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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.
Sharkstar-
Yep they're coming out almost as new so I assume they are stainless. I didn't put the deck in, it was here when we bought the place 13 years ago, surprised it has lasted so long. Looking forward to replacing it with paving and making it smaller but that will have to wait until lockdown is ended.
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I like these, have them on my front and back steps - I've had to replace a few boards and have had no trouble pulling them out.
https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/hardware/fasteners/screws/wood-screws/69600-grk-fasteners-rss-screws
Greenbank
withered_preacher
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.