Question
I am doing some landscaping work. I want to open up my wood fence for easy movement of bricks and other materials. To facilitate this I would like to remove several boards from my privacy fence. I will be reusing these boards after finishing my landscaping work. I tried to hammer the boards out with a rubber mallet, but they are not budging. What else can I do?
Answer
Bear Claw Nail Puller
There is a special nail removing tool called Bear Claw Nail Puller found at Sears, Home Depot, Lowes, Menards etc. It has a ‘V’, like end similar to that of the claw end on a hammer but smaller. It also has a long shaft at 90 degrees to the claw, for leverage when you pry out the nails.
You can use a hammer to slip the the ‘V’ under the nail. Then grab and pry out the nails by their heads. Often the damage to the board is slight enough that you can reuse the boards on applications like framing and fencing. See the picture below to get an idea for what to look for when you go to Lowes or Home depot.