Best way for lifting floorboards?

[eskimo39]

Hi guys, could someone give me some advice on how you lift floorboards? If I am lifting one or two I usually just use my Fein multimaster to cut over the joist on each end and along the tongue.

I was shown at college to use a floorboard saw but I find them so time consuming. My boss also showed me a way breaking the tongue and groove from both sides with a chisel and then prying the board high enough to cut with a saw but I find this too destructive.

I am starting a job next week and have to lift a lot of boards (and it is an empty premisis so not too worried about mess) so was looking at buying a cheap circular saw, if I set it to the depth of the floorboard I am assuming there is minimal chance of catching anything below.

I have found a 1250w 190mm Skilsaw for £65 quid with a blade which seems a great price. Or should I look at a better brand.

What methods do you find best? Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp

 

[Spudnik]

Circular saw is a god way to go, but,

A few years ago i had to lift some chip board flooring.

Set the saw to just shy of the depth of the board.

Cut the floor, lifted out the trap right over the top of 2 22mm heating pipes with 2 narrow polished lines where the saw had just barely marked them.

Never again as they say

 

[flukey]

Circular saw is a god way to go, but,

A few years ago i had to lift some chip board flooring.

Set the saw to just shy of the depth of the board.

Cut the floor, lifted out the trap right over the top of 2 22mm heating pipes with 2 narrow polished lines where the saw had just barely marked them.

Never again as they say

ive been there too jason set it just short now and break the last bit

open to new suggestions though but theyve got to be less labour intensive

 

[Davey101]

Circular saw is a god way to go, but,

A few years ago i had to lift some chip board flooring.

Set the saw to just shy of the depth of the board.

Cut the floor, lifted out the trap right over the top of 2 22mm heating pipes with 2 narrow polished lines where the saw had just barely marked them.

Never again as they say

LOL, my mate did exactly the same thing in our managing directors house!

New pants needed that day

 

[Guest123]

Use a DeWalt 18V trimsaw myself.

Does the job.

 

[jjjinx]

I used to use a stanley Fubar, stopped that now as i was making far to much fire wood. my business partner used to be a chippy before he retrained and was always moaning about me and my floorboard tecnique!.

Apparently the " smash it to bits, and then leave it to Adam to sort" is not a apropriate method

rofl i like that

 

[harrymonkfish]

Try one of these

WORX TV - SoniCrafter™

They are a bit slower at cutting than a circular saw but the cutting is much more controlled. An you can a floor board straight across without touching the two adjacent boards. and there are loads of other attachments for all sorts of other jobs.And it comes with a 3 year limited warranty.

Do a search on youtube and see it in action.

 

[UNG]

For chipboard flooring I use the Trend Routabout RBT, makes a nice clean hole and simple to make good

 

[benji]

small circular saw 110mm dia.blade at ALDI on thursday £29.99 looks ok

yours benji

 

[eskimo39]

Thanks Benji, I am a firm believer of spending far too much on something I may never fully need. I have seen this here: Makita BSS500RFE 14.4v 136mm Lithium Circular Saw 2 x 3Ah Batteries 51mm Depth of Cut & 5mtr PTP Tape [BSS500RFE] which seems good.

Anyone use Makita Li-Ion? Most chippies on site tend to use them.

I have just bought the makita. Paid £219 delivered with 2 x 14v 3a Lithium batteries. Also got a free drill/driver which uses the same batteries although that will be going on ebay.

 

[kung]

i either use floorboard chisels and have been known when the seams tight to use my slide hammer ! sounds mad i know but has helped me out and used the screw holes to insert slide hammer screw/anchor.