How to Replace a Broken Front Porch Board

Steps:

1. To avoid damaging the surrounding boards, pull out the nails in the board using a hammer and a cat’s paw. For stubborn nails, use nail-pulling pliers.
2. Once the nails are out, use a pry bar to go under the board and pull it up. Wiggle it out delicately as to not harm any other boards.
3. Cut the 1×4 fir board to length to match the length of the other deck boards using a miter saw or circular saw.
4. Depending on the porch, you may be able to just lay the board in place. However, in this case, a door threshold and a solid porch railing system prevent that.
5. To remedy that, cut the 1×4 fir board a little shorter. Then create a shelf for the board to sit at one end using an old piece of deck board.Use construction adhesive to attach the shelf to the underside of the surrounding deck boards.
6. Secure the shelf to the adjacent deck boards further with a trim head screw.
7. Get an exact measurement for the new board and cut the board to length using a miter or circular saw.
8. Apply construction adhesive to the ledger board and the new shelf board. Then, set the decking into place, avoiding a visible joint.
9. Nail the board down using 8d finish nails and a hammer.
10. Make sure all the nails are below the wood surface using a nail set. This will help avoid trip points.