What technique would you use to cut out a single rotted 2×6 deck board in the field without cutting into the adjacent boards? I would get some cut with a circ saw, depth set to 1.5″, above a joist, but then what do you finish the cut with? Do I use a treated 2×6 to go in its place? The board will get stained/painted.
Matt
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How are they attached? Unless there was something on top of it I think I would take up the whole board and replace it, if not then cut it where it lands in joist after taking it up.
Sawzall, multimaster, chisel.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Fein multimaster Far and away the neatest option. No chipping or splintering. If you undercut the ends a bit then it is easy to fit in the patch.
>>>>If you undercut the ends a bit then it is easy to fit in the patch.Yep. And thereby leave a nice little cavity under there for dirt to collect and hold moisture. Making a nice little rot farm on both ends of your patch.=0)
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength. ~~ Eric Hoffer
Do you think that butting the boards tight together will keep the ends dry? I doubt that it will make a significant difference.
If that is a concern on an existing deck perhaps you should consider finishing the cut ends of both old and new boards with the same finish as the deck surface. Was this done on the rest of the deck when it was oroginally laid. I doubt it.
How is dirt to get between the ends if the top surface is tight. I am only suggesting a 2 degree back cut to ease installation and give a nice tight fit where it counsts for appearance sake.
Yes, a tight fit is better than a gap.Coating the ends of the wood patch and joining faces will slow rot down, but not eliminate it in that situation.Completely removing the entire board and replacing it is the best approach.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength. ~~ Eric Hoffer
All we can ever do is slow rot down.
Too too true.=0)
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength. ~~ Eric Hoffer
> perhaps you should consider finishing the cut ends of both old and new boards with the same finish as the deck surface. Was this done on the rest of the deck when it was oroginally laid ....
Actually, my grandfather used to build porches by cutting everything out, and painting it all before putting it together. Of course this was back in the 1920's - 30's, the days of oil and lead.
-- J.S.
Agree with rasconc. If it is a typical deck, the boards are not t&g, so back out the screws or use a cat's paw to pull the nails, then replace the whjole thing.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
If it's T&G, or has no gap between it and the adjacent pieces, you could rip out a fairly wide strip of it between the fasteners, stopping just short of the ends and just a hair short of nicking the joists. This you can smash and pry out with a flat bar and sledge, relieving the horizontal pressure on the remaining parts. Now you have better access to get the outboard edges pried out.
-- J.S.
I agree with the take-the-whole-board-out approach. Last deck I worked on there was some rotting deck boards and the joists underneath were even worse, so I'd wanna look at the whole thing.
If it's screwed then you can just unscrew it or if it's nailed you can just use a nail puller as was suggested already. Or since it's just a 2x6 you can run a saw and rip it down the center all the way as far as you can go to the butt joint on each side so you don't touch the other good boards and then stick a pry bar inside the cut and just rip the board out.
At the ends the board will just snap and your done. This way you don't even touch the other good board with the pry bar.
I have cut out deck boards with a jig saw i cut the blade to the same depth as the deck board and doesn't cut the joist and the cut is neat and easy to control
That sounds like a good way to finish the cut. The customers only want to replace 1 section of board (the visibly rotted part), instead of replacing the entire 18' or so which runs the entire lenght of the deck. I just want to know the techniques to finish a clean cut. The back bevel also sounds like a good idea, so the new butt joint is tight. The deck boards are screwed from the top.