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Not sure if this is the correct forum for this since this is the "indoor" forum, but my dad was wanting to replace the top of his deck seating area this weekend with fresh new wood because the deck is aging and showing it.

I’m trying to find ways to remove the old wood without messing up the base that it nails/screws to. I can’t get a hammer to pull the old nails out as they are sunk in to deep. I don’t know if I need to just cut in the middle and work my way out or what.

Anyone have any advice here?
The tool you want is known as a cat’s paw. Narrow curved head at 90 degrees to the long handle portion, it is driven into the existing wood with a hammer to get underneath the nail head, and you then pry the nail out, as you would with a claw hammer or pry bar. You may pull some nail heads off, but you can extract the shanks after the board is lifted free of the joist.

So I take you hammer the left side of the claw in and then pry up.

Thanks!
has he tried a wood cleaner? and then resurfaced or restained it first before deciding on replacing it? or is it that bad?

That’s the tool you want. Good luck with your project.
This is demolition, don’t even mess with the nails. Just take a circular saw and cut between the joists (parallel to them). Then you can just pry or lift the boards off without having to pull the nails – they will stay with the boards you are pulling up.

exactly, why waste your time pulling nails, if not saving the deckboards just rip them off. i always just use a crow bar to take them off. And if some nails pull thru the boards either pull with the bar or hammer them in.

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