The Deck-Gap Tool That Clears Packed Debris Without Lifting A Board

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Keeping the gaps between your deck boards clear is one of several ways you can extend the lifespan of a wooden deck. And it's important for several reasons. Firstly, wood needs those gaps to expand and contract. Not only that, but those narrow channels between your boards allow excess water — like rainfall — to drain away from the surface, instead of lingering and leading to damage. The debris itself can also cause problems. It tends to build up over time from things like leaves and grass clippings, which get blown onto the surface. It doesn't take long for these items to break down, and when they do, they effectively create a planting medium. This, in turn, can encourage the growth of things like weeds. It can also provide ideal conditions for algae growth, which traps water against the boards and can lead to degradation.

What this all means is that while you could, technically, leave the debris between your boards unchecked, you shouldn't. Instead, it's best to keep them clear, to ensure the surface drains and doesn't succumb to structural issues like rotting. But how to go about it? Should you use a pressure washer? That could work, but it's easy to make mistakes with a pressure washer, like spraying too close and damaging the boards. Or should you try to lift the boards, and risk damaging the wood and fasteners? Ideally, no. Instead, you're probably better off using a crevice tool. Designed with thin blades or hooks which slot neatly between the boards, these tools work to scrape debris away — without damaging the surrounding materials.

The first thing to do is to find the right tool. Fortunately, crevice-clearing tools are a dime a dozen at most home and hardware stores, and they come in various shapes and sizes to suit different applications. Some, like Zenith's Crack and Crevice Weeder Tool at Home Depot, are designed like "multi tools," with blades of different thicknesses and lengths to suit different sized decking board gaps. Others, like this Crevice Cleaning Tool from Preferred Living, are built more like traditional weed hooks, and come with a single blade. The key to choosing the right tool is ensuring that it's thin enough to slide completely through the gaps in your deck. You also want to ensure that the blade is long enough to fully clear the crevice — top to bottom — between your boards. Remember, clearing the debris ensures good drainage and prevents the growth of algae, which can lead to rotting. If your blade won't fully clean out the space between your boards, you'll still have problems over time.

Once you have your tool, the next step is quite simple. Feed the blade of your chosen crevice tool into the gap, and then gently (but firmly) work the tool through it, scraping the debris free. Once you've removed as much as you can, sweep it up, then rinse the gaps down with a hose to flush any loosened detritus. Finally, if you're able, try to repeat this process twice each year. Do it once in the spring, to ensure any debris from the winter storms is cleared. Then, when you're preparing your yard for winter, be sure to scrape out those gaps one last time, to ensure they drain properly when the rain and snow inevitably arrives.