This deck does not have adequate railing around the deck or handrails the rail is 36 inches high but a child could easily fit through the spacing there are also not hand rails for safety going up or down the stairs
This is a photo of a deck with guard rails and balusters. This deck does not exceed heights where a guardrail and balusters would be required. The guard rail and balusters would be required if the height of the deck were at least 30 inches from the ground.
I read the article regarding galvanic corrosion for this writing assignment. I have probably never been really clear on how galvanic corrosion occurs but after reading the article I have a better understanding. This will help to explain it to my clients in the future.
most deck failures occur during the summer they can occur during the winter if a heavy snow has fallen almost every deck has failed when there has been someone on them there is no correlation to between the deck failed with or without a building permit
Deck is supported on a concrete pier. This is not a good practice as the post can slip or rise out of the pier and the pier can lose contact with the soil and slip out of place. The support post should be a 6x6 supported on either a friction pile or screw pile below the frost line.
The entry door on this house is installed in 3 individual pieces, (2 sidelights, 1 door) instead of one continuous unit. This has given no support to the hinge side of the door and the door has sagged into the opposite jamb causing the door to become inoperable. Definite safety hazard because of the loss of egress. Recommend repair or replacement by licensed contractor.
Wood burning stoves have increased in popularity in this area in recent years. High efficient catalysing stoves are best in that the reduce the pollution from the stove the best, but occupant behavior plays a part. Many of these newer European models don’t allow large pieces of wood to be burned, this allows the stove to work more efficiently.
I learned how simple it is to cut down on energy cost by just doing the simplest things, like, changing the type of light bulbs you use, adjusting the cycle on your washing machine, installing ceilings fans to cut down on cooling costs, insulating and caulking windows and doors, and insulating attic access doors.
The railing for this porch is entirely supported by the balusters which is not a normal building practice and is a safty hazard. The railing is likely to fail and possibly cause injury. I recommend that this be repaired by a licensed professional.
This deck has railing posts that are adequately spaced and bolted securely. The posts would be stronger if they had mechanical fasteners on the back side of the outside joists. Since the force of leaning against a rail can reach 1700 pounds at the fastener, over building is recommended.
I have built many decks in my career and I did not realize the amount of force placed on the posts that support the railing. It makes me realize that since many accidents are caused by groups of people pushing on the decks railings, in the future I will be adding mechanical fasteners with full posts, and recommending this application to other builders.
The inspector observed the space between railings does not comply with current industry standard. Current standards requires the spacing between intermediate rails do not allow passage of an object four inches in diameter. This is considered a safety hazard to young children.
The deck on the rear of the house looks very good. The ballisters are spaced under the required 4 inches. The support braces across is a good idea even though the deck is under 6 feet tall. The hand rails are easy to grasp the whole way down.
I chose home equity loans and lines of credit. When you pay your mortgage every month you build equity. This can be used to borrow money from the bank for a renovation. You have to be careful with these loans or credit lines because if you fall behind you could lose your house.
Handrails improperly made with 2x6 boards. Deck handrails should be graspable, smooth and continuous. Although the boards at not considered a defect, in its current condition the handrails present a safety concern. Recommend installing proper handrails before use of the deck is permitted.
Decks are important leisure spaces for homeowners. An inspector should always go the extra mile to check the condition of a deck and its components. With such a high estimated failure rate, the inspector’s observations can prevent a future catastrophic event by alerting the homeowners to the safety hazards that may exist with the deck construction.
The top of the ledger board should be lower than the desired top of the finished deck by one decking boards thickness, plus the thickness of the flashing (usually 1/8 inch). The finished deck height is one inch below the bottom of the sill. The decking is 1 inch thick, so the top of the ledger is 1 1/8 inch below the bottom of the sill.
Plain concrete deck foundations without rebar are acceptable under the minimum standards of construction established in the International Residential Code. However, placing reinforcing steel within footings is a relatively easy and inexpensive practice that can provide increased performance. Footings with large bearing areas or unstable soil can benefit from adding rebar to prevent cracking.
When rebar is placed within a footing, it should be completely encased in concrete by a minimum of 3 inches on all sides. When rebar is allowed to project out of the footings, it is susceptible to more rapid corrosion. Over time, rebar allowed to corrode into the footing can weaken the footing, creating areas subject to cracking.
All outside recepticles are required to be G.F.C.I compliant.If the outside has not been upgraded since the house was built (time when G.F.C.I was not required) it still needs to be brought up to current standards. On numerous inspections I have found even with a outside remodel that this is not the case for sockets.
I read over the article about inspecting garages. This article covers alot of handyman issue’s that are common,no only in garage inspections but also in the total home inspection. Including dangerous issue’s,such as modified Truss without the consent of a Structual Engineer.