Hi all,

The house I purchased (built in 1939) has great original oak floors. They are face-nailed planks, 2 inch wide (not tongue and groove, just square on the edges). However, in the dining room there is a water stain about 2 feet wide. While doing some work in one of the bedroom closets, I decided to pull up the flooring from the closet to replace the damaged planks in the dining room. This way I can be sure that the stain and finish match well. (I am going to put new planks in the closet and try to stain match them the best I can). I was able to remove the planks without damage (a lot of careful prying!). Now I am wondering, what is the best way to reinstall the planks? Can I use the same nail holes, and do I have to fill them first? Will the ends of the boards split if I try that?

Lastly, there was a kind of corrugated wax paper under the original flooring. I am assuming it is some kind of moisture barrier. Can someone tell me if I need to reinstall that paper before putting down the new flooring, and also what the paper called so I know how to find it to buy it? ( in case it matters, the subflooring is planks, not plywood).

Thanks in advance for the advice!
-Jake