Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - how to pull up old deck boards?

hello all...

i am trying to pull up the deck boards on my old deck and replace them with new PT deck boards and am having a heck of a time getting the nailed down boards loose. the nails are all rusted, and it is nearly impossible to get leverage under the nails and pull them up.

the braces underneath the deck are in great shape, so i plan on keeping them and just installing the new floor, so any advice will be greatly appreciated.

also, can anyone recommend good deck screws to replace the nails in the floor?

thanks in advance...

slade stalcup

You're probably dealing with either ring-shank or spiral-shank nails. They aren't going to pull very easily. Cut the decking off next to the joists on both sides, break out the little piece of wood left over the joist, then use a Sawzall to cut off, or just break off the nails.

Use standard 3" galvanized deck screws to put the new boards down with. I would suggest Fast-Taps, but, at $200 a box, you probably don't want to hear that!!

thanks for the quick reply..

they really have $200 screws???!!!!!!

My suggestion is to use galvanived square drive screws (2 or 2 1/2 inch for 5/4 deck boards and 3 inch for 2x pt). They are very difficult to strip, and they remove easier than anything else.
fred

The easy wayy to get the boards up is to make two rip cuts down the middle of the board. Try to cut between the nails so the piece can be lifted out. Now you have enough room to work on the nailed pieces. The nails may come out, just pull through, or the boards split. As was suggested, just cut them off with a recip saw if they will not come out.

Evil Orange has 3 inch stainless deck screws. Work great. They are square drive (at least the ones iI purchased) so get the right tip to drive them.

Yes, Fas-Taps are $200/box. I won't use them on redwood, but won't use anything else on Trex, unless I'm installing it with clips, so there are no face screws.