What is this metal thing keeping my deck together?
July 18, 2016 12:51 PM   Subscribe

Just moved into a new place, and low and behold, I noticed several planks of my deck walls have come loose. What are these metal things that were used to connect them? Some kind of stable? And can I just reattach the board by hammering a few nails in there? How would I get the old staple things out? Disclaimer: I am not handy at all. Like, I get splinters from LEGO.
posted by cacofonie to Home & Garden (12 answers total)
 
Response by poster: Sorry, photos here.
posted by cacofonie at 12:51 PM on July 18, 2016


Best answer: Looks like a pneumatically driven staple. You could use nails, but I'd actually clip the staple (if you could), pull it out from the top (ditto), or just bend it over out of the way, and use good ceramic coated screws to re-attach the board.
posted by straw at 12:57 PM on July 18, 2016 [2 favorites]


Yeah, ditto. That staple doesn't seem like it was the best thing to use in the first place. Pull 'em out and replace with a wood screw (or two).
posted by scottatdrake at 1:12 PM on July 18, 2016


Best answer: I've always used stainless steel deck screws. All other stuff is nonsense. Nails especially are crap as a long-term solution on decks.
You select a screw bit that exactly fits the star hole in the screw, you attach it to an electric battery screwdriver thingy, you screw the deck screw in at a selected point. Pulls the boards right onto the support beam (normal screws don't do this nearly as well. You need the long unthreaded neck for that, look at the link above). Easier than Lego, really.

Check if the beam you're screwing the planks onto is still sound, otherwise replace, or have replaced.
posted by Namlit at 1:15 PM on July 18, 2016 [1 favorite]


Best answer: It looks like your deck was built quickly, and with non-resistant fasteners. The problem is that the treated wood is going to eat these staples up, as you have seen. Your best bet is to screw them down with deck screws, and do it to all of the boards. They are just waiting to come up as well.

Because you are not handy, you should solicit some help from someone who is. Offer all the beer they can drink and all the barbeque they can eat, in return for their help.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 1:27 PM on July 18, 2016


The board has warped and pulled loose. Pound back in to place with a hammer. Secure with deck screws. This is why you need a cordless drill.
posted by theora55 at 1:32 PM on July 18, 2016


Namlit has it. Decking screws in stainless for a one-time fix, but only if the timber you are screwing into is sound. Have a good look, push a screwdriver in, or better still have a mate who knows a bit about timber look at it. Because staples are such lousy fasteners in this situation, the chances are good that your timber is ok.
posted by GeeEmm at 3:28 PM on July 18, 2016


Googling, I see that actual stainless steel deck screws do exist, but they're significantly more expensive than the Deckmate brand I usually use. And seeing as I've never seen a stainless steel deck screw in a deck in the wild, but have seen plenty of regular old screws outlasting the wood they're holding together, and it sounds like you're probably renting, anything called a "deck screw" will suffice plenty.
posted by cmoj at 5:46 PM on July 18, 2016


Response by poster: Awesome, thanks!

I can handle a drill, I think. Will go off to the hardware store tomorrow and come back with an update.
posted by cacofonie at 8:06 PM on July 18, 2016


I've never used stainless deck screws, just the green or brown finished ones. Never had a problem with them not lasting after decades in the wood.
posted by fimbulvetr at 9:53 AM on July 19, 2016


My recommendation for ceramic coated screws comes from having worked with stainless screws and found them soft: If you use stainless, pre-drill your holes, because the stainless is soft enough that I've had trouble with square-drive heads deforming.
posted by straw at 10:53 AM on July 19, 2016


Response by poster: Ok, awesome. So I pulled out the staples. It was a bit tricky because they were really deep into the wood. So I found a skinny rock, put them under the staple ends, and wacked on the board. That popped out the head of the staple just enough so that I could yank them out with a plier.

Then I just used the deck screws as indicated and voila. The wood is warping a little - the edges are curling so only the middle part could make direct contact, but I put one screw in the middle and it seems pretty solid.

Thanks again for the help.
posted by cacofonie at 3:06 PM on July 25, 2016 [2 favorites]


« Older How to get over shame from post-breakup behavior?   |   Did my carpet cleaner just tell me he was on drugs... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.