We fixed a leak in the porch that had been there for a long, long time now some of the boards sag. They are the old tongue & groove boards. How do I get them to go back into place? There are a few small boards in another area that are missing, how do I replace them?

-- jamie (jamie@nowhere.com), July 12, 2001

Answers

Hi Jamie, I've got the same problem with my porch. Some of the old wainscoting can be nailed up tight but, there still is warping. I couldn't afford to replace so I just nailed them up again. It's an old house and new boards would be like an old woman wearing red lipstick, just doesn't look good. Good luck.

-- Peg (Ashlinep@localnet.com), July 12, 2001.

Are these boards in the ceiling or the floor? If they are badly warped it's doubtful that you would be able to do anything with them, you will probably have to replace them. You will need to cut through one of the grooves in order to get the first one out (this cuts the tongue off). Then you should be able to get the others out. If they aren't too badly warped, you may be able to take them out and flip them. Good luck!

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), July 12, 2001.

If you've got the patience, take them down, wet them a bit, and put them back up upside down (so that they sag up, instead). After a bit, and you may need to hose them a bit for the first few weeks, they should straighten out. If they've swelled appreciabley, you may need to make "relief" cuts in the (new) upper side. Set a thick blade on a circ. saw to about one third the depth of the board and cut a kerf from one end to the other, lengthwise if it has swelled across the width, and a few of them crosswise if they have gotten longer. That gives them a little room to curl into when you put them back up.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), July 13, 2001.