Inspected a home with a back deck supported by two stacked 4x4’s. Doesn’t look legit to me, but I’m not sure how to write this up. “Improper support observed at the right-rear corner of the home. Recommend evaluation by a structural specialist”? I’m drawing a blank. Any ideas?
The roof is most likely cantilevered, and no post is necessary, but see what the others say.
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Those don’t look stacked. The upper post was notched to form support for the guardrail and is not fully bearing down on the one below it. As a guardrail post, the fasteners look way undersized to withstand the lateral force of someone falling against it.
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I am with Scott on this one. Have any attic pics?
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I’m guessing the uninsulated part is over the deck.
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Hey Tony, yes, that’s the area over the deck.
The cantilever would be on the gable end. It is not visible in the pic. by the look of the insulation, you would have to go swimming for a look.
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Is there deflection? Bowing? Optical illusion?
You can say you have concerns the post is undersized and over notched, was lacking proper brackets and fasteners. However you were unable to conclusively determine if the post is load bearing. Then elevate.
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Not cantilevered
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Yep, there’s is some deflection. It’s part of what initially stood out.
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The siding is showing no signs of settling. The PT post is most likely naturally bowed. Next time you are in the building supply store, dig through the PT 4x4 pile and look for a straight one. You may find one in the middle of the pile if you are lucky, then leave it in the sun for a few days. It will turn into a pretzel.
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With current pics I’ll go with Scott and Randy’s comments
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I agee, those attic pics are just not right along with that deck.
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