The first thing is to understand what tongue and grooved boards are and how they are fitted to make a floor.

To ensure a tight fit between flooring or wall boards, tongue and groove timber has been used for many years. When fitted correctly with all the tongues of each plank sitting tightly into the grooves of each adjoining plank, you have virtually achieved a single panel of large dimensions!

When fitted to a floor, the first board will have the tongue planed off so that it can be fitted closely to the wall before the skirting is put in. This plank will now be nailed to the floor joists with two nails into each joist position. Each subsequent board has its tongue firmly pushed into the groove of the board in front of it and is nailed into place as per the first board so that all the nails are positioned in a straight line.

The one exception to this method of fitting will be if the boards have been secretly nailed. This method of fixing involves nailing through the tongues of each board and then fitting the groove of the next board over the nail and tongue. This method of fixing is easily detected by the absence of nails on the surface of the floor. Removing floorboards (without damaging them) that have been nailed down using this method is almost impossible.

On the other hand, removing floorboards that have been fixed using the more traditional method is possible and you can keep the damage done to the boards to a minimum. The tools you will require are: a thin engineers drift or nail punch with parallel sides, claw hammer, hand held electric circular saw, a wrecking bar/ tyre lever or crow bar to use as a lever and a bottle jack.

To start, remove the skirting around the room and then locate the floorboard that has the groove side nearest the wall. This will be the last board laid. This is the one board where you cannot avoid damage to the tongue; in fact you are going to saw it off using the circular saw. Adjust the depth of cut to about 15mm. Floorboards are usually 19mm thick so your cut will be just below the tongue of the board you are going to saw. Place the blade of the saw in the joint between the last floorboard its neighbour, turn on and saw along the joint right across the room. Finish off the ends where the saw won?t reach, with a hand saw.

Now using the nail punch or drift and hammer, punch the nails holding the last board right through into the joists. The next part of the operation will vary depending how much room you have between the last floorboard and the wall. If you have enough room to get your lever under the board do so and lever the board up, otherwise you will have to saw an access hole in this plank to get a lever under the board.

Once this floorboard has been removed you will have access to the under floor area. Now moving along each row of nails, punch them right through into the joists. Do this to all the nails you can find holding the floorboards down.

Now place your bottle jack under the floorboard, next to the one you have removed and in the centre of that board. Use a piece of scrap timber on top of the jack to spread the load and jack up until it starts to move the board. Using your lever, move along to where each row of nails are and give a gentle wrench (a second person is useful here) and at the same time move the jack up.

In no time the first board will be free of the joist and you will find that the second board has also moved up. Gently pull the boards apart. Continue with this exercise until all the boards are removed. With a little care and attention you will have some useful tongue and grooved floorboards that can be used for all manner of things.

Written by Chris Bennett, home handyman.