Unscrewing a deck

[Roy G]

I built a deck a few years ago and screwed the deck boards down. The boards are 8' long and have 21 screws in each one. I need to get under the deck and the only way is to remove some of the boards. I have tried to unscrew them, but I can't get them to budge. These screws were the ones that have some sort of ceramic coating on them and are a sort of medium green in color. Has anybody out there successfully gotten screws out of deck boards? Right now, I have a reversible drill and a brace and bit, so I am not overwhelmed with options. Would an impact driver work, do you think?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Roy G

[FredP]

I think an impact driver will work fine.

[SubGuy]

Hammer Drive would work if you could borrow one.

[Gotcha6]

Impact driver and patience. Impacts don't cam out on the screw heads, but you may break a few heads off. If they are the regular #2 Philips heads, be sure to get impact rated bit tips so they don't shatter. If you are using screws that had a tip furnished by the manufacturer, be sure to use theirs. Some manufacturers are using T20 or T30 Torx bit tips and others are using a Philips tip closely akin to a #3 Philips.

[Phil S]

An Impact Driver will work well. The correct driver bit is the most important. Most likely those screws are Posidriv and need to be removed with a posidriv bit. Posidriv screws are very similar to phillips but a normal phillips driver will cam out if the screw is tight and may damage the screw enough that even the right bit won't get it out. Posidrive screws are identified by lines/slight grooves in the head set 45 degrees from the normal slot. Posidrive bits are available online and from most industrial suppliers

[cpw]

I built a deck a few years ago and screwed the deck boards down. The boards are 8' long and have 21 screws in each one. I need to get under the deck and the only way is to remove some of the boards. I have tried to unscrew them, but I can't get them to budge. These screws were the ones that have some sort of ceramic coating on them and are a sort of medium green in color. Has anybody out there successfully gotten screws out of deck boards? Right now, I have a reversible drill and a brace and bit, so I am not overwhelmed with options. Would an impact driver work, do you think?

I had something similar a couple years back when I took the crazy hand rail down from my folks' handicapped ramp. The builder used three different types of screws. I got most of them with an 18v cordless and the right bits. Most of the screws that were left I ended up using a wonderbar, then the board itself as a lever and worked them until either the head or the threads pulled through the wood. I ended up using the sawzall on a couple and tried to leave enough of a stump to extract them with pliers.

[gazzer]

I ended up using the sawzall on a couple and tried to leave enough of a stump to extract them with pliers.

I have used a sawzall with success. If you can get under the deck, use small wedges to raise a space to insert the blade. This is close to a last resort solution but if you just can't get them out with a driver, it works great.

-G

[Roy G]

Thanks for all your replies. i ended up getting the Craftsman hand impact tool and it worked very well. It either loosened the screw so it could be removed or turned it inside the wood so it pulled out when I lifted up the deck board. My only issue was some of the heads were sort of rounded and my driver bit when I was screwing them out didn't grab correctly. But most came right out.

Roy G

[CaptnA]

an easy out should take care of any that didn't come out with the right bit. I've had great success with a left handed drill bit and easy out, if you need to finish cleaning out the boards. often the left handed bit brings the screw out without needing the easy out.

[Gotcha6]

I keep a set of Craftsman Screw Extractors in my drill case. When installing commercial doors on metal jambs, occasionally one will cam out and leave an unsightly head, or cross thread in the hole. The extractors have left handed drill bits with a hex shank and a tapered do hickey (technical term) that grabs the screw when extracting. On deck screws, I'd just drill off the heads and pry up with a flat bar. Then you can work them out with Vise Grips or cut them off.