Currently in the process of having a new pacific mahogany hardwood deck installed. They have noticed after it has now been screwed down that half of the boards are bowed. They are going to unscrew and fix them by moving them slightly to get them to line up better. The question I have is by doing that, won’t the screw holes underneath be loose as they will be just moving the boards a little and kind of screwing partially into the existing holes. I’m thinking they will lift over time. I asked the builder this but they said it will be fine. Any advice, thanks.
Hard to really know the fault which caused the problem, or the level of fix being implemented and whether or not its going to cause a problem with no images or example. How much are they moving them?
I believe they will be moving them slightly to correct the bow in the middle. I uploaded a photo. It’s half the boards towards the right hand side. Might be hard to see from the photo
Is there a bow in each board or are you talking about an overall bow in the deck? Not clear in photos. Also when you say ‘bow’ do you mean an upward bow or that they are bowing sideways ie they’re not laid straight?
It’s a sideways bow as in not a straight line. The middle section curves towards the left. So if you run a string line along the board it’s not straight. It’s straight until around halfway then starts to have a curve which is continued the rest of the way along until it meets the house wall. Thanks
Aah. Thought it must be. Let them take it up and relay if they’re happy to. Shouldn’t be any issue with the fixings. Check the slats after. Depending on whether they’ve drilled and countersunk them then a screw head picking up on the timber and damaging it on the way out would be more of a concern if anything.
What screw system were they using? - you'll want to watch out, if coloured screws are used, that they aren't wrecked after a second insertion and stick out like sore thumbs.
The bow on some of these boards can be significant, so you might find that hey are being screwed back in 10 to 20mm fiurther along the joist - which is plent of meat to hold them firm. This is the reason I went with coposite...
Thank you. They did say if it is close they will screw on a slight angle. I hope it all works out. I was going to go composite, it’s such a massive space though and it goes all around the corner where there is no light. I was worried as my friends went moldy so I wasn’t sure
I am not sure how they could do it without taking up the lot and starting again. But is the fact that they are not dead straight really that much of an issue for you? It is wood after all!
Yes, your concern is genuine. If the decking boards are unscrewed and repositioned to address the bowing issue, there is a potential risk that the screw holes may become compromised. Reusing the same holes for screws that have been slightly shifted might result in the screws having less grip and stability, potentially leading to a weaker connection between the decking boards and the underlying structure.