Help.

[Mutley Racers]

Hi all. I hope you are well. I am after some advice. Can anyone tell me the best way to remove 8 x 4 12mm plywood that has been screwed down every 100mm on top of floorboards and then tiled over? Thought I had done the hard work getting the tiles off but these boards are a pitta. All the screw heads are covered and I cannot get a screw out as they just wear through.

Thank you

 

[Tuna808]

Try removing at least one screw,hire or buy a portable impact screwdriver,use a head that fits perfectly on the screw.Get the impact screwdriver square on the head…….screws should be easier to remove using this method.It has worked for me on more than one occasion……good luck!

 

[Linus]

Sounds like the same guy that did my daughter's bathroom. Ended up with a crowbar and lot of swearing. If you can get to the screwheads either drill them out or use screw extractor if you have one.

 

[Pedronicus]

Are you looking to refurbish the boards underneath?

 

[baldkev]

Get a couple of good screws, a bradawl or similar and a powerful magnet.

The magnet will help locate screws under the adhesive

Screw a screw into the adhesive filled screwheads to remove the bulk of the adhesive and then use the bradawl to clear the rest. Then as above, match the screwdriver tip to the screws and use an impact driver. It'll seem sliw but you'll soon get up a good pace and it'll be quicker than struggling

 

[Tris]

Plug cutter over each screw to free the board then mole grips to spin the plug and screw?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Get a nail bar, rip the ply off and cut the screws off with an angle grinder or good multi tool.

 

[baldkev]

Plug cutter over each screw to free the board then mole grips to spin the plug and screw?

Good idea. I guess it depends if he wants to use the boards underneath... the plug cutter would damage the flooring under the ply unless you set up a 'depth stop' leaving a mm of ply

 

[Thingybob]

Get a couple of good screws, a bradawl or similar and a powerful magnet.

The magnet will help locate screws under the adhesive

Screw a screw into the adhesive filled screwheads to remove the bulk of the adhesive and then use the bradawl to clear the rest. Then as above, match the screwdriver tip to the screws and use an impact driver. It'll seem sliw but you'll soon get up a good pace and it'll be quicker than struggling

I have used this method and it worked for me took ages but soon built up a rhythm

 

[Alasdair]

I used an angle grinder to grnd screw heads off in the plywood then levered ply off and used mole grips to remove the prodruding headless screws. Makes a lot of smoke and pretty acrid so wear a mask etc and keep the windows open. I take it you want to use the floor underneath. If not why not put thin ply on top of the adhesive?

 

[Pedronicus]

Good idea. I guess it depends if he wants to use the boards underneath... the plug cutter would damage the flooring under the ply unless you set up a 'depth stop' leaving a mm of ply

I did ask this back in post #4. If not worried about boards I was going to suggest using a circular saw set to plywood thickness and then rip between rows of screws. When plywood removed use an angle grinder to cut off screw heads to board level.

 

[peter-harrison]

I've had success with pozi screws by using a 2mm drill bit to clear the middle of the screw, and then driving a pozi screwdriver in with a mallet, followed by getting out the screw with an impact driver. It works every time pretty much.
Whether this is at all bearable for hundreds, I don't know!

 

[Tris]

Good idea. I guess it depends if he wants to use the boards underneath... the plug cutter would damage the flooring under the ply unless you set up a 'depth stop' leaving a mm of ply

Good point. A plug cut from scrap wood, trimmed to cutter internal length less 11mm, hot melt glued into the cutter might do the trick

 

[2sheds]

I've seen a video somewhere (Tik Tok I think) where - assuming you can see the screw head - you drive a new screw at an angle of say 45 deg just under the head of the existing stuck one. This then helps push the stuck screw up. Not tried it so no idea how good it works if at all, but worth a shot maybe?
Good luck.

 

[baldkev]

I've seen a video somewhere (Tik Tok I think) where - assuming you can see the screw head - you drive a new screw at an angle of say 45 deg just under the head of the existing stuck one. This then helps push the stuck screw up. Not tried it so no idea how good it works if at all, but worth a shot maybe?
Good luck.

Thats for when the screws are spinning and have no purchase