Installing wood flooring - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

nywoodwizard · 11-12-2007, 08:40 AM

I haven't installed wood flooring in a long time,since yesterday, i remember why now, It hurts my freakin back! How does anyone do it everyday is beyond me. I need a mallet with a three foot handle so i don't have to bend over so much.

A W Smith · 11-12-2007, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nywoodwizard

I haven't installed wood flooring in a long time,since yesterday, i remember why now, It hurts my freakin back! How does anyone do it everyday is beyond me. I need a mallet with a three foot handle so i don't have to bend over so much.

Boy I hear ya. I tell my clients and contractors that i sometimes do fill in work for. No i don't do floors. I'm too old for that ****. I have a particular job I always remember. I had to do a entrance hallway which had tile over mud and wire lath and a kitchen and dining room over underlayment and vinyl. By myself in an existing kitchen. I had to have it torn up and at least laid in 4 days before they came back from Chicago on a vacation. The day before they were to arrive i worked 22 hours straight until six the next morning. it took me a week off to recover and i was only 31. That was over 20 years ago with my mallet and cleat nailer. I gotta say the newer pneumatic staplers are great. Want to buy an old non pneumatic cleat nailer?

Mike Costello · 11-12-2007, 05:07 PM

try being 6'4

It gets better as the muscles get conditioned.

Take two percs and call me in the morning

nywoodwizard · 11-12-2007, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A W Smith

Boy I hear ya. I tell my clients and contractors that i sometimes do fill in work for. No i don't do floors. I'm too old for that ****. I have a particular job I always remember. I had to do a entrance hallway which had tile over mud and wire lath and a kitchen and dining room over underlayment and vinyl. By myself in an existing kitchen. I had to have it torn up and at least laid in 4 days before they came back from Chicago on a vacation. The day before they were to arrive i worked 22 hours straight until six the next morning. it took me a week off to recover and i was only 31. That was over 20 years ago with my mallet and cleat nailer. I gotta say the newer pneumatic staplers are great. Want to buy an old non pneumatic cleat nailer?

No thanks on the nailer,i don't plan on doing more flooring any time soon, my aching back needs a rest. I did around 800 sq of laminate flooring some years back (when it use to be glued) and my knees ached for a few weeks.

nywoodwizard · 11-12-2007, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Costello

try being 6'4

It gets better as the muscles get conditioned.

Take two percs and call me in the morning

Nothing wrong with the muscles,its the herniated disks!

Floordude · 11-12-2007, 09:53 PM

And they wondered how I stayed in shape, to win 7 stand-up Jetski, championships. During a race, your bent over just the same. It was gravy. Everyone in tech, a huff'n and puff'n, stretching their backs.

Mike Costello · 11-13-2007, 07:11 PM

Yep , one thing I can say for the trade is that it has kept me in good shape.

Became evident in a pickup basketball game with a buncha salesmen the same age as me. Never knew guys could turn purple

One positive to bein on floors all day

HallisseyDesign · 11-25-2007, 07:18 AM

Haha yea glad I am only 21. I have 9,000 square foot to lay coming up. It is going to be fun, I am going to be sore for a while i bet. I am planing on laying it in about 2 weeks, it is only me on this one too.

PrecisionFloors · 11-25-2007, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HallisseyDesign

Haha yea glad I am only 21. I have 9,000 square foot to lay coming up. It is going to be fun, I am going to be sore for a while i bet. I am planing on laying it in about 2 weeks, it is only me on this one too.

If you work 14 days straight thats an average of 642sf a day complete....by yourself

You must be some kind of super hero. Is this pre-finished?

I can rack out with the best of em and I would be real hard pressed to average that number over that many days straight with a helper.....I must be gettin old

I could do that much glue down after prep with no problems though.

ron schenker · 11-25-2007, 09:44 AM

Imagine in the old days before nailers. All boards were hand nailed on hands and knees. Or really old days before hammers were invented, they used rocks

GoodHouse · 11-25-2007, 10:51 AM

Hallissay:

How wide is your wood your doing 9000 sq ft? Doing a gym floor?
There is no way your doing 9000 sq ft of 2 1/4" with floor prep, racking, install in 2 weeks by yourself. With a helper definitely, but solo No way.

If its like 4" wood or so it would be more reasonable.

HallisseyDesign · 11-25-2007, 02:48 PM

it is 5" in condo's. No 2 weeks just to lay it. Then to finish it i have no clue probably another 2 weeks. Sanding all of it is going to be a pain in the ass! Sorry should of made that clear. It is not pre-finished either, I have had enough of that stuff for a while.

I did a kitchen about 2 months back and I layed 21 boxes pre-finished in 12 hours. I actually work better solo, give me my table saw, chop saw and nailer. I am good to go!

Floordude · 11-25-2007, 05:43 PM

Working solo in big open areas, I can get between 350, to 500 sq.ft. a 6 to 8 hour day and I'm beat. The next day it is hard to get a rythum going again, and I never get as much down on the second day. Now the third day, I have a little more soreness, but work through it. The 4th day I'm already pissed I'm there again at it, and hit 2nd gear, and I'm back at 350 to 400 a day, till the end.

HallisseyDesign · 11-25-2007, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floordude

Working solo in big open areas, I can get between 350, to 500 sq.ft. a 6 to 8 hour day and I'm beat. The next day it is hard to get a rythum going again, and I never get as much down on the second day. Now the third day, I have a little more soreness, but work through it. The 4th day I'm already pissed I'm there again at it, and hit 2nd gear, and I'm back at 350 to 400 a day, till the end.

All of this flooring is going into a building I am buying to make into 4 condo's. 1 for my parents the other 3 are being sold. My parents condo I am pulling out all the stops and making patterns around the borders. That is going to be the 5k floor i am not going to mind, but the other 3 are going to be basic 5inch brazilian cherry, so those are going to be boring and not much fun to do.

nywoodwizard · 11-25-2007, 09:13 PM

I only install flooring to make money ,not because its fun, there is nothing fun about aching for a week afterward. Just doing this little shizt floor(11'x12') bothered my back for a few days.(didn't help son needed the day off). I try to tell my son stop trying to be herculues,before he damages his back like i did. I use to be a like him until i hurt my back in my mid 20's. I wish i knew then what i know now.

HallisseyDesign · 11-25-2007, 09:38 PM

What I have learned and I am young it if my dad wants to help he cuts and i put on the knee pads and don't bend over the entire day. I just work form the ground. It saves me a lot sometimes too. Actually that should be your son swingin the hammer and you drinking/ watchin! On your paper too if you use 15# felt it makes a nice little barrier against little squeaks if you have any.

nywoodwizard · 11-25-2007, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HallisseyDesign

What I have learned and I am young it if my dad wants to help he cuts and i put on the knee pads and don't bend over the entire day. I just work form the ground. It saves me a lot sometimes too. Actually that should be your son swingin the hammer and you drinking/ watchin! On your paper too if you use 15# felt it makes a nice little barrier against little squeaks if you have any.

Haven't herd any squeaks using rosin paper before,there won't be any squeaks in the sub-floor either 3/4 ply over the existing T&G sub-floor with 3" screws right into the floor joist,tight as a bulls azz.

Mike Costello · 11-25-2007, 09:54 PM

whats the brad nailer for?

Somebody need some crack spackle

nywoodwizard · 11-25-2007, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Costello

whats the brad nailer for?

Somebody need some crack spackle

The moldings were next.

A W Smith · 11-25-2007, 10:27 PM

thanx my back is starting to ache just looking at that.

hey whats the garden hose for?

why is it us old guys are the only ones who wear jeans anymore and all the young ones wear sweats or cargo pants?