So I got started on demoing the little pieces of the basement last night that have to be done before fireplace tiling can ensue and the installers arrive to start putting the walls up. The unfortunate part is I’ve lost my help due to health issues so I’m a one woman wrecking and cleanup crew. With stairs included, I’ll be sure to mark this down as part of my cardio routine for the week!
Anywhoo, I got a few of the furring strips down from the perimeter wall, and some of the bead board/paneling down from over the fireplace. Carpet strips are pretty much up, and the linoleum tiles in front of the fireplace just popped right up. I noticed there is a bit of a slope towards the fireplace that I’ll have to check out to see if it needs leveled before I begin tiling. Looks like my experience with SLC is about to begin. I’m still mulling over how to address these concrete ‘nails’ that they used for all of the 1x into the concrete. Some of them are pulling out, but others are pretty stubbornly staying in the wall. My first thought is to cut them off with a rotozip or dremel (I own a rotozip but I wouldn’t mind having to pick up a dremel :), but I’m open to any suggestions. I’ll post pics once I figure out
-- aspiring jill of all trades
7 comments so far
GaryL
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206 posts in 4571 days
posted 03-09-2013 11:54 PM
If you bend the nails side to side they will break off. Concrete nails are hardened, therefore are very brittle. Be sure to wear safety glasses. You don’t know where they are going to fly when they snap.
-- The difference between a pro and an amateur, an amateur points out his mistakes
Becky
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81 posts in 4683 days
posted 03-10-2013 05:12 PM
Thanks Gary, I’ll give it another go. I finished taking all of the 1x off the walls and have quite a few nails left!
-- aspiring jill of all trades
Becky
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81 posts in 4683 days
posted 03-14-2013 12:04 PM
ok – I must just be weak or something, because all I seem to succeed in doing when bending these spikes is to bust the heads off of them.
-- aspiring jill of all trades
Becky
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81 posts in 4683 days
posted 03-15-2013 09:20 PM
Thanks Robb! that could explain part of my issue. I was just using a regular hammer to try to bend them. I’ll grab my vise grips and my 2lb sledge from the garage and give it another go.
-- aspiring jill of all trades
Becky
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81 posts in 4683 days
posted 03-22-2013 08:17 AM
I haven’t gotten to try yet :) I busted my hearing protection last weekend (plastic ear muff over the head part broke) so I’ve been trying to a)locate my in ear protection on my overcrowded workbench, and complete homework that’s due this weekend. sigh boo. I’d rather be remodeling.
-- aspiring jill of all trades
Becky
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81 posts in 4683 days
posted 04-13-2013 07:14 PM
ha! well – me 0 – nails 2. I tried to bend/break 3 or 4 of the suckers and one of them i was able to wiggle loose and pull out. the other three – well – they bent to one side, then the other, then down – but did not loosen or break. I’m guessing it’ll be up to the rotozip to cut them off …or I may just invest in a dremel since it did a better job last time and got them cut even with the wall. Homework first however! I did get a dump run in this morning and the basement fireplace cleaned up. On my last demo, I found the ash empty door for the upstairs fireplace hidden behind some 1/4 in oak paneling with about 40 years worth of ash in it at the bottom of the staircase. Luckily I usually clean the upstairs fireplace out manually so there hasn’t been much falling down there in the last 8 years.
-- aspiring jill of all trades
Becky
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81 posts in 4683 days
posted 04-14-2013 03:58 PM
Thanks Robb! I do have the attachment so all I need to do is change the blade on it once I’m done cutting the beadboard in half to get it up the stairs. I decided 4×8 sheets by myself wasn’t a particularly smart idea.
-- aspiring jill of all trades