{"id":635,"date":"2017-04-18T10:58:34","date_gmt":"2017-04-18T09:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/?p=635"},"modified":"2023-03-28T15:24:29","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T14:24:29","slug":"replace-decking-boards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/replace-decking-boards\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Replace Broken Or Rotten Decking Boards"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s a sad truth that sometimes, your decking can take a bit of punishment. That\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing though \u2013 on the contrary, at least it means it\u2019s seeing some usage! And on the plus side, most of the time the damage is quite simple to repair. For example, if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/decking\/decking-boards.html\">your decking boards<\/a> are rotten or splintered, it takes less than a day\u2019s work to get the problem sorted. Easy. Bear with us, and our latest blog will walk you through it.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>What You\u2019ll Need<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"img-responsive alignnone wp-image-639 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/How-To-Replace-Broken-Or-Rotten-Decking-Boards-min-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"tools needed for replacing boards\" width=\"770\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/How-To-Replace-Broken-Or-Rotten-Decking-Boards-min-1-1.jpg 770w, https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/How-To-Replace-Broken-Or-Rotten-Decking-Boards-min-1-1-300x129.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the most fundamental decking repair you\u2019ll ever face, you might find yourself tackling this one more than once over the years, so it\u2019s always best to get it right first time. You\u2019ll need your replacement decking board cut to size, too.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your drill<\/li>\n<li>Your jigsaw<\/li>\n<li>Two 16-inch wood cleats<\/li>\n<li>Construction adhesive<\/li>\n<li>A pack of 3-inch deck screws<\/li>\n<li>Your replacement timber decking board (which we sell right here at Savoy!)<\/li>\n<li>Enthusiasm<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Step One: Cut Out The Damaged Board<\/h3>\n<p>Now, the good news is that you don\u2019t have to replace an entire board every time you do this repair \u2013 which could get expensive quickly! Also, though, you don\u2019t want to go through all the trouble of a repair only to have someone put a foot through your new decking board immediately. To avoid this, cut out a piece that spans at least three joists \u2013 the bit you leave behind should also be at least that long, so it can bear the weight of anyone stepping on it.<\/p>\n<p>This is arguably the trickiest bit. Use a stiff, sharp blade for your jigsaw to keep your cuts as straight as possible. (It might be an idea to use a \u2018framing block\u2019 of straight-edged wood to guide the jigsaw\u2019s blade when cutting.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t try and cut directly over a joist either, in case you go through it. Instead, cut to one side of it \u2013 you\u2019re about to use a cleat to bulk it out and support the weight of the new board. (A cleat is basically just an extra bit of wood.)<\/p>\n<h3>Step Two: Attach The Cleats To The Joists<\/h3>\n<p>Start by predrilling three clearance holes into your two 16-inch cleats \u2013 this is where the screws will go in just a moment. Then apply construction adhesive to stick them to the joists, making sure their tops are pressed right up against the bottom of the existing decking boards. Now screw each one firmly to the joist, making sure that it\u2019s as tight as it will go.<\/p>\n<h3>Step Three: Install Your New Board<\/h3>\n<p>Maybe you\u2019ll have pre-cut your board already, or maybe you\u2019d prefer this as the time to do it. Whichever way round you choose, remember you\u2019ll want the new deck board to be from matching material, both in thickness and in wood type. There are few things worse than mismatched decking! Predrill pilot holes into your replacement board, then tap it into place with a hammer \u2013 although make sure to put a sacrificial wood block in between them to shield it from the impact. Through the pilot holes, drive two 3-inch deck screws (or coach bolts), and screw them into the cleat underneath. Fasten at all the other joists too.<\/p>\n<h3>Step Four: Admire Your Work<\/h3>\n<p>That\u2019s all there is to it! Your new board might still look a little mismatched at first, but don\u2019t worry \u2013 it\u2019ll smooth out over time. If you want to hurry the process along, oiling and staining your decking will help bring all the boards to a smooth, even colour. You can click here to find out about the best way to stain your decking.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, our friendly team at Savoy Timber are here to help with your every decking need. You can pop into any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/our-stores\">one of our stores in Preston, Wigan or Blackpool<\/a> to get some face-to-face advice, or <strong>call us on 0345 0268 799<\/strong>. We\u2019re here to help!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Don\u2019t forget to follow us on Twitter: <a href=\"https:\/\/mobile.twitter.com\/savoytimber\">@SavoyTimber<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s a sad truth that sometimes, your decking can take a bit of punishment. That\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing though \u2013 on the contrary, at least it means it\u2019s seeing some usage! And on the plus side, most of the time the damage is quite simple to repair. For example, if your decking boards [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":637,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[35],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How To Replace Broken Or Rotten Decking Boards | Savoy Timber<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Even the most well-built decking can suffer a broken board now and then. But when that happens, the great news is that it\u2019s easier than it looks to fix!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/replace-decking-boards\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How To Replace Broken Or Rotten Decking Boards | Savoy Timber\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Even the most well-built decking can suffer a broken board now and then. But when that happens, the great news is that it\u2019s easier than it looks to fix!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/replace-decking-boards\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Savoy Timber\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SavoyTimberDIY\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-04-18T09:58:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-28T14:24:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/How-To-Replace-Broken-Or-Rotten-Decking-Boards-min-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"770\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"330\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anthony Royle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@savoytimber\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@savoytimber\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Anthony Royle\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/replace-decking-boards\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/replace-decking-boards\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Anthony Royle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#\/schema\/person\/62f7a40a68f298120b5c3e2ea93b0013\"},\"headline\":\"How To Replace Broken Or Rotten Decking Boards\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-04-18T09:58:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-28T14:24:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/replace-decking-boards\/\"},\"wordCount\":691,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"decking repairs\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Garden\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/replace-decking-boards\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/replace-decking-boards\/\",\"name\":\"How To Replace Broken Or Rotten Decking Boards | Savoy Timber\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-04-18T09:58:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-28T14:24:29+00:00\",\"description\":\"Even the most well-built decking can suffer a broken board now and then. 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