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The Savage Tack Hammer
Anyone
who has renovated a farmhouse or cottage built between 1880
and 1940 knows there's a strong possibility that the floor coverings
may be oilcloth, linoleum or congoleum. These were chosen for
their durability and their low cost relative to the fine wood
overlays or the imported rugs typically found in more expensive
homes of that time. These more cost-effective materials were used
to cover the rough-sawn floorboards typically found in new construction
and were considered a step up from simply painting the boards,
which was common previous to their availability. Often, oilcloth
coverings were painted with the same designs, patterns and stenciling
treatments as was found on the floorboards in earlier homes.
Removal of these coverings often leads to discussion about how
it was originally fastened down. In some cases, the coverings
were nailed with a vengeance using the demon carpet tack (a
small blue nail with an oversized head and an extremely sharp
point), usually at 1" intervals or less to prevent the
thin covering from rising at the edges. Anyone who has ever
installed or removed such tacks usually has three thoughts while
doing so: "Why so many?", "My goodness, aren't
those little points sharp?" and "How do you hold these?", as
having more than one in the hand at a time sometimes caused
substantial skin punctures.
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