Demolishing Your Deck in 7 Steps

Deck boards are commonly built from bottom to top, and you should follow the same strategy for removing one. Deconstructing it is the easiest way is to reverse the order of your deck’s initial assembly.

Take Down the Handrails
Once you clear your deck, begin by removing the rails. Work from one side of your deck to the other. Start with the top railings, the balusters, and the bottom rails.

Pry off the Deck Boards
The best way of removing deck boards is to start on one side. To do so, pull the deck boards up and go one-by-one to the other side of the deck. You can remove the screws using a pry bar and claw hammer. Don’t forget to collect your nails and screws.

Cut the Deck Frame
Use a reciprocating saw to cut the frame apart from the board fastened to the home. Take it slowly and allow the weight to pull it away from the house. After removing all of the deck boards, now’s the turn of the mainframe board connected to the house. Stack deck boards of similar size together for better organization.

Cut Joists Off
The next part is to cut the joists off. For that, use a sledgehammer to strike the ends of the floor joists where they are fastened to the hangers.

Remove Hanger Boards
Pull apart the hanger boards away from the foundation and break all the outer hanger boards off the deck support posts with the sledgehammer.

Dig out Support Posts
Dig around the concrete footings with a shovel and pull back and forth on the deck support posts until you can pull them from the ground. You may need to use a wheelbarrow or grab a friend to help haul them away.

Pull the Steps Apart
If the steps are still intact, pry the treads up with your pry bar and remove the risers and support posts.

If you need any assistance from Waste Solutions USA, please contact us at 832-808-4755 .