Symptoms
- Nail or screw heads sticking up above the board surface
- Board edges lifting slightly near fasteners
- Snagging clothing, bare feet, or a broom on raised fasteners
Likely causes
- CommonWood expansion and contraction with moisture and temperatureBoards swell and shrink seasonally, which can slowly work smooth-shank nails loose.
- CommonSmooth nails used instead of ring-shank nails or deck screwsSmooth nails have less holding power against repeated wood movement than screws or ring-shank fasteners.
- PossibleBoard warping, pulling the fastener with itA cupping board can lift its own fasteners as it curls.
What to do
- Walk the deck and mark every popped fastener you find, since there are often more than the one that prompted the check.
- Remove popped nails rather than just hammering them back down, since they'll likely pop again.
- Replace with a corrosion-resistant deck screw or ring-shank nail slightly offset from the old hole.
- Countersink screws just below the surface without overdriving and stripping the wood.
- Check the board for cupping or splitting near the fastener, and address that separately if present.
- Consider hidden fastener clip systems for future re-decking to avoid surface fasteners altogether.
- Recheck the deck each spring for newly popped fasteners as part of routine maintenance.
Tools and parts
- Hammer
- Drill/driver
- Pry bar
Deck screwsSearch: “coated deck screws”
When to call a pro
Call a deck contractor for a widespread refastening job or to install a hidden fastener system.
Safety
Use caution
Watch for and cover sharp raised fasteners to avoid injury until they're fixed, especially with kids or bare feet around.