Okay, folks, let’s dive into my little project from the other day. I’ve been meaning to fix up this old patch of flooring in my workshop, and I finally got around to it. It’s that keel, basketball court style, pine assembly wooden flooring. Sounds fancy, but really it’s just interlocking boards.

Getting Started

First things first, I cleared out the area. This meant moving a bunch of tools, some old project materials, and a surprising amount of sawdust. I swear, that stuff gets everywhere!

Then, I got down on my hands and knees and took a good look at the damaged area. It was a few boards that had warped and cracked, probably from moisture getting in there at some point. Classic.

Pulling Up the Old Stuff

Next up, the fun part – demolition! Well, sort of. I grabbed my pry bar and carefully started working it under the edge of the damaged boards. The key here is to go slow and not force anything. These boards are tongue and groove, so you gotta wiggle them out gently.

• Used the pry bar, gently.
• Wiggled, didn’t force.
• Got a few splinters. Wear gloves, kids!

I managed to get the old boards out without wrecking the surrounding ones, which was a win. It always feels good when you don’t make the problem bigger.

Prepping the Subfloor

With the old boards out, I could see the subfloor. It’s just plywood, and thankfully, it looked pretty solid. I gave it a good sweep and vacuumed up all the dust and debris. Gotta have a clean surface, you know?

Laying the New Boards

Now for the new stuff. I’d picked up some replacement pine boards from the local hardware store a while back. Luckily, they matched the old ones pretty well.

Laying these tongue and groove boards is like putting together a puzzle. You slide the tongue of one board into the groove of the other. I started at one end and worked my way across, making sure everything was nice and snug.

• Slid the tongues into the grooves.
• Tapped them gently with a rubber mallet. (Don’t use a regular hammer, you’ll dent the wood!)
• Checked for level as I went.

Finishing Touches

I Used the small hand saw to adjust and fit the boards against the wall.

Once all the new boards were in, I gave the whole area another vacuum. Then, to really finish it off, I will applied a coat of wood sealant. This will help protect the floor from moisture and keep it looking good for longer.

And that’s it! It wasn’t a huge project, but it’s satisfying to fix something up with your own two hands. Now my workshop floor is looking a whole lot better, and I can get back to making more sawdust.