On 2/24/2012 7:39 PM, Brian Kemp wrote:
> Any tips for removing screws holding down deck boards? They are black
> drywall type screws about 3" long. Most were countersunk, covered
> with putty, then the deck was painted. I'm near the ocean, so most
> are also very rusted.
>
> I took out one row of boards last night. I started with a small
> screwdriver to pop out the putty, then used a broken dental pick to
> scrape out the screw head. I then blew it out and hammered in a P2
> bit. I slipped on the impact driver with a magnetic bit holder,
> leaned into it, and pulled the trigger. 1/3 came out, 1/3 snapped,
> and 1/3 were too rusted and stripped the head. Snapped is ok. I then
> used pry bars and muscle to get the boards out. Since there is
> significant rot in some of the joists, some came out easy. My concern
> is damaging the joists that are not rotted.
With a drill bit slightly larger than the shaft of the screw, drill out
the head. The drill should auto center and quickly separate the head of
the screw from the shaft. Then just pry out as if the head had snapped
on its own. You'll need a pair of vise grips to remove the remains of
the head from drill bit and the the remaining shaft from the joist. You
can either unscrew the shaft or bend it back an forth to remove.
One other technique, more crude but works if there are only a few
stubbord screws. Remove all the screws you can then pound on the end of
the decking board. The screws will shear.
Finally since you have a row off and may have access, just
buy/rent/borrow a reciprocating saw. Just run a metal cutting blade
between the decking and the joint.
Peter Thomas
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