The deck is about 1200 sq. feet and 19 years old?, & a little warped in some places. We tried to screw several of them down to be flush at least, but they just spun, instead of catching. Would it help if we put new screws in other places, Or is there a way to cut the screw heads off? The rental place will charge us $2 for each one hit with their sander.
2007-06-27 00:24:07 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
We tried to hammer a couple in and they just bent or broke.
2007-06-27 00:31:34 · update #1
The first thing I suspect is that the spinning is caused by screws rusted through, at some point below the surface allowing that the NON threaded part at the head; spins.
I've installed a lot of decks in my time, and the customer hopefully realizes that WOOD, unlike Concrete is subject to the environment.
Any cordless drill with a magnetic bit holder should help back out any such screws as well as any still remaining in any stage of intact.
The next step I'd probably go through is replacing every screw with new/galvanized/longer/Decking screws,,,IF in fact the old ones are just broken off you'll have to relocate the new drilled in screw/hole.
Decking,,,with all due respect, does not have to be counter sunk first, and any WOOD decking at that age is going to be porous enough and split enough to allow that a new screw should Flush with the surface.
I guess my real issue would be WHY sand? At 19 years old you'll only solve the issue in a minor way. The balance of the thickness will still be subject to the same issues even with sealing.
Beyond that any serious warp with the grain, may be enough that screws alone won't pull it back down to the beams. You may have to clamp first. Also any "Cupping" or bowing across the grain will remain an issue no matter how many screws you use.
Steven Wolf
2007-06-27 00:59:37 · answer #1 · answered by DIY Doc 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the previous poster -- Why are you sanding your deck? If it is simply because it is stained and discolored, I would highly recommend washing it instead, using the deck cleaning product made by a company called Flood. My last home had a horrible looking small deck built of pressure-treated wood, stained and and blackened with mildew. I spread the Flood cleaner on all surfaces of it, scrubbed it with a coarse brush and hosed it off -- when it dried it looked almost like new wood. I refinished it with an oil-based stain to seal it and several of my neighbors asked if I had rebuilt it with cedar! Sanding is such a hassle and it won't change the color along the sides or railings so if you refinish it, nothing will match. Stick with the Flood products (they are MUCH better than the commonly found Thompson products.) I think you will be pleasantly surprised and it will be a whole lot less mess and work.
2007-06-27 12:12:10 · answer #2 · answered by c_kayak_fun 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would remove the screws that are just spinning. To do this get a flat head screw driver and place it under the head of the unwanted screw and gently pry it up as you unscrew it with another screw driver. If you have screws that are sticking up but wont screw in you can hammer it down and use an old screw driver to sink them. Then just add new screws where ever needed. Add wood putty to the holes before you sand.
My fear is that if you are adding new screws that are not catching, you may be missing the support beams or your 19 year old deck may have some rotted wood underneath.
2007-06-27 07:32:14 · answer #3 · answered by lawlis1971 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I would try removing a few of the boards in different places and check for dry rot. There may not be enough wood left in the stringers or floor joist to take new screws. You may find that you need to replace the deck completely. If the joists are rotted do not just replace the boards you are just looking for an accident when someone falls through the floor.
2007-06-27 07:55:22 · answer #4 · answered by Roy C 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were prolly the wrong screws for the job originally that is why they keep spinning not to mention the age of the deck . You can cut them with a saws-all and then you need to replace them in another area of the board , noting the age of the deck I would start from scratch and rebuilt .
2007-06-27 07:39:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is pretty pointless. To properly make them sub surface you must counter sink. cutting off the screw heads will weaken the deck. the reason that they stripped is because the head is hitting and holding the wood. THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE DESIGNED TO DO!
Your best bet would be to burn out the screws. Soak the entire deck with gasoline and light it on fire. You won't have any problems with those pesky screws anymore.
2007-06-27 07:34:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Use a hammer and hammer them them down.
2007-06-27 07:26:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋