Off with the deck!
				Like peeling an onion, the Greenbuilt construction crew removed the upper plywood decking. The 3/4 inch thick tongue and groove boards were nailed down but not glued to the joists, and therefore could be pried up intact. The sheets were stacked neatly to the side for reuse.
		Once the sheets were removed, the contractors could then remove the 2x12 joists. These were nailed into the headers of the two side walls. Once the former floor joists were taken down, the headers themselves were taken down.
				What remained at that point was the 2x6 stud walls around the perimeter and one of the interior walls. These stud walls were built at different times and with different widths of lumber. For the sake of uniformity and the correct heigths, the outside walls will also be taken down.
		The former floor joists were 2x12s in one section and 2x10s in another section. They are around 20 feet long. This high-quality lumber will be used again and therefore must be denailed. The boards were spanned across two sawhorses and worked from both ends by two people with hammers and prybars. Nails are first pounded back through and then pulled from their heads.
				Once the boards were free of nails, they were stacked neatly by size and quality. The best 2x12s will be used for the staircase. Other 2x12 will be cut in half to make 2x6s. Many of the 2x10s will be cut to make 2x4s and 2x6s. Most of this newly sized lumber will then be used to make new perimeter stud walls.
	© 2008 Recycle Ann Arbor. All rights reserved. Questions? Email us at info@environmentalhouse.org.