Oh my aching back!

[chris jung]

Hi, I'm a homeowner and I'm doing some work on my floor (Short synopsis of my project: squeaky floor (sub floor is 1/2" ply, over that tongue & groove oak). The downstairs ceiling is finished and I don't have access to the floor from below. I'm putting in some Squeek-No-More screws to see if that will help and will also put in some countersunk dry wall screws with wooden plugs in strategic locations). I'm doing this project a little at a time (5 to 10 screws per day) but it's killing my back. Last summer I spend several weeks removing staples & nails after ripping out 30 year old carpeting from our downstairs oak floor (three rooms and a hallway) without any problem. But I strained my back a little a week ago and working on the floor is aggravating it. Any hints on how to sit / kneel / hold the tools to reduce the strain?

Chris

[Bob]

I've been kneeling and holding tools for a long, long time. I use Lady Spenco 3/4 length orthotic arch support and a gardeners kneeling pad, but the most important thing is to not be overweight.

[Commodore Joe Redcloud©]

Buy a back brace. They are not very expensive. From now on wear it BEFORE your back starts to hurt.

Commodore Joe Redcloud©

[barry]

Maybe that's why there are drivers with long handles and strip-fed screws to enable screwing down flooring while standing? :')

Let me suggest that you forget the brittle drywall screws. Think "deck screws"- made of much tougher steel with thicker shanks, and typically have "combo" drive capability. Can be driven with square/phillips/combo driver bit. You'll have the devil's own time snapping one of them. And you can normally drive them in flush without predrilling- Dewalt DW257 driver can drive them to set-depth same as drywall screws.

HTH, J

[Phisherman]

Give your back a rest/recovery period, maybe a month. Some daily slow Tai-chi exercises help, but avoid movements or activity that induces pain. Swimming is excellent. Never twist (your back) and lift objects. Take time to heal--your back is more important than a few squeaky floor boards.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Don't use drywall screws. They are too brittle and won't take the stress very well. Deck screw are the best. Check out

for good ideas on that. Knee pads are a big help.

[James "Cubby" Culbertson]

Ditto. I've always had a strong back and last summer, threw it out for the first time. I tried to work through it but just made matters worse. Gave myself a week or two break from the heavy stuff and voila, back doing back breaking work with no problems. The key is giving yourself time to heal.... Cheers, cc

[Choise76Smu]

"chris jung" in news:F8qzf.88038$ [e-mail]:

might try sliding around laying stomach down on one of those ottoman things or a styrong box (like upside down recycling bin)

[chris jung]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm doing a lot of walking (doctor's advice is to keep moving - bed rest is the worse thing to do) and my back is much better.

On a tangent, can anyone give me a web page explaining the properties of the different types of screws/fasteners? I see on the McFeely's web site, they list collated quickdrive screws for drywall and simple drywall screws for example but don't explain the advantages or differences of one over the other. Googling on "different kinds of screws" (and other variations with the word "screw") just doesn't get me the right information - if you know what I mean.

Chris

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Yes, they are both intended for drywall, not for decks or floors. They are not up to the task. Don't cheap out on something that requires so much labor and will be difficult to repair in a couple of years when they start to snap. Deck screws, Use deck screws.

Quickdrive required a special driver. You can call McFeelys for information. They make Quickdrive DECK screws also.

You can see the system here

[hallerb]

hopefully he is using a power driver like a screw gun. by hasnd such a project would be a killer

[mm]

Can't give advice, but I know from experience that backs do heal, even if it takes years. Mine got gradually better, after I jogged for 3 months with shoes that looked good but were crummy. (I'd never actually seen good shoes.)

This time healing might have been delayed (I"m no longer sure in what order these events happened.) by driving a car with a worn out bench seat. (15 years old). I actually went to an orthopedist, and after he took xrays and saw that there was no damage, he sort of seemed to lose interest. I asked if having a bad chair at work could cause my pain, and he said no. What about a bad car seat (It never felt right when getting out of the car when I got to work) but he said No. What about my mattress. No. My posture, No. And yet it hurt. Not sure if getting the next car was what made the pain go away, but it did.

And again 15 years later after I repeatedly kicked a piece of sidewalk to try to move it. Since I was sitting down at the time, I didn't think I would hurt my back. Big mistake, but I stopped getting twinges after about 3 months, except for maybe one every 4 months. The pain has never been great-- I'm just concerned that either it should get better or maybe that means it will get worse.

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[chris jung]

Actually I got a brainstorm to do this very thing on Tuesday. I grabbed a plastic storage bin, slid it in place and rested my torso on top. This set-up worked surprisingly well. In fact I think my drilling & work was straighter since I didn't have any tension in my back traveling up to my shoulders & arms. The other thing is that my back was getting stretched out gently and even felt better after I did the work. The bin was easy to slid around and it was at a good height (I could hold the drill & tools in a fairly natural way).

Thanks for all the advice and ideas.

Chris

[mm]

I look forward to seeeing you on late night tv, selling your invention.

(Of course you need special handles and holes in it, and a catchy name.)

P&M

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