Hi
We are replacing some decking and have the boards delivered. The previous deck was installed by the builder's chippie about 12 years ago. We have started taking the old boards off. The screws, which were invisible before, start half way into the plank and then screw into the base. How on earth is that done?
Thanks Suzanne
Using plugs?
It's usually done with self-countersinking screws. The heads of these bore a hole into the fairly soft planks when screwed in fairly hard.
I've never seen the plugs that Fred linked to, nor seen a deck installed with those, but maybe that's what you have. Or the holes just filled up with dirt over the 12 years?
No, we've been here since they were put in and there were no holes to fill up with dirt. Hubby thinks they went in from the top and the fibres closed over them really well. Will have a good stare at the ones the 18 year has been tasked :) with removing along with the old planks to see if they have the nibs like wood deck screws Fred linked to.
Son and hubby have removed one and a half planks in two hours. A lot of the wood is rotten but looks like a lot is not! Any tips for quick removal as there is a lot more to do? We want to save the base so are afraid of letting the hulklike son just rip them up.
You want a plug cutter, you do. Get a good one, about £15-£20, not some £9.99 crappy set of four. Don't use it on gritty boards or it will become k-nackered.
Once you've got a board or two up, you can either hammer a bolster in sideways and cut the deck screws, or get a bit of 2x4, and lever them up using another piece of timber across the joists, the screws in that case will pull straight through the deck boards.
It's a bit like "secret nailing" but done with screws diagonally through the tongue/groove
Or there are some clip fasteners that don't actually screw into the boards, but clip into the groove.
Or if you need to free a board where its difficult to get any leverage under it, get a small holesaw (say 20mm) and use it to make a hole in a bit of ply. Then you can take the pilot bit out of the hole saw, and use the ply and a centring template (place the hole over where the screw it, stand on the edge of the ply then use the holesaw to cut through the board, but around the screw. The board will then lift off easily leaving a small cylinder of wood round the screw which is easy to split off and let you at the screw.
Yup that will give a fairly close match if you cut the plugs from similar wood and take the time to match the grain.
You might be able to get away with some ready made tapered plugs, and a
10mm lip'n'spur bit to part drill the start of the hole.
I'd be inclined to agree. Many decking screws - such as Spax Wirox decking screws and similar designs - have relatively small heads as they rely more on an upper reverse-thread to hold the board down. If they were sunk a bit deep it wouldn't surprise me if the surrounding timber pushed to one side returns to cover the heads after a few weather cycles.
Well you just drill part way through with a larger drill which has a stop on it so it only goes part way through. Well that is what I did and filled up the little head holes with some kind of resin the same colour as the wood. It can be a swine to get at the bloody heads later on though. Grin. Brian
This is all why I never want decking here. I'm sure it looks nice but as I say the one I do have experience of, despite treated wood did rot in about
15 years. I don't think whoever does these jobs thinks ahead to actually removing the planks. Does anyone make plastic decking? Brian
Yes, there's plenty of composite decking.
Can't see any average jobbing builder bothering to hide deck screws with plugs though
cheek nail them ...
...and this is why we DIY :-)
Maybe your old one was put in by pinning with headless nails from an air nailer. These are virtually invisible from the top on old boards. You would be able to find them with a rare earth magnet.
Indeed, wouldn't it something like double the cost? Especially if you were talking about ribbed board, you would have to "pattern match" the ribs.
To my mind the modern coloured decking screws are not really obtrusive, especially as an impact driver is so controllable that you can set them flush.
Different for mahogany decks on a posh yacht, maybe.
On 05/06/2021 15:48, newshound wrote:> Especially if you were talking about ribbed board I have heard that the boards should be *laid the other way up*....
"Decking timber usually has ridges that run along the length of the board. Also called ?grooves? or ?reeds?. These ridges on the board may face up to provide functionality and aesthetics. Or they may be installed facing down, the orientation recommended by manufacturers as the correct way to install them."
(source: gripclad.co.uk)
I thing they look nicer that way, too.
Most decking board I have seen has "square" grooves on one side and ribs on the other. I know you see it used both ways up. I don't recall seeing any that was flat on one side.
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