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DCL
Recently, a commenter asked, "Hey. Isn't reclaiming this stuff theft?" It was a valid question, but no. It's not theft. I wish I could advocate theft. I'd like nothing more than to write service journalism articles like "How to Pillage" and "5 Tips for Plundering." I'm pretty sure that only pirate magazines would be interested in articles like that, and those guys never pay you and if they do pay you, it's way less than they said they would.
But seriously, there are legal ways to reclaim garage doors and light fixtures and toilets. Abandoned houses are owned by someone. You can obtain permission from the owner to remove fixtures from the building. Title deeds are in the public records. Find out who owns the house. Give them a call.
The land that the house sits on is usually more valuable than a dilapidated house. The old house will likely be torn down when the land is redeveloped. A handy reclaimer can make a few phone calls, be granted free access to the home and leave with a truckload of treasures. No one loses, except the landfill.
All right. With that disclaimer aside. Here is how you reclaim floorboards. It is, theoretically, an easy task. However, those floorboards have been there for years. They will be hard to pry up. The job will prove both tedious and frustrating.
- Before you begin: Inspect the basement. See if there are any pipes or wiring under the boards. The electricity and water should be turned off just in case.
1. You will need a pry bar or a wire bolster chisel and a claw hammer.
2. If there is molding, you will have to pry that away from the walls. If there is tile on the floor, you will have to crack a tile, remove it, then pry up the rest of those tiles.
3. Use a hammer to gently knock the chisel between floorboards. The most difficult part of this task is not damaging the floorboards.
4. Use the pry bar or the chisel to lift the board up. First one side of the board, then on the other.
5. Carefully remove the nails from the floorboards with the claw end of the hammer. You may be able to reuse them.
6. Repeat until all floorboards are in your truck.
