Best Way to Remove Old Nailed Decking

I currently have a deck comprised of barn boards, which needs to be removed. Someone suggested using a sawzall to cut the nails from underneath. (I do have easy access to the underside of the deck.) I had thought of drilling around each nail with a small hole saw, say 1" size, such that the nail would fall bewteen the saw and the center drill bit. Then remove each plank and saw off the remaining nails (with wood chunks around them) with a sawzall. Isuppose that, while neat, this would be painfully slow. Any other bright ideas? Looks like a lot of work to me no matter how you do it. Frank

Reply to
frank1492
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I removed a dozen deck boards using a nail puller (search on google), made by Crescent. It has an outer sleeve that is manually clunked downward, imbedding the claw-puller around the nailhead. Then the handle is pried laterally, pulling the nail out. Advantage: the boards can be re-used. OTOH, for a project your scale, you might consider pounding near the joists from the underside, using a 5 or 7 lb. sledge, loosening the nails that way, starting from one end of the boards. You can use a 2x4 or 2x6 , end-on, to transmit the blows.

Reply to
Roger

It looks like you are trying to re-invent the wheel. Unless you are trying to salvage the boards you use a wrecking bar (wonder bar, see your local hardware store, is great) and pretty much trash the first board, From there it is just a matter of prying a bit to pop the nails on the next board, pulling the nails and repeat. Also pounding a bit underneath with a sledge will pop the nails enought to pull. Of course if it was nailed with glue coats or spiral nails all bets are off.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

I have found that this works quite well and is fast..

  1. Cut the deck boards on both sides of the joist with a sawzall or chain saw.
  2. Split the remaining wood piece away from the nails.
  3. Draw out the nails/ Cut off the nails or Drive the nails down
Reply to
Gerry

Thanks for the advice. I have no desire to salvage the boards. I will try each method and see what's the easiest for me. (I'll purchase a nail puller at the end if necessary.) Some great ideas here. Frank

Reply to
frank1492

last time i did dad's deck I pulled the 3 nails at the far end of a

12' board grabbed ahold of the end and squated the remainder. pull like hell and they'll all pop. unless someone used rink shank nails then get out the sawzall. Chip
Reply to
Chip Stein

a 6 ft crow bar , easy work, easy job.

Reply to
m Ransley

Good answer!

-- Herb Stein snipped-for-privacy@herbstein.com

Reply to
Herb Stein

Late into the thread, but I'm dying to use this tool:

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When I pulled up the massive deck in our old house, I used two methods. For stuff I didn't want to keep, I cut into convenient 16" pieces, perfect for fires at the beach. I also used the sawzall to cut the nails at the joist and then set my son to work tapping the short nail end out of the boards.

Reply to
Jim Sullivan

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Sorry, I'm late to thread also, but I can attest to the tool mentioned above. It makes it EXTREMELY easy to remove deck boards. I've even been able to pull boards from ring shank nails and even screws on older decks, with the wood a little rotten. It might leave the screw or nail behind, but it's much easier to work with.

I actually welded something together, like this tool, before I knew they made one. Looking at this picture, you MIGHT need a cheater on it for the really tough boards.

But I highly recommend this tool!

Reply to
Amuzed2death

Looks fantastic, but a bit pricey for only one job.

Reply to
frank1492

I replaced the decking on a boat dock a few years ago. The tool I found to work the best was a fence post tamper, with a chisel like end opposite the tamper end. As long as there is a small gap between the boards, it works great. Don't even have to bend over to pry the boards up. It saved a LOT of time and back pain. Good Luck

Reply to
Over40pirate

No gap between these boards, but thanks anyway!

Reply to
frank1492

you burned the old decking? hopefully it wasnt pressure treated wood. nothing says romance like a nice lungful of chemical smoke

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Reply to
Matt Schmanke

In an older building, with a tub/shower combo, the shower surround seems to be panels of a sort of waterproof surface on (what is the 4x8 panel material that looks like pressed cardboard? I can't think of the name). The panels are secured on top and bottom? with aluminum channels, and caulked. Installed over plaster or maybe drywall. These are not a one piece tub surround, or a multipiece tub surround, but individual panels.

Does anyone still make the panels (not a tub surround, but individual panels) for this application? One other problem is the tub surround has

5'4" dimension as the long one, rather than 5'0".

charles

Reply to
Charles Bishop

Is it me or what ? The guy recomends a fence tamping tool ,tells you how easy it was . Only draw back was you need space between the boards. Your reply was no space thanks anyway.

Need I point out the obvious ??? Did you ever think to remove one board first ? Now you have a space. If need be use a small block of wood to support the bar if the new space you just created is to wide. Something as long as the tamping bar will give you plenty of leverage and like the guy said it will save your back. Bill

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BTW , If you get around to putting the new boards, Leave a space between them so the water drains well and the air circulates

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replying to Harry K, Sailingflutist wrote: You're right about blasted spiral nails, UNLESS the joists below are rotten. My joists must be REAL good cause using the wonder bar with hammer just rips the nail head through the wood. Too bad cause the bottom is still smooth with no cracks and treatment still evident. I could otherwise still get several years worth of use. I am going to try that 6ft 2x4 with 2 ft 2x4 cross piece I read about. Place 2 fter about 1 ft from end of 6 fter (flat of 2 fter against edge of 6 fter) making cross and lever up from side but I might need to use 2x6. Probably start w/2x6.

Reply to
Sailingflutist

replying to Jim Sullivan, Sailingflutist wrote: Jim, being in WA those deck boards must be treated/wolmanized. In MI it is illegal to burn such, esp the older as it puts off cyanide when burned. Be careful.

Reply to
Sailingflutist

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