Countersunk all my deck screws too deep and ruined 12 boards

Was building a deck in June and got carried away with the impact driver. Drove every screw a quarter inch below the surface and split the wood around half of them. Had to rip out and replace 12 boards at $15 each. Anyone else ever wreck lumber by overdriving?

2 comments

2 Comments

john_cooper17d ago

Last summer I hit a knot with my impact driver on a pressure treated 2x6 and it blew out a chunk the size of my thumb. Took me longer to patch that one board with wood filler than the whole rest of the deck. What nobody tells you about countersinking is the wood moisture matters a ton. If the lumber is still wet from the lumber yard it'll split way easier when you drive too deep.

dylanmurray17d ago

Ha, I always blamed the Impact driver but you're RIGHT, moisture is the real culprit.