Instructables regularly has contests about certain project category and sometimes those contests can light the fire under your but to finish an able you have been working on or get to one you have been meaning to. This time around the FIX IT CHALLENGE image was of a wood floor; my but is burning.

About 5 years ago we moved a old farm house about 15 miles to the family farm. To move a house one of many things you must do is remove the chimneys so we did leaving behind (death holes) we promptly improvised patches so no one fell through to the basement.

The house came with many layers of vinyl or carpet that had to go. We found that the floors were good besides under the pot, bathroom sink and where a floor furnace was (They saved the floor section that was removed and put it back when the furnace was removed.) We now have Beautiful wood floors besides the chimneys and furnace holes.

So lets get to it, I'm going to show you what I have learned fixing the floors in our house and a couple others.

YOUR SAFETY IS YOUR PRIORITY WHERE APPROPRIATE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.

Supplies

You may or will need (your needs may vary, I'm doing things with one arm and use different tools and techniques.)

Replacement floor boards
Materials to reinforce the sub floor (If needed)
Chisel like tool (for driving or cutting)
Hammer
Powerful magnet (cool trick I Promise)
Drill and bits that can handle steel
Table saw
Wire brush
Card board
Finish nails
Nail set
Marking tool
Utility knife (High injury count)
Pliers
Vacuum

Step 1: Fixing the Death Hole.

Follow the Pictures.

1.2. First things first Move Your Junk, Wow The boys shoved a lot of stuff under there.
3.4. Inspect the situation, this is where you will determine if or how much the sub floor is damaged and must be replaced/ repaired. If rot is suspected use a screw driver to prod the suspicious parts (if soft it needs to be replaced / repaired.) you should also find and repair the reason the floor rotted.
Remove the damaged floor areas. See image 4 instructions if total removal would cause structural issues.
5. Scab boards can be installed along the floor joists to reinforce and bridge gaps in the joists so a plywood patch can replace the damaged sub floor.
6. Scab the sub floor in so that the replacement boards will meet up with the rest of the floor.
7.8. Clean up the floor boards as needed. (Our boards were left over from original construction in 1938.)

This video may help provide more information.

Step 2: Removing Boards (magnent Trick)

If we were tolerant of obvious signs of repair we would have left the plywood patch in place. We are not (OK a little tolerant (it helps tell the story of the house)) so lets prepare the space by removing the damaged and or unwanted boards. We want to remove some boards to hide the fact that a chimney was there.

Following the pictures and video.

1. Find a nail or similar object with the magnet and use it to mark where the center of forces are on the magnet.
2. Slide the magnet around the suspected area that a nail might be. The magnet will snap to the head of the nail.
3. Using a marking device mark where the end of the nail is according to the marks on the magnet.
4. Floor boards are toed in, draw a line following where the nail is likely to be.
5. Drill a hole (with a largish drill that can handel cutting through the nail) vertically through the board along this line avoiding damage to any surrounding boards.
6.7.8.9. Using a chisel and hammer carefully begin to drive the board out from its end. then finish driving it out with a scrap board.
10. Observe that the drill cut the nail away. 11. Partial removal of the nail still in board.
12. Repeat until your pleased.
Clean us the debris with a vacuum and brush as best as possible.

Watch the video to see how and what I did.

Step 3: Lets Figure Out How Long to Cut the Boards to Length.

We want the boards to fit in just right so follow the pictures and video.

With table saw squarely cut just the tung or grove off a few boards to help out with lay out.
1.2. Arrange one row of boards (using one of the cut off boards) so that the ends are butted up to the edges they will be against when installed. Mark the the board that crosses over the cut board.
3. Label all boards in that row so you know where they go later.
4.5.6. If you cut the overlapping board square it won't fit (unless you cut it to short) because the bottom of the board will inter fear with the top of the precut board.
5.6. So we must cut the bottom portion of the board at a bit of a taper 22.5 deg works good.
7. Another use for canvas belts, carry awkward bundles.
Repeat a few times at a time.

Watch the video to see how and what I did.

Step 4: Setting the Boards.

Now that the boards are cut to length we need to get them into their home. Follow the pictures and video.

1. this is just a picture of the side profile of the cut joint.
Nuts I forgot to take pictures of installing boards that didn't need driven in But I did video it.
2. To fill in the places where you removed damaged or unwanted boards you need to shove the new board into the old spot to get it started.
3.4. With one of the scrap boards and a hammer drive the new board all the way into the space.
5. It can help to bevel the tung and groves to fit better if you use your utility knife to bevel the inside of the grove.
Watch the video to see how to drive the boards into place.

Watch the video to see how and what I did.

Step 5: Nail It Down.

Time to get Hammered Hahahahaha. Follow the pictures and video.

1. For this step you will pilot drill through the hard wood (to prevent splitting) the pilot drill should be as close to the same size as the finish nails your using.
2.3. Drill the pilot hols at a angle so that if the boards shift they will be wedged into the sub floor.
Drive the nails in most of the way and finish with a nail set.

Watch the video to see how and what I did.

In the video I start the drill vertically then move to the angle. This is to reduce the drill walking on the board and scarring it up.

Step 6: Shims Will Reduse Movement.

Use shims to fill any voids between sub floor and the new floor. Follow the pictures and video.

1. video. A gap between the sub floor and floor began to form at the ends so shove cereal box between to provide proper support.

Watch the video to see how and what I did.

Step 7: Lets Finish This Project Up.

Near the wall we ran out of room to tap the boards into the tung and grove system so we must modify our boards some more. Follow the pictures and video.

1. We will need to cut the tung off the long edge of the last few rows to help them fit into place like we want.
2.3. After cutting the tung off and sizing its just like putting them in like before.
4. Even a 3 year old can do it.

Watch the video to see how and what I did.

TTTT

What I Learned.

Looking back I would have started at the wall so the nails could hide in the side of the boards. That's what I did to fix the floor in the bathroom and I don't know why I changed, because it caused me to need to use visible nails. O well I'll remember this for fixing the floor furnace hole.