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| Member |
Deck is at least 40 years old but I believe the foundation is solid. I have a great Bosch drill but all the Utube videos I watch say to use an impact driver. I don't mind spending the money to buy one if it's worth it. I'll fill all the nail holes and have joist tape and a thirty year old son as a slave  . I've seen deck screws are crazy expensive. Any advice would be appreciated. | ||
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| Member |
How big is the deck and how many boards are you replacing? I've done it with a drill, but if I had a lot to do, IMO a 1/4 cordless impact driver drives Torx head deck screws significantly better than a cordless drill. FWIW, I'd consider ear protection when using an 1/4 impact driver. Not painfully loud but it all adds up. | |||
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| Member |
Replacing all the boards. About 30 ft by 30 ft. Buying from a lumber yard , not Box store. And treads and top rails on the steps. My back is not looking foward to it. | |||
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| Master of one hand pistol shooting  |
One answer. Deck screws with torx drive SIGnature NRA Benefactor CMP Pistol Distinguished | |||
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| Member |
I agree with M1. A 1/4" impact is lighter, better suited to driving deck screws. Torx head is best, get some extra bits. Perfect reason to get another tool. | |||
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Yeah, I'm a sucker for new tools and gadgets. I'll hand them all down to my son. I'm the perfect Jack of all trades, master of none. Son is searching for his first new home, I'll give him a garage full of tools and try to teach him how to use them. | |||
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Member |
You will need (a) a deck board removal tool. this is somewhat like a prybar. (b) two sizes of prybars to remove residual nails or screws after a board is raised off the joists (c) a board bender. this is most important as not even lumber yard wood is straight (d) about 10% more wood than you think you need, for knots, blemishes, and other nonforming nonsense (e) a good miter saw. If you are just cutting boards across their short dimension, a less expensive saw can work. If you are going diagonal boards, lots more work and more care needed. make sure the saw can traverse the full width of any boards on a diagonal. (f) excellent understanding of any frame errors. It may look 90 degrees, but it is likely not. This magnifies itself if you are going diagonal. Set the miter saw angle accordingly. (g) a circular saw. 30 tooth blade. You will be trimming the ends of the deck boards at the end of the side frame boards. Learn to cut across the set of deck boards without steering the saw into the side boards. ------- Trying to simplify my life... | |||
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| Member |
I've already bought this removal tool, https://www.crescenttool.com/a...eck-removal-bull-bar And have plenty of crowbars, pry bars. I'll wait till my lumber is delivered to see if I need a board bender, (watched utube videos how to install slightly warped boards) Any suggestions on brand of impact driver and brand of screws? | |||
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subscribed | |||
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Member |
Go with whatever battery platform you already own. Get extra batteries. Beware of counterfeits. Thus the metric system did not really catch on in the States, unless you count the increasing popularity of the nine-millimeter bullet. - Dave Barry "Never go through life saying 'I should have'..." - quote from the 9/11 Boatlift Story (thanks, sdy for posting it) | |||
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| Member |
IMO, spring for the highest voltage impact driver you are willing to pay for. I have a 10+ year old Rigid (Home Depot brand) that still runs fine. Forget the voltage. Anyway, did a project just as you described a couple of years ago and used it and a friends newer and more powerful Dewalt. The extra umph makes a big difference, especially on those screws going into knots etc... You'd be surprised how often the impact drivers come in handy. Mine if my most frequently used tool. Will be helping a friend build a 16 x 16 deck in the next few weeks. He has a Bauer (Harbor Freight) that I have used on a couple of minor projects. It seems to operate fine. The difference in the performance between the Dewalt and my Rigid is enough that I'm considering upgrading before the deck project. | |||
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| Member |
ETA: you'll be surprised how often you actually use one. My most frequently used tool. | |||
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| Back, and to the left  |
That is true. I have had a Ryobi 1/4 impact that has been my go to for going on 20 years. Just shifted it to an 18V lithium when all the niCads went tits up. | |||
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| Member |
Yes to impact driver. This is your chance to upgrade to lithium-ion brushless tools. The latest greatest. Many Father's day sales coming up. Maybe get a combo pack? Lots of solid choices out there. Not all torx screws are exterior rated. Don't ask how I know this. | |||
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| Member |
Check your e-mail, Schmelby. Regards, Rob __________ "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy." | |||
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| Member |
I used Milwaukee. I found having two on hand was useful. One had torx bit. One had drill bit. I also used an oscillating saw to cut off remaining screws left in the joists as deck boards were pried off. ------- Trying to simplify my life... | |||
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| Thank you Very little  |
Impact driver makes all the difference, I have a small Bosch kit with drill and impact and it does quite a bit of work around the house, came with two batteries that make getting things done easier. | |||
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| Member |
Since I have a Bosch cordless drill I'll probably get a Bosch impact driver. I've always heard they make good products. Love my drill, seems to hold a charge forever. | |||
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Member |
An impact might be marginally the better tool but it's not a "must". I built several decks in the 20x20 range before I ever bought an impact and when I bought one it was really only to buy another tool. I don't use it much because I hate the noise. If I need some extra oomph I'll certainly grab it but soft pine deck boards or composite decking don't require a lot of oomph. If you want the easiest on your back they used to make deck screwdrivers that you could use standing up, kind of a cordless drill on a stick sort of thing. | |||
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