Penners
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In your case I was a bit more worried about moulted black-and-white fur, but you've got the general idea.Zebra said:
- Thread starter Zebra
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LadyArowana
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Zebra said:
Doesn't everyone hang their underwear off the chandelier?
DJH
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Underwear, underwear...? Zebras have underwear?? :shock:
Doug
Doug
Zebra
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Oh indeed. Just don't ask for pictures.
DJH
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Oh, go on... 8)
Penners
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DJH said:
But of course! How do you think they got the name, zeBRA?
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
vicky whitworth
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Have you been sleeping in the knife drawer, Penners? Time for your medication now 
ladytmwright
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Zebra, I totally agree with Joce&Chris re the restoring of your wooden floorboards. I think the overall end result would be rather charming and your floor would have immense character, especially if the tone of the end treatment was quite dark. To restore our boards, we also used slithers or splines of the same wood but a good tip here is that you can also use beading if the gap is quite troublesome and/or lengthy. The correct sized beading just sits wedged into place. We had quite damaged boards in our daughter's bedroom but managed to restore them very effectively by chopping/replacing bits here and there, although we did actually use a floor PAINT (cream in this instance). This was only to go with the colour scheme of her room though and not our only choice as the boards looked great after restoration! Maybe you could consider actually painting them if you are really not happy with the end result as painting them would hide a multitude of sins. Overall, I think the your boards are defo worth saving! Would love to hear how you get on and good luck with them.
Toby Newell
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@Zebra
Definitely keep the boards! They look VERY old, they will come up wonderfully. You will need to replace any sections that are loose any cannot be refixed due to worm damage. Sand them with a hand held random orbital sander and dust extractor, sieve the dust then use a resin filler like Lecol 7500 with the sawdust to fill the gaps, go over the whole floor with a runny mixture and this will fill the wood worm galleries as well and strengthen the floor overall. You may need to fill three or four times but it will be worth it. Sand off the filler finishing with a P80 to P120 grit abrasive then finish as required.
I have several dozens of pictures of heavily wood worm eaten floors I have restored like this to show you how it can look, a Queen Anne, very old old pine floor in Hertfordshire which only had 20 percent unmunched original pine left which was stained dark (against my protestations) a Georgian pine floor in London which was stained a lighter colour and required almost all the boards lifting beforehand (and was very thin) and a Victorian floor in a stone schoolhouse in Skipton on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park which was very worm eaten but looked very nice lightly stained and filled.
Please try and keep the original floor at all costs, if later occupants want to board over it or throw it away it is their problem if you take the time to repair and strengthen it now it is more likely to survive.
Toby.
Definitely keep the boards! They look VERY old, they will come up wonderfully. You will need to replace any sections that are loose any cannot be refixed due to worm damage. Sand them with a hand held random orbital sander and dust extractor, sieve the dust then use a resin filler like Lecol 7500 with the sawdust to fill the gaps, go over the whole floor with a runny mixture and this will fill the wood worm galleries as well and strengthen the floor overall. You may need to fill three or four times but it will be worth it. Sand off the filler finishing with a P80 to P120 grit abrasive then finish as required.
I have several dozens of pictures of heavily wood worm eaten floors I have restored like this to show you how it can look, a Queen Anne, very old old pine floor in Hertfordshire which only had 20 percent unmunched original pine left which was stained dark (against my protestations) a Georgian pine floor in London which was stained a lighter colour and required almost all the boards lifting beforehand (and was very thin) and a Victorian floor in a stone schoolhouse in Skipton on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park which was very worm eaten but looked very nice lightly stained and filled.
Please try and keep the original floor at all costs, if later occupants want to board over it or throw it away it is their problem if you take the time to repair and strengthen it now it is more likely to survive.
Toby.
Zebra
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Ah. Yes I would be interested to see those pictures you mention Toby.
However, as I read this I was just laying the last of the new floorboards over the top of the old, with 6mm ply inbetween (the 6mm ply having been recommended by Andrew Gayton in my "spreading and sagging" thread to help reduce bounce in the floor).
I decided against removing all the boards, laying the ply first, and then relaying the boards over the top, not only because of the damage to the original boards but also because the joists are very irregular (as I found out when I lifted half of the floorboards to replace a couple of joists) and the original builders used packing pieces or scribed out the bottom of the boards to get them to sit right - a process it would be very difficult to repeat with large ply sheets, especially now that I have a ceiling underneath.
And even if the old floorboards would look very nice restored, there's still the issue of their being weak.
However, as I read this I was just laying the last of the new floorboards over the top of the old, with 6mm ply inbetween (the 6mm ply having been recommended by Andrew Gayton in my "spreading and sagging" thread to help reduce bounce in the floor).
I decided against removing all the boards, laying the ply first, and then relaying the boards over the top, not only because of the damage to the original boards but also because the joists are very irregular (as I found out when I lifted half of the floorboards to replace a couple of joists) and the original builders used packing pieces or scribed out the bottom of the boards to get them to sit right - a process it would be very difficult to repeat with large ply sheets, especially now that I have a ceiling underneath.
And even if the old floorboards would look very nice restored, there's still the issue of their being weak.
Toby Newell
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Oh what a shame.
Yes, function before form, always, all the greatest designers and craftspeople knew this. I have lifted floors before, fixed joists and put ply underneath and then refixed the original boards on top standard plastic packers can be used mostly with only wood shims at the worst points.. It IS an awful lot of work though. As always there is always a trade off between time and money, I just think old boards are incomparably nicer than new ones in every way.
A 6mm ply sounds ok as it will firm up the whole floor, must have been a few 'screw on screw' or 'nail on screw' friendly fire incidents I would imagine.
Are you sure you want to see the pictures? Isn't that a little like Bullseye "Let's see what you could have won"???
T
Yes, function before form, always, all the greatest designers and craftspeople knew this. I have lifted floors before, fixed joists and put ply underneath and then refixed the original boards on top standard plastic packers can be used mostly with only wood shims at the worst points.. It IS an awful lot of work though. As always there is always a trade off between time and money, I just think old boards are incomparably nicer than new ones in every way.
A 6mm ply sounds ok as it will firm up the whole floor, must have been a few 'screw on screw' or 'nail on screw' friendly fire incidents I would imagine.
Are you sure you want to see the pictures? Isn't that a little like Bullseye "Let's see what you could have won"???
T
Zebra
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Thank you Toby, for being so supportive of a decision you perhaps don't agree with, that's very gentlemanly of you. Yes, I think you're right, seeing pictures of a totally wormy old floor beautifully restored will give me sleepless nights and make me worry whether I should take the whole lot up again, and to be honest, that's not what I need, so you're very kind. If you should post the pictures for everybody else, please insert the heading "Look away now Zebra!"
Oh well, it's still there, underneath. Perhaps, in a few years time, when I've got things like a functioning bathroom and kitchen, and proper external doors, electrics and plumbing and plastered walls, when the house is all beautiful and finished, and the garden is totally under control, I'll be needing a new project....
Edit: Before you all say "Do those things first then, and come back to the bedroom floor later!" I'm trying to finish one room, to make a space to escape from all the mess...
Oh well, it's still there, underneath. Perhaps, in a few years time, when I've got things like a functioning bathroom and kitchen, and proper external doors, electrics and plumbing and plastered walls, when the house is all beautiful and finished, and the garden is totally under control, I'll be needing a new project....
Edit: Before you all say "Do those things first then, and come back to the bedroom floor later!" I'm trying to finish one room, to make a space to escape from all the mess...
Toby Newell
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Zebra
You are welcome, personally I do not get the guilt trip that some people try and impose on others. The fact that you are participating in this forum implies that you at least have some interest in finding out what the best thing to do would be from people with similar properties and similar problems.
I try and give people the benefit of my historical knowledge, wisdom and experience, partly because an awful lot of wisdom, even on here, whilst given in good faith, is 'received wisdom' which people 'know' but cannot pinpoint quite how they know it, and more often than not is based upon varying levels of fact ranging from little to none! this bothers me! in life in general, not just with wood. I hope in some way I can give people advice mostly on what NOT to do so they can avoid maybe making decisions that are irreversible or ones that they later regret.
As regards to aesthetics it doesn't matter really what is historically accurate or not, it is what you like or can afford to do. Obviously it is nice to restore your home sympathetically and even if you may not be required by law to take a more strict approach to the exterior it is very satisfying when people do make the effort as it will be seen by many and have an effect on the local environs.
I often say to my customers instead of trying to do everything 'properly' perhaps with a limited budget, and end up fudging everything badly, why not be selective and aim to cut corners with modern methods where practical but make an extra effort in other areas out of respect and to make a 'showcase' of that particular area or item. That way lies sanity and a clear conscience.
All the best, Toby.
You are welcome, personally I do not get the guilt trip that some people try and impose on others. The fact that you are participating in this forum implies that you at least have some interest in finding out what the best thing to do would be from people with similar properties and similar problems.
I try and give people the benefit of my historical knowledge, wisdom and experience, partly because an awful lot of wisdom, even on here, whilst given in good faith, is 'received wisdom' which people 'know' but cannot pinpoint quite how they know it, and more often than not is based upon varying levels of fact ranging from little to none! this bothers me! in life in general, not just with wood. I hope in some way I can give people advice mostly on what NOT to do so they can avoid maybe making decisions that are irreversible or ones that they later regret.
As regards to aesthetics it doesn't matter really what is historically accurate or not, it is what you like or can afford to do. Obviously it is nice to restore your home sympathetically and even if you may not be required by law to take a more strict approach to the exterior it is very satisfying when people do make the effort as it will be seen by many and have an effect on the local environs.
I often say to my customers instead of trying to do everything 'properly' perhaps with a limited budget, and end up fudging everything badly, why not be selective and aim to cut corners with modern methods where practical but make an extra effort in other areas out of respect and to make a 'showcase' of that particular area or item. That way lies sanity and a clear conscience.
All the best, Toby.