[Turtle Productions Ltd]

Hi Jeremy

We’ve just put our first Ipe deck down and, with Amy’s post above, found two boards starting to cup within days following the recent heat-wave we’ve had in the UK. We solved the problem by soaking the board (it then laid nearly flat), strapping the underside of the board (yes, it wasn’t on a beam) and then screwing up into the cup ends to pull them down. Once this repair was effected, a little light sanding on one side and then oiling sealed the deck.

When we get our next project, I’m seriously considering Amy’s advice of sealing all four sides pre laying.

Best regards,

Mark

http://www.turtleproductions.co.uk

[Turtle Productions Ltd]

No Karl, never really suffer from broken screws to be honest (and that’s using B & Q cheapies as bulk purchases) nor have the need to remove deck-boards sympathetically. If a deck needs to come up, generally its old and needs replacing, so the boards can be beasted out if necessary.

I’d further suggest that the primary failure with screw heads is people not torqueing down their drills so as not to damage the head in the first place. By not over-torqueing the screw, the screw then sits at deck-board surface level rather than being driving into the wood which should mean it comes out easily? Coupled with an un-worn screwdriver bit of course set on slow speed for precision withdrawal rather than normal drill speed.

[Turtle Productions Ltd]

If the head is sunk into the deck-board and you can get no purchase on it, I’d drill the head out using a metal bit slightly wider than the shaft so that as you drill in, the head shears off. Once the board has been removed, effectively ripped off this remaining screw, you can get purchase using pliers.

If you’ve got the screw part-way out but buggered the head, pliers will grip.

If you’ve buggered the head, you might get a straight hand screwdriver in to loosen the screw enough to get pliers or mole-grips onto it for removal.

Hope this helps?

Mark

Turtle Productions

[Author]

Posts