Salvaging tongue & groove paneling

[T.J.]

i need a few tips on how to go about saving some old paneling. 

my uncle has an old house he wants torn down.in 2 rooms it has 3 - 3 1/2" (not sure of the measurements) tongue & groove boards with a decorative groove close to the boards edges.it is on the wall horizontalily. in the other 2  rooms it has 4" tongue &  groove boards without the decorative groove.it is also on the wall horizontalily.the ceiling is also the 4" plain T & G. all of this paneling is southern pine.
 so,does anyone have any advice on how to go about salvaging it? (it may be a stupid question,but) - do i need to try and start at the top & work down or start at the bottom?


any advice would be appreciated.
thanks,
T.J.

[IMERC]

start at the top and work yur way down...

cut the nails w/ a sawzall them remove the boards.. don't try to pry the boards off... lift tip and wiggle
the nails should be finish nails... any nails or portion of nails that are left in the boards continue thru with the nail rather than trying to back them out...

[IMERC]

if the paneling was installed w/ cut nails those will have to be backed out..
if you try to drive the nails with a punch while they are still holding the boards on you'll get a lot of splits and tear outs...

I like to use a foot long metal cutting sawzall blade.. way easier...

[metalspinner]

That's a great idea IMERC.

Just need to be careful with live wires and the Sawzall blade.

[IMERC]

That's a great idea IMERC.

Just need to be careful with live wires and the Sawzall blade.

thanks...

the cutting is done between the backside of the board and the front of stud/firing in order to cut only the nails/fasteners so wires aren't usually an issue but it pays to be careful...

[T.J.]

IMERC,thanks for the help & advice.i apprecite it.
metalspinner, thats good advice. - the power has already been cut off so,i guess i'll have to track down a battery powered sawzall.

thanks again,
T.J.

[Coon]

take a generator to power your sawzall or you will be waitin' on them batteries to charge unless you have three or four of em.   

[Banjo picker]

I have one bedroom in our house that is panneled with large knotty pine that I salvaged from a factory 25 + years ago....Those boards were put up with finish nails 6 or 8's as best as I can rember...I just drove the nail up with a nail set to free the boards...start from the correct side of the wall and you only mess up one board...they were vertically installed and only had 3 nails per board...the top and bottom holes could be covered with moulding only had one slightly large hole per board.....It was in the boys bedroom almost indestructable for a wall....   Tim

[Don_Papenburg]

Don't worry about ,with a Sawzall  they are history .   Get the package of blades called the Torch  or there is one for metal inbedded wood.  I think it is for demolition but I can't think of or if it has a fancy name .

[IMERC]

IMERC,thanks for the help & advice.i apprecite it.
metalspinner, thats good advice. - the power has already been cut off so,i guess i'll have to track down a battery powered sawzall.

thanks again,
T.J.

no problem...
take a generator for corded tools...

that job is way over the top for a cordles...
and a cordless will only slow ya down...