Repairing a deck is another good DIY project. In this tutorial, I will show you how to replace deck boards.
Always read and follow the manufacturers directions before using any tool. Tools are inherently dangerous. Failure to follow the instructions included with the tool may lead to personal injury or death. You also may exposed to chemicals used to treat the wood and other stuff that you want to avoid breathing, rusty fasteners can also harm you. Learn about & use proper PPE (Personal Protection Equipment). You’ve been warned. With the legal stuff out of the way, follow along as we repair a deck.
Tools that may be needed: Pry bar, crow bar, cat paw, hammer, pencil, square, knee pads, circular saw or hand saw, screw gun, tape measure, scrap wood to pry on & a radio.
This is what happens when the wrong fastener is used. The builder should have used galvanized ring shank nails in their Bostich nail gun.
I use a cat paw (mini pry bar) to pull the nails out of the board.
Once you have removed enough nails you can use your pry bar and/or crowbar to lift the board out. Use scrap lumber to pry on to protect the adjacent board & increase your leverage. Because straight shank nails were used, this board lifted out easily.
Clean off any debris left on the joists and measure the opening. This board needs to be 95 1/2”.
In this picture I have stopped cutting to show the use of the square as a guide for a straight cut. Of course the square is held by hand during the cut, KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM THE BLADE.
The board has been cut to length and placed in the opening. Use the cat paw or a 16D nail to set the side gap equally.
For this repair I am using Deckmate Screws to install the new deck boards and refastening some of the other boards. These screws use a Torx bit to drive them and a bit is included with the package of screws.
Here I am using a DeWalt screw gun to screw the board down. All screws should be long enough to penetrate the joist at least 1”. Keep the screws (or nails) approx 3/4” from the edge of the board to avoid splitting it.
Counter sink the screw slightly below the surface (1/16”) as the pressure treated wood will shrink as it dries.
If you are concerned about hitting the joist, you can use any straight edge as a guide.
This board is done. On to the next we go.
This 16’ board only needs 4’ replaced. We start by prying up the deck board 1 joist PAST where we want to make the cut.
Here you can see how I supported the board for the cut. I cut through the nails with a carbide tooth saw blade. WEAR eye and ear protection, maybe a mask too (remember learn about PPE). Fasten the end of this board, measure & cut the replacement just like we did on the first board.
If you’d rather be out fishing or doing something more exciting, give me a call at 1 866 511 7446, I’d be happy to take care of it for you.
Use of the proper fasteners would have made this project never happen.
