Expansion and contraction

[Lurker]

Don’t know why it’s specifically this one, but I have hammered it flush at least twice a year for the past couple of years.

 

[duke]

What a pain in the you know what. Is the nail a straight shank (smooth) if so try an ardox type nail.

 

[AndyP]

Would it help to take it out and replace with a screw?

 

[Lons]

What Andy said.

 

[Doug]

Probably find it’s a ring shank nail & the rings have rusted away hence it keeps working its way out

 

[Lurker]

I prefer to keep knocking it back rather than risk a split. I just thought that it was interesting.

 

[Mike]

I prefer to keep knocking it back rather than risk a split. I just thought that it was interesting.

Wouldn't the existing nail hole be a suitable pilot hole for a screw?

On one of my trips back to Virginia, I helped my friend fix the planking on his two-year old deck. He used nails to attach the planks to the joists instead of screws. His reason for using nails was he had a hammer, but didn't have an impact driver for screws. Over half of the nails had popped up like the one in your photo, which made it interesting to walk on. We spent a few hours popping up all of the planks one at a time, removing the nails, and screwing the planks to the joists using the same nail holes. The screws were slightly larger in diameter than the nails and there were no splits in the planks or the joists. On my last visit ten years later, the decking was still flat with no exposed fasteners.

 

[Pete Maddex]

I prefer to keep knocking it back rather than risk a split. I just thought that it was interesting.

Too tight to buy a new nail Jim?

Pete

 

[Lurker]

Now I have publicised my nail, I have grown quite fond of it.