Got absolutely wrecked by a weird tack strip issue in a 1920s bungalow

Just finished a job in this old bungalow in the historic district, and the floor was a nightmare. The homeowner wanted wall-to-wall in the living room, but the original baseboards were this thick, ornate plaster. I went to put down my tack strips, and the nails just would not bite. They'd either bend or pop right back out. I figured it was just super hard old wood, so I tried pre-drilling. That helped a little, but then the strips themselves were rocking because the floor had so many high and low spots. I spent probably 4 hours just trying to get a solid perimeter. Ended up having to use a mix of longer nails in some spots and construction adhesive in others, which I hate doing. The whole install took me like 11 hours for a room that should have been a 5-hour job, max. Has anyone else run into plaster walls that just destroy your strips? What did you do?

2 comments

2 Comments

matthewgonzalez1mo ago

Ugh, that sounds rough but honestly, isn't that just a normal day in an old house?

viola_butler1mo ago

Define "normal day" though. Are we talking creaky floors or actual foundation problems?