# Forum Home Renovation Demolition  chainsaw demolition

## phild01

I may need to cut through some flooring in a tight situation.
Reciprocating saw will take a while but will also be a problem trying to cut through the joists (combined 100mm HW/200mm Oregon) down level with the bearer, as the blade will keep hitting.  I was thinking a chainsaw could do this cut nicely but of course hitting the odd nail might well be a problem.  My only access is from the top....think I need advice on this one!

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## toooldforthis

you need to avoid nails with a chainsaw  :Smilie:  
you could try one of these:

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## phild01

> you need to avoid nails with a chainsaw  
> you could try one of these:

  What's that thing ...just joking :Biggrin: , could work and give me a bigger arm. 
Problem is the flooring stays and the cut is next to a wall.  My need is noise isolation from transmitted footfall, it is not airborne noise so insulation won't help.

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## Farmer Geoff

I used a chainsaw to remove 60 sq m of old floor without hitting a nail. Ripped along middle of every 6th board incl cutting through joists then lifted each section out and inverted then used sledge hammer on side of joist sections to remove them and saved boards with T and G mostly undamaged. Used handsaw at ends after driving wedge into adjacent chainsaw cut to prevent jamming. Keep the revs up!

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## woodbe

I've also done it. Raised a few eyebrows, but if you have the ability and are careful it will work. 
I used an electric chainsaw, much better for inside work and the smaller bar was a benefit as would be the cheaper chains if you did hit a nail!

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## phild01

> I used a chainsaw to remove 60 sq m of old floor without hitting a nail. Ripped along middle of every 6th board incl cutting through joists then lifted each section out and inverted then used sledge hammer on side of joist sections to remove them and saved boards with T and G mostly undamaged. Used handsaw at ends after driving wedge into adjacent chainsaw cut to prevent jamming. Keep the revs up!

  The floor actually remains, it's just a clean cut to isolate the flooring from both sides of the wall, as though the floor was built in two sections rather than being continuous.  So plenty of skew fixing nails.

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## phild01

> I've also done it. Raised a few eyebrows, but if you have the ability and are careful it will work. 
> I used an electric chainsaw, much better for inside work and the smaller bar was a benefit as would be the cheaper chains if you did hit a nail!

  Just got myself an electric one but concerned what will happen if I hit the 3" nails skewed into the bearer.  Is it a catastrophic event or just a matter of destroying the chain edges.

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## METRIX

> Just got myself an electric one but concerned what will happen if I hit the 3" nails skewed into the bearer.  Is it a catastrophic event or just a matter of destroying the chain edges.

  We use chainsaw all the time in demo work, if you hit nails it will damage the chain quick smart as there is no time to back off,
Wont destroy the shaionsaw but will kill the chain which can be costly.

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## gpkennedy

> you need to avoid nails with a chainsaw  
> you could try one of these:

   Is that cordless?

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## woodbe

Catastrophic for the chain, but the saw should be just fine. Same as hitting a rock or piece of wire in a log. Your local chainsaw repairer might even be able to repair it by replacing the damaged section rather than replace the whole chain.

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## toooldforthis

are you cutting along the run of the boards and thus across the joist and parallel to the beam?
along a board join? 
I might be inclined to do the first cut with a circular saw with the depth set to miss the nail heads - that should cut the boards and bit of the top of the joists?
then possibly finish off with the handsaw. 
I am a bit curious about you cutting the joists if you don't have access underneath to support the floating cut end?

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## phild01

> are you cutting along the run of the boards and thus across the joist and parallel to the beam?
> along a board join? 
> I might be inclined to do the first cut with a circular saw with the depth set to miss the nail heads - that should cut the boards and bit of the top of the joists?
> then possibly finish off with the handsaw. 
> I am a bit curious about you cutting the joists if you don't have access underneath to support the floating cut end?

  I did one section as you suggested using a circular saw and then drilled through the joists, but this really is a fairly crude approach. 
So cutting across the joists.  A single bearer supports this though while I can supplement the support on the unsupported side of the cut, I can't access this area with any type of tool for an underfloor approach to cut.  The topside chainsaw approach would be perfect except for my fear of hitting any unsighted nails.
I would prefer not to do any of this as it compromises the house frame integrity but I believe it is the only way I can effectively isolate upper floor footfall noise.

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## Marc

Not commenting on the job itself, but on the cutting with a chainsaw. I must have hit a hundred nails with a chainsaw. from a 40cc to a 120cc most of the time you don't even feel it. A bolt you will, a nail you cut straight through. No catastrophe.  You will know you hit a nail because the chain starts to cut skewed to the side that is still sharp. No big deal. You can however buy tungsten tipped chains. 
Or, you arm yourself with a few sharp chains and change the chain when it stops cutting. Sharpening a short chain shouldn't cost more than $15. 
I cut regularly through bullets and nails when I cut firewood.

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## phild01

> Not commenting on the job itself, but on the cutting with a chainsaw. I must have hit a hundred nails with a chainsaw. from a 40cc to a 120cc most of the time you don't even feel it. A bolt you will, a nail you cut straight through. No catastrophe.  You will know you hit a nail because the chain starts to cut skewed to the side that is still sharp. No big deal. You can however buy tungsten tipped chains. 
> Or, you arm yourself with a few sharp chains and change the chain when it stops cutting. Sharpening a short chain shouldn't cost more than $15. 
> I cut regularly through bullets and nails when I cut firewood.

   Thanks Marc, what you say helps a lot (you have hit the nail on the head with this info :Biggrin:  )

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## toooldforthis

> I cut regularly through bullets and nails when I cut firewood.

  you shoot into the wood heap?  :Wink:

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## Marc

It is surprising what you can find inside tree trunks. Copper pipes, barbed wire, I once found a crashed beer can embedded in the wood.

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## eek

> It is surprising what you can find inside tree trunks. Copper pipes, barbed wire, I once found a crashed beer can embedded in the wood.

  Or one of these?

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## PlatypusGardens



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## phild01

> 

  Unfortunately I need to go down 220mm, hope to attempt this next week.

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## PlatypusGardens

> Unfortunately I need to go down 220mm, hope to attempt this next week.

  
Yeah but if you start with one of those you'll know where the nails are without damaging anything.    :Smilie:

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## phild01

> Yeah but if you start with one of those you'll know where the nails are without damaging anything.

  Immediate nails I will see but I can't see the skew nails 200mm down.

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## PlatypusGardens



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## phild01

> 

  I've seen his work, don't think I will try that :Rolleyes:

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## PlatypusGardens

So what happened here in the end?

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## phild01

> So what happened here in the end?

   Yes, wanted to follow up on this and have just done it.  Used an electric 355mm chainsaw and what a breeze.  I only saw one spark and seems I might have misjudged the possibility of hitting nails: .

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## woodbe

Well done, dare I ask, 'did it work'?

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## phild01

It should work to some extent reducing footfall noise.  The next thing to do is build the wall on the opposite side of the cut.  Sound proofing is a multi stage effort and at the end of the day, just hope it is significant.

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