# best way to rip out floor



## shan2themax (Apr 17, 2008)

What is the best way to rip out a floor.... I went into the half bathroom today... took out the cabinet, commode, replaced the nipples and shut off valves, poked the floor around the flange to see how rotten everything was... and boy was it.... now... I can see a partial joist coming toward the flange (middle of it) so i know I can cut on either side of it... but... I wasnt sure about the best way to go about the rest of the room... now mind you.. it is only a 5X5 room... what is the best way to get the wood as close to the walls as possible... I have run out of time for this today for the most part... I took out a bedroom window that was broken and need to go finish that... but .. I also need to finish taking out the bathroom floor and replacing it tomorrow..... I have a big secret project going on starting next thursday and I work everyday till then (except tomorrow) so, any help with this would be appreciated..............................


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## inspectorD (Apr 17, 2008)

You have a skill saw I hope....just kidding.
You need to cut the floor with the saw set for the thickness of the floor. Use an old blade because you may hit some nails. 
Find the joists underneath and mark the centers on the floor.
Then when you cut this line and remove the decayed piece, there will be room to attach the new plywood to half the joist.
If you need to support it more, install some blocks where you need them. 
You'll be fine, we will be around.


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## shan2themax (Apr 18, 2008)

ok so, while I was ripping out the floor.... small areas at a time because my stupid circular saw is acting up... my mother goes into the full bathroom, flushes........ and well... now I am waiting on a plumber..... I guess I knocked something loose while ripping up the floor (probably while trying to remove the flange in the half bath I am working on)  didnt see anything but clear water come out but... nonetheless... I am not getting under the house and playing in water (potty water at that).... so... this is one time... where I am willing to pay someone else to do something that I could no doubtedly do almost free...... 

When I find my battery charger for my camera, I will post pictures.... In the meantime... I layed carpet in the dining room this morning and am working on tucking it under so that I can either put up new base moulding or using what I took off... havent decided yet


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## handyguys (Apr 18, 2008)

Yes - Please post pictures. Glad to help out if I can. I'm pretty handy but somethings aren't worth doing DIY when they involve crawling in sewage!


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## glennjanie (Apr 18, 2008)

Hey Shan:
While the bath floor is out you could stand on the ground and make the repair from above. It is porbably just your closet bend (which is attached to the closet flange) the other end goes into the main line or stack.
Glenn


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## shan2themax (Apr 18, 2008)

ok... well the plumbers just left and all they had to do was reattach a pipe that went from the full bath commode to the septic tank... They asked if I had had the drain snaked previously because they felt that was the cause and my vibrating the floor just gave it enough motion to fall off.... it was pretty wet under there and the commode had only been flushed once... So.... it cost $100 but I didnt have to get under there and thrash around in muck... and they cut off the flange in the half bath for me also... so... once I get the floor out all of the way... I can now finish the bathroom and move on!!!!!!  

ps.... I must say... I really enjoyed paying someone else to do the dirty work.......


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## shan2themax (Jun 18, 2008)

Here are the long ago promised pictures of the half bathroom... I bought a new circular saw and it works much better (I am however, still afraid of the thing)... so.... this is what it looks like currently.... I hope to be working on it on days off soon, since I am not taking classes over the summer..... I am having trouble cutting the floor up.. mostly because I am trying to cut off the top layer to see what the bottom layer looks like in order to know if I need to take both off..... there is black paper between the layers... what is it called and... do I need to absolutely used plywood or can I use OSB?


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## inspectorD (Jun 18, 2008)

Looks damaged for sure. 
Go with plywood. And the paper is tar paper for roofs.
Keep diggin and try to stay halfway on the joists so the plywood has something to re-attach to later.

Be safe.


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## PaulMin (Jun 18, 2008)

On the picture bottom left I see the seams of the plywood sub floor. Why not just take it up to the seam. It would be easier than cutting out little pieces. Definitely use plywood to replace OSB and water are enemies. Also they are not the same thickness plywood / OSB.


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## shan2themax (Jun 18, 2008)

PaulMin said:


> On the picture bottom left I see the seams of the plywood sub floor. Why not just take it up to the seam. It would be easier than cutting out little pieces. Definitely use plywood to replace OSB and water are enemies. Also they are not the same thickness plywood / OSB.



Those are actually cuts I have made with the saw that I am afraid of..... I work the next few days so I wont be working on it.. but I have been prying it up little by little.... I just have to get up the nerve to use the saw.... weird thing about the saw... it doesnt bother me outside on a saw horse..... but for whatever reason this bothers me.... (im a wuss... lol)


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## PaulMin (Jun 18, 2008)

Respect the saw or it will bite you. Hold it firmly in your hand(S). It might be the loudness in the small room making you uneasy. Take your time and think about what your doing and where the blade is and every part of your body, before you pull the trigger.


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## shan2themax (Aug 29, 2009)

So, it is more than a year later and I have yet to finish this..... 
Although, I did buy a new blade and it is working much better than the old one. I think i am going to borrow/buy a sawzall so that I can get as close as I can to the left edge of the room.  I have gotten a much larger piece cut off today, so... hopefully on Monday I will have the sawzall and can finish cutting up the wood and go and buy my plywood.

I know that I need to put better bracing for the floor down... what I was wondering was if I need 2 put a whole new 2X?8 down all the way across teh house or if I can attatch a new one to the sill and come a few feet past the commode and then put cinderblocks under it for support?

and..... as you can tell from the other pieces of floor joist that are split, I need to replace those also. How close will I need to come to the drain for the commode and get good support? (Keep in mind, I am a big girl, and have big children)

and I will be glad to get this project done and before this time next year... this is embarrassing!


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## glennjanie (Sep 1, 2009)

Hello Shan:
It looks like the plumber originally cut a joist into when he put in the closet bend . If you can get a piece of 2 X 8 on each side of the pipe going across the loose ends and nail them into the remaining joists on each side, then nail through the new ones into the loose ends that are showing you will have plenty of support. You may have to knock out the short 2 X 8 blocks that are in there and are cracked anyway, then cut the loose ends back a bit to allow your new closet flange to fit unobstructed.
It is sometimes necessary to cut the floor out with a 1" or 1 1/2" chisel to get right up to the wall. OR if you can take the shoe completely off your circular saw, hold the guard up and really manhnadle the saw, you can cut on a slight angle right up to the wall.
Please be very careful in that tight place with any electric tool.
Glenn


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## shan2themax (Sep 1, 2009)

Thanks for the reply Glenn!

Today I went out and bought a reciprocating saw.  I think that it will get as close as I need to get.  

I was thinking that I could put a another 2X8 with the existing one... I just wasnt sure if I needed to put blocks under them or not.  So, I could theoretically get rid of the shorter 2X8 if I can fit 2x8's on either side of the plumbing?  

Sounds like it would be the easier thing to do... but as I have said in the past.  I dont mind to work hard on it... esp if I only have to do it once... lol

I am going to go back there in a few minutes and see what I can accomplish.  I hope to at least get the floor cut up so that maybe I can go get the rest of the stuff before I have to go to work on Friday.... 

I will take a closer look at all the 'things' that are down there, I know that there is a runoff right under neath there and some copper pipes on the left hand side wall and then of course, the drains  for both commodes.  I'll let you know


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## shan2themax (Sep 1, 2009)

Ok, so I hope that my drawing isnt too confusing.... I removed a little bit of the floor this evening, and then I was looking at the 2x8's and I was wondering how effective putting the short ones (new) back would be due to the fact that there are two copper water lines against the left rear joist.

There is too much of the toilet drain hanging over the left side of the lower joist in order to sandwich it in on both sides with 2x8's and there are also alot of cinderblocks under the next floor joist (you cant see it, on the right)along with some electrical (hvac) and drain pipes....

so, probably the easier thing to do is to put the 2 short joist back... but then again, I will have to notch the out in order to allow room for the copper pipes.  Is that ok to do?


and can I just say.... I am absolutely in low with my recipricating saw.... If i had only known it would bring so much happines.... lol


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## glennjanie (Sep 3, 2009)

Hello Shan:
The joist on the right can be cut off another 1 1/2" to allow the short joist to by-pass it and yes, you can notch out for the copper pipes. The blocks that are there now will give down to the center, wheras a new short joist on each side, from long joist to long joist will bear more weight.
Hey, nice drawings!
Glenn


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## shan2themax (Sep 3, 2009)

Thanks Glenn... I enjoy doing the drawings, it simplifies things for me and helps me understand what it is I am doing.....

I used to do some desktop publishing in my life before nursing!!!

So, here is another 'pretty picture' with what I think is the solution.... Now why couldnt I have thought about that??????

You are always so helpful!!!

ps... do they make brackets to help hold this stuff together?  Or are really long screws enough to hold it?


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## glennjanie (Sep 5, 2009)

Thanks Shan:
Yes, screws will do the trick. All your fastening points will be open and straight through so, it should hold very well. With the copper pipes involved you couldn't use a joist hanger in that one location.
I have lived through several situations similar to that and it now comes natural to me. I'm glad to help someone else because I don't get to do the work anymore.
Glenn


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## granite-girl (Oct 20, 2009)

Wow some of these are like a soap opera or long running t.v. show of some kind.  Don't keep us waiting.  What happened next ?  Did you get it done & what was the big surprise- last year ?


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## shan2themax (Mar 8, 2018)

Granite girl! Lol I got it done last year... Yes, 8 years later... long story.


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## slownsteady (Mar 9, 2018)

Now all we have to do is find granite girl.......................


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## oldognewtrick (Mar 9, 2018)

slownsteady said:


> Now all we have to do is find granite girl.......................


She seems to be MIA...[emoji189]


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## slownsteady (Mar 10, 2018)

...A classic example of not checking the date of the last post before replying. Granite girl asked in 2009, answered in 2018


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## oldognewtrick (Mar 10, 2018)

slownsteady said:


> ...A classic example of not checking the date of the last post before replying. Granite girl asked in 2009, answered in 2018


Blame it on Daylight Saving Time.


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## shan2themax (Mar 11, 2018)

I'm perfectly aware of when the last activity was.... I also havent been on this forum for almost that number of years.... but.... since they seemed excited and curious, I decided to answer the question.....


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## tuffy (Mar 11, 2018)

Pictures I for one want to see how it all turned out. after all your hard work it stimulates me to do my own projects.


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## shan2themax (Mar 12, 2018)

I'll post some the next few days while I'm off work


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## shan2themax (Mar 27, 2018)

Tuffy..... I've been slow to post some pics!


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## nealtw (Mar 27, 2018)

That is a little less ideal repair for that cut joist. Just sayin.


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## shan2themax (Mar 27, 2018)

I 100% agree! The house says and I'm trying to find non heroin using humans to give me an estimate for that and I wanted to have a new floor joist installed also. Wouldn't care to do it myself if I had someone who could walk me through it while under the house with me.


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## nealtw (Mar 27, 2018)

It should have been done while it was open, now I think the best would be to put a chunk of thick plywood on the ground and prop up both cut ends with 2x4s

The real fix would have been to double the joist on either side of it and the a double joist header between them to hang the cut ends from


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## shan2themax (Mar 27, 2018)

There is electricity that runs under there... you can see the two lines on the left. That's why I didnt do it while it was open.....  and at the time.... I didnt have the cash to pay someone to come and do it. Long story short.... I had to fix it in a hurry for legal reasons. 

I am assuming those have been that way since the house was built. It was a foreclosure and the bathroom hadn't been used as a bathroom till last year. It just had plywood over it and was used as storage


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## nealtw (Mar 27, 2018)

shan2themax said:


> There is electricity that runs under there... you can see the two lines on the left. That's why I didnt do it while it was open.....  and at the time.... I didnt have the cash to pay someone to come and do it. Long story short.... I had to fix it in a hurry for legal reasons.
> 
> I am assuming those have been that way since the house was built. It was a foreclosure and the bathroom hadn't been used as a bathroom till last year. It just had plywood over it and was used as storage


The wiring below will make it harder to work on from below. I would stand a simple prop under the ends and it should be good for another twenty years.  But I wouldn't trust it as is. You don't know what troubles others have had when it was a bathroom before.


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## shan2themax (Mar 27, 2018)

It had to be ripped up because if a roof leak before I bought it (it was a foreclosure). I'll try to get under there this weekend


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