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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?
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john_cooper2mo 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.
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dylanmurray2mo ago
Ha, I always blamed the Impact driver but you're RIGHT, moisture is the real culprit.
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the_robin1mo ago
Gonna disagree a little here. In my experience, dry lumber is way more brittle and splits faster than green wood. Wet wood has enough flex to take a screw without cracking, even near the edge or a knot. Could just be the specific pressure treated stuff you got though, your mileage may vary.
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