Old Stuff

Dan_15

I love old stuff (except old inefficient boilers). I am replacing an unattractive tile floor in the foyer of my house. Under the tile floor the original oak hardwood from 1921 is still in place. Unfortunately, the wood is too badly damaged from the overlaying tile, so I ripped it up and installed a new oak floor. Ripping up the old floor I discovered that the oak slats were held in place by these fascinating three-inch spikes with broad flat heads and flat bottoms, that are tapered from the top to the end. They have a dark grey color, almost like iron; I wonder what they are made of? I can only imagine what it must have been like in 1921 for a carpenter or floorlayer to nail hundreds of those spikes in by hand. WWI had ended and it was the beginning of a period of economic expansion; what was the state of the world like? Who were these homebuilders whose sweat and effort went into building my house? How much were they paid in 1921? Where did they live? What were their families like? Their presence seems to waft thickly through the floorboards that I have ripped up. The history of an old house is amazing....

EJW

Old stuff

Those are called cut nails. EJW

john_27

you are right....a certain magic exists when one lives in a period home.....enjoy!