop saw station’ to be cut.
After each board was trimmed, or not depending upon need, they were taken inside and stacked into similar length piles, awaiting secret nailing.
The following weekend PC measured and marked each board, devising a pre-planning system that matched boards and created patterns. Once planned he then added tongue and grooves to every board with the router.
Visual clarity here for way the library needs a new floor, whilst combining the two rooms into one have us more space it also highlighted the floor differences. Sheeting and floorboards, solution is to lay ‘new’ floorboards over the entire room. Finally the exciting moment when we begin to lay the boards using the secret nailer.
Work teams for this task consisted of our two teens and PC and I. Princess’ job was to glue each board, which meant she had to keep ‘one step ahead’ of us constantly.
We’re not sad at all to say ‘good-bye’ to the chip board sheeting, it begins to look like a ‘real’ floor.
PC and Michelangelo’s main task was to ‘pull in’ the timber tight, so there were as little gaps as possible. A result of using second hand timber.
For a large ‘chunk’ of time I was on the nail gun, trusting souls aren’t they? 😉
The last few boards leave no room for the nail gun so have to be nailed down by hand.
Can you imagine books lining these walls? I easily can 🙂
Next task up is to sand and estapol these boards, not long now..
*Sharing over at The Builder’s Wife with this week’s Home Improvement Thursday