for this assignment I looked a friends back deck to discover a deck that is very deteriorated. The stairs that led up to the deck i took particular interest in because they where lacking a hand rail for more than 4 steps and each step felt soft when little pressure was applied. The stringer for the steps was partially under moist soil leading to wood rot. Also observed in this area was a missing board for on of the step which could lead to a tripping hazard.
Article chosen is about deck electrical receptacles.
The 2 requirements for deck electrical receptacles need to be met.
- The code offers the following exception to this rule:
Balconies, decks or porches with a usable area of less than 20 square feet (1.86 m2) are not required to have a receptacle installed.
In my opinion:
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As a matter of convenience, if building a new home install an electrical receptacle meeting the 2 above requirements of a deck of any size, even 20 sq. ft. or less.
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If possible, during a renovation to an existing home, add 1 electrical receptacle to a deck of any size, even 20 sq. ft. or less.
Child safety on the deck.
We purchased our home in 1987. The photo shows a deck that was built in 1968 and is certainly not a safe deck for children or anyone for that matter.
-The deck was built when there were no children in the home and the children were adults at the time.
- We have 2 grand-daughters and I will need to renovate the deck and make it conform to current regulations regarding the code and city requirements.
In the above picture we see horizontal balustrades in use. This poses a danger to children in two ways. First, there is ample gap to allow a child to climb through and the horizontal orientation will also allow the child to climb over in the same manner as a ladder.
Article - Deck Receptacles: This article details the NECs original requirements for outside receptacles in 2005 and the addendum of 2008 which covers receptacles on decks. Criteria for inclusion is covered, and also for exclusion (less than 20 square feet of useable space) The reason for this addendum was the risk involved in the usage of extension cords which can pose trip/shock/overload hazards.
In this handrail and stairway picture you can see that a separate handrail has been installed and properly terminated. This was needed due to the 1X6 board placed on top of the balusters not being sufficient as a proper handrail.
The NEC stipulates that any balcony or porch greater than 20 sq. ft. should have at least one receptacle installed, and not higher than 6.5 feet above the deck or porch surface. It must be a GFCI receptacle with a protective weather cover.
Using the company truck as advertisement is a great way to generate business. Fundamentally you want your design to be clean, clear and professional. The last thing you want is to have a mediocre design when it comes to representing your company.
This photo shows a patio cover with several defects. You can see significant wood rot where water has penetrated the roof decking. The edge joist is sagging and has an improper splice connection and the roof supports are made up of 4x4s that are splitting and twisting.
The article we are discussing was on ‘Garage Inspections’. Oddly the article had very little to do with garages but rather with trusses and truss hardware inspections. The trusses here were improperly installed with damaged gusset plates and improper fastener. There was also improper support of trusses themselves. Trusses should be properly supported on top of framing members not drywall. Joist hangers should be secure with properly sized nails and never with screws.
The wooden floor was clean and applied in llama tone that was hard to see and so I stared using a big floor looker atter. And so su.erized that a bee had a hole in the floor that was a dimesize
The scriber fans at the end of stes and the sjsdpes and flat roof to make it easier to mount your ftond and s place for bsgrtsntd to hide and keep warm and have one over for s strapping s
This deck was not built with enough spacing between the surface boards. Water could pooled on the surface due the spacing of less that 1/8" causing water damage. The pooling caused boards to rot and weaken. It is suggested that boards should be replaced
The spacing of spindles/balusters on decks differs from that on stairs. While they are similar there is a slight difference. Stairs are required to have a maximum spacing of 4 3/8" while decks are limited to a 4"maximum. The difference is very small but still important.
Decking length
For this assignment I looked through the internachi Gallery of images for decks and balconies. I specifically looked at the image regarding deck spacing. It shows examples of how a decking needs to at least span 4 joists to be long enough. 2 or 3 joists spans are to short. However, I was wondering how spacing is done on a deck so that the seams of the decking are staggered yet still maintain this 4 joist length. I would suppose this would have to be factored in and figured out before any decking is laid out, otherwise an installer might end up with a short piece.
I was bored and to improve my websites SEO I wrote a blog about common deck defects and posted it here lol Tallahassee’s best Home inspector blog
electrical outlets known as electrical receptacles are required if the deck area is 20 feet or more. They can not be installed more than 6 and a half feet from the flooring. This prevents extension cords being ran for outdoor appliances and reduce the number of tripping accidents.
the image is displaying a deck that has not been properly installed. The planks are not being placed over the minimum number of joist which is 4. Having them placed over 4 joist allows for a securer support and an even distribution of weight.
Rear stairs riser equal heights of 7" has railing on both side as it is over 6ft above grade. Railing needs to be graspable, top rail must be 1 1/2" to 2" graspable rail. Railing is supported every 5’ with post that is lag bolted into stringers.
Deck Collapse: It is very important to laterally brace all posts on raised decks to prevent collapse. Its also important to properly attach deck board to rim joist as this is the number one cause for decks collapsing. horizontal bracing is important to keep decks square and stop decks fro diagonal collapse.