How to remove screw from a wardrobe facing board?

[DIYHaveaCrack]

There's always one isn't there! That small thing that frustrates you!! I'm trying to remove a wardrobe facing board (a cover that was masking the top of the sliding doors. All four screws were seriously embedded and about an inch from the base of the hole. I've got 3 and just can't shift the last one. Is this a brute strength thing or is there another trick to keep the screwdriver blade in the slot as I push up? It doesn't matter if I disfigure the board. Any suggestions? Photos hard to get.

Cut away some wood to try and get better access

[DIYHaveaCrack]

Where there's a will...got it! A bit of brute strength and lateral thinking. I was able to pull it out (rather than unscrew it) by leveraging with a chisel. Problem solvered!

[Jewelleryrescue]

hi @DIYHaveaCrack 

Great you  got the  screws  out  top  work for trying different approaches.

Re pulling it a  claw hammer might have helped  onto the screw head or a wrecking  bar with similar claw  and it could  go behind the timber and leverage it firmly out.

Next time  you have that situation you can grab the screw with the damaged with vise grips locked on very tight and simply unscrew it.

Some times cutting the screws off at the wall is easyest solution it comes down to what you need to do  and what you need to protect and save.

But you passed this DIY test with flying colours

[JacobZ]

Hi @DIYHaveaCrack,

That's brilliant to hear you had some success.

It's a bit late now, but I've had some success by levering the timber while unscrewing the screw. This puts some outward pressure on the screw and in combination with the rotational force applied to the screw head, it can often move things around enough for the screw to rotate out

Also, there's the old trick of placing a rubber band over the head of the screwdriver. The rubber is malleable so it forms to the shape of the slot and can often help grip it better than without it.

Regardless, good work finding your own solution to the problem.

Jacob