Removing stripped wood screws

My deck sucks. The frame appears to be sound and sturdy, but the deck boards are shot. We believe the deck is less than 10 years old. It's 5/4 pine, and is not treated, or if it is, was treated poorly as there is no hint of treatment, the wood is yellow throughout. Several boards are rotted inside, and we have found some ants, possibly carpenter ants. Almost all the boards are cracking and splitting. We believe that a previous owner probably built the deck on the cheap in preparation of selling the home.

My plan is to remove all the decking and replace with Trex.

Now the problem. All the decking is attached with #2 Phillips wood screws. So far 90% of the heads have either stripped or twisted right off.

How the hell do I remove this screws so I can get the deck boards off to replace them?

Thanks

Reply to
Josh
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ine, and is

Cut the boards between the joists and rip them up. Grind the screws off level with the joists. Apply your Trex.

This all assumes, of course that the joists are treated and in good shape.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Josh,

This tool is intended for nailed down boards, but I think in your case you may have to think about this anyway:

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|1489995901 I bought one last year and it is fantastic at removing decking boards. Screws are not intended to be pulled out, but this can pull em out. You will have to be careful about the holes that might leave in the joists. Othewise, you may have to cut the boards in place and split them around the scews so you can grab them with a vice grip pliers, which may break the screws off anyway. Read the literature on this tool and decide for yourself. After using it on my deck last year, I felt it was one of the best investments I ever made in a tool. But I probably will never have another use for it.

B
Reply to
DIMwit

If you can break the board away from around them, Vise-grips? Can you tighten the screw and drive it through the board, on the ones where head hasn't broken off? It will be labor-intensive, but you can always saw down the middle of each joist bay, and rock the now-short boards to get the screw to break off. If you can find a small core bit with a depth stop, you could drill around the screws to remove the boards, and just snap them off. I assume you will be using one of those invisible clip systems to fasten the Trex down?

-- aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers

google for: removing stripped wood screws

Reply to
AZ Nomad

Josh wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@drn.newsguy.com:

Use a nail puller and drive it under the head chipping away wood. Pull out if possible. If not, get the end of a crowbar under the head. May have to chip away more wood with the nail puller to be able to get the crowbar under it. It's gonna leave a coarse hole where the screw thread was in.

I've never used one but there is a Shark Nail Puller. Pics make it look like a nail puller with crowbar handle. Longest is 15" from the little I looked. General purpose nail puller then using a 3' crowbar gives lotsa leverage. Possibly needed for a threaded screw. Gets out 16d coated nails is what I can attest to.

Reply to
Red Green

Craftsman has a bit set that could back out stripped screws provided the head is not broken. It doesn't work all the time but worth a try if you have many stripped screws to back out.

For screws that isn't stripped, try an impact driver instead of a drill.

For broken heads you could use a small hole saw than remove the remaining screw with a vice-grip after moving the board.

Reply to
Frank

pine, and is

DerbyDad has the right idea.

Run a circular saw across the deck boards parallel to the joists about an inch away from the joists. Move to the next joist and cut all the deck boards again (lather, rinse, repeat) all the way across the deck. this will leave you with each piece of deck board about 16" long assuming joists are spaced 16"OC. Then you can lift up each board by the long end to pry it loose from the screws.

Some screws will snap off and a few might pull out. The ones that are left (most of them) can either be cut off with a grinder or a big pair of wire cutters. I usually snap them off by wacking the side with a hammer or grabbing them with pliers. You will drive yourself insane trying to 'unscrew' them if they are stripping.

Reply to
Limp Arbor

blade under it and just cut the screws off with your sawz-all .

Reply to
benick

Why not sell it to the poster - It can't cost $59.95 for shipping.

Reply to
hrhofmann

anyway:

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Why not sell it to the poster - It can't cost $59.95 for shipping.

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I thought about that, but after my reply, he got several other good ideas that may work out better and not damage the joists as pulling screws out might.

Reply to
DIMwit

anyway:

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While the Duckbill Deck Wrecker may be the way to go, another thing you might try is a small hole saw with the center drill removed, that is intended to make a hole slightly bigger than the screw heads. Run it over the screw heads to about 3/8 - 1/2 deep and then grab the head with a vice grip and for most of them you will be able to remove the screws. I am afraid that there would be too much colateral damage to the frame with the Duckbill Deck Wrecker.

Reply to
Rich Greenberg

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