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DIY & Home Improvement

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OnionPatch

(6,239 posts)
Sun Sep 15, 2013, 06:28 PM Sep 2013

We need to cut off old, rotten deck joists flush to the side of the house. How? [View all]

We're repainting the house so it's time to replace that deck but it was built on joists that extend out from the actual interior of the house, not attached to a ledger. The ends of the deck joists are rotten but not the parts of them against the wall of the house, so we'd like to cut them off flush and bolt a ledger for a new deck to the ends. We have quite a few saws here in our workshop, but nothing that can cut along a flat surface like that. The hubbie is thinking there may be no such thing. Is that true? I keep wishing (perhaps futility) that there was some specialized saw we could rent somewhere that will saw these off flush like the red line I drew on the pic. If we can't do that, then how do we attach a ledger? The joists start to be rotton in places about halfway out, so we don't want to use them.

We kind of need a replacement deck here or we're going to have a big, sliding glass door to nowhere.

Advice, anyone? (PS Excuse me if I'm not using the correct terminology, I'm pretty new to this kind of thing.)

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So those joists coming out go back into the house? NYC_SKP Sep 2013 #1
Yes. The joists are extensions of the under flooring in the house. OnionPatch Sep 2013 #8
This is the tool for the job: ret5hd Sep 2013 #2
Same here, a chainsaw would be like swatting a mosquito with a Buick Warpy Sep 2013 #3
If you don't want to own it!?!?!?!? ret5hd Sep 2013 #5
Exactly.. "Projects" are just excuses to get a new tool. ;) n/t X_Digger Sep 2013 #6
Lol! OnionPatch Sep 2013 #9
Those of us who live in tiny places and have no garage, attic or basement, Warpy Sep 2013 #12
I am so sorry that my feeble and pathetic attempt at humor... ret5hd Sep 2013 #13
Needless to say Warpy Sep 2013 #14
Agreed- a long blade is flexible enough to get the job done. n/t X_Digger Sep 2013 #4
Oh, so that's a sawzall! OnionPatch Sep 2013 #7
Ok, I'm going to suggest we buy or rent a sawzall. OnionPatch Sep 2013 #10
Buy or borrow one. Of course, a good sharp handsaw would work as well. NYC_SKP Sep 2013 #11
At our age, we need power tools. OnionPatch Sep 2013 #18
hubby has one of these NMDemDist2 Sep 2013 #15
If it were just one, that'd probably be my go-to tool as well. X_Digger Sep 2013 #16
That one looks nice. OnionPatch Sep 2013 #17
Well, they cut like butter at first, but as they dull, cutting speed slows. X_Digger Sep 2013 #19
Oooo, I like that! OnionPatch Sep 2013 #20
hope it worked for you NMDemDist2 Sep 2013 #21
I showed it to him and now he's changed his mind. OnionPatch Sep 2013 #22
believe me you'll find uses for it NMDemDist2 Sep 2013 #23
If you are doing ANY remodeling you WILL find a use for it. Hassin Bin Sober Sep 2013 #24
I have the same issue but want to just remove the rotted joists, not replace the whole deck JudyM Nov 2013 #25
Unless the wood is rotting or seriously warping or splitting OnionPatch Nov 2013 #26
Yeah, the multitool is great. I was using mine today to create a cedar plug JudyM Nov 2013 #29
Again, sawzall to the rescue. lumberjack_jeff Nov 2013 #27
good to know about that use of a sawzall. JudyM Nov 2013 #28
Hello Hula Popper Nov 2013 #30
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