Rejecting usable lumber because it is warped along one edge is a crime -- especially when this minor defect is so easily overcome. Called a ?crook,? this often overlooked lumber can easily be ?persuaded? into place if you know the secret. The answer lies in ?leverage?. Say you are installing decking and you have a board with a crook. Take a sharp three-quarter-inch wood chisel, hold it tight against the warped board's edge and hammer it into a joist. Start a nail in the board, then pull back on the chisel handle -- applying enough pressure to straighten the board. Hold it there, and nail to secure it in place. And that's the On The House tip for today.