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Heh, no problem.
I could saw it up but I've got time on my side and I want to dispose of it nicely. That means separating wood from metal (screws). Smashing/sawing it would make it harder to dispose of at the local tip as they're pretty picky about rejecting wood if it's filled with screws/nails, it just goes in the 'general waste' bin instead. It's 15' x 20' so a fair amount.
Initial attempts at getting the screws out shows I shouldn't have much of a problem. In the 50 or so I've taken out already there was only one that I stripped the head, and I was choosing some of the nastiest looking ones too, the vast majority will be very simple. I did the first 30 odd by hand with a screwdriver with a square head bit, then 20 with the drill before the battery died. The decking was here when we moved in 13 years ago and it's rotting in various places (and I've never powerwashed it) enough that I've put my foot through a couple of times.
The frame might be a different story as it is nailed together from what I've uncovered so far, but if those nails are just at the ends of the main runners/joists then I can deal with those bits separately with a saw or a big fucking hammer.
I was more surprised that there doesn't seem to be a concept of a corded screwdriver. I get that cordless is great for most applications but I guess 800+ screws is a bit niche and any battery solution is going to struggle with that. I also don't want to spend £100 on a cordless solution where a £25 corded solution will work fine. I don't need to use this as a starting point for acquiring a large good quality power tool selection.
Greenbank-
I hope you don't live in Newham.
I very diligently took a lot of screws out of an old wooden frame to put it in the wood "recycling" at Jenkins Lane. I threw in a bit with a bracket on by accident and then asked if I should get it back, and was told "don't worry, it all just gets burned anyway."
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Fair play I'm surprised that the screws are coming out so easily.
Basically the last corded screwguns that were commercially available were collated ones for drylining, even these are mostly cordless these days. Sites don't like cables trailing everywhere. Contractors don't like corded because every corded tool needs pat testing every 6 months, with battery gear it's just the chargers. Tool manufacturers have realised that if you can get a consumer to buy into a battery platform then they are less likely to switch to a competitor.
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I had some scaffolders in who were trying to take up a bit of the decking, rounding all the screwheads with their cordless drills, cursing the lack of crowbar. So I ended up doing it for them with a cheap ratcheting screwdriver. Took a bit of effort and gave me blisters, but there were only a couple that wouldn't come out. Wrenching the boards up as they were trying to do just made it harder as the screws got bent. It wasn't 500 but it was a decent box full.
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Are your screws stainless steel? They’re the recommended choice for decking but most installs I’ve seen don’t use them as they are a bit more expensive. I used stainless on my deck mainly because I had all the problems Bobbo described removing the old ones, and ended up buying a recip saw and cutting it all out. Obviously if the heads are sound unscrewing is a better way to go, but it will take a while. It took me a whole day to put 1,000 screws in, with pilot holes, with two cordless drill drivers, an impact driver, and spare batteries to swap out on the charger.
tbc
Bobbo
hoefla
Sharkstar
I think I've mentioned this to you before, if not to someone with a similar problem. Possibly in an overly brusque manner, if so apologies.
You are better off forgetting taking the screws out if the decking has been in for more than a year. The chances of you managing to remove more than 3 in 5 screws are slim to none.
The big question is are you trying to save the frame of the deck?
If not then cut the whole thing up with a reciprocating saw the one I've linked to is good quality for a cheap tool and will come in useful for other things.
If you're trying to save the frame I'd probably still use the recip. Cut between the joists to remove the bulk of the decking then slide a metal blade between the joist and the decking to cut the screws flush (you may need to loosen the decking a bit first with a hammer or a pry bar).