Warped Boards on Your Deck? Here’s How to Get ‘Em in Line

When fastening decking, it’s not unusual to come across a board that’s warped along its edge--a defect called a “crook.”

Rather than living with or trying to “persuade” it into place with a hammer, use a little leverage.

Take a sharp three-quarter-inch-wide wood chisel, hold it against the edge of the board and hammer the chisel into a joist. Start a nail in the deck board. Then, pull back on the chisel handle until the board is straight. Hammer the nail all the way in to hold the board.

When pulling on the chisel, be careful that it doesn’t slip; it’s easier than you think to lose your balance and tumble backward.