Pictured is the underside of a deck surface. The joists/beams are merely screwed or nailed into the post that is acting as a support structure. This relies on the shear strength of the fasteners, instead of the structural strength of the wood post itself.
Recommend repair by a qualified contractor.
A Deck is an elevated platform typically located outdoors at a residential structure. Decks should be build to with hold weather conditions and aging over time. Decks should be build to meet building codes and safe standards. There should be inspected often.
The image that I chose for this assignment showed a 4 inch sphere going through the fill space in between guide rails and a 4 inch sphere rolling under a deck. This is do a child safe design. A 4 inch sphere should not be able to pass through guide rails or be able to go under the deck.
A deck must be designed and constructed of the proper components. This will not only insure the longevity of the deck itself but will provide a safe environment for the individuals that will use it. Improper design or construction could cause serious injury or death in extreme circumstances.
There are several ways that you can take a sample for the detection of mold spores. The first is by impaction sampling. The second is by cassette sampling and the last is airborne particle collectors. These samples are then sent to a laboratory for screening and identification of mold.
Decking should have some form of water mitigation. In this case flashing that was present has been removed for some reason allowing moisture in between the home and the decking. Snow has collected with nowhere to go. Flashing or other moisture barrier should be utilized.
Electrical receptacles on decks have a few requirements that need to be met. Outlets are required on the front and back of the home and not more than 6.5 ft above grade. Each outlet needs to be enclosed in a waterproof container.
Untreated joists should be at least 18 inches away from the ground. Girders should be 12 inches away from the ground. In some situations, exceptions can be made when a homes elevation does not allow for these minimum requirements and the environment is dry.
Decks that are larger than twenty square feet require an outlet installed within the perimeter. That receptacle shall not be no more than six and a half feet above the deck, balcony or porch surface. The supplement change was due to homeowners running extension cords to appliances.
This deck is wrong in a number of ways. First, the deck boards are rotten. They should be replaced with pressure treated lumber or something rot resistant. Like cedar. Also, there are no balusters. Which is a safety concern if there are small children present. There is also a large crack in the 4x4 post. no cv
Properly done ledger flashing. Ledger flashing should be made of a material that does not react with the deck. Plastic flashing is best for pressure treated wood. The flashing should be under the siding and deck board but over the ledger board. another piece of flashing should be under the ledger board and over the siding below it.
In this essay I will be showing and explaining why the railings in the photo are a good example of a well constructed and safe handrail assembly. this is a good example because everything is done correctly from the height of the railing to the spacing between the rails and the stairs and it even has post caps.
This picture shows a deck surface that has many rotten boards. If this deck has access to the underside it is important to inspect the underside first to determine if any part of the deck is safe to walk on.
The picture I selected is deck obstructing emergency egress. What I learned from this picture is how important it is to keep egress clear. It should be easy for a person to safely exit in the event of a fire.
We noted the lack of support posts at the deck railing at the back of the house. this deficiency is likely to weaken the component over time and these promote a risk of injury to the user. have it corrected as quickly as possible by a licensed contractor.
At the junction of the house with the deck, we often see a problem of water infiltration with mold at the edge of the joist. One of the most important parts of building a deck is keeping the house tight. Often the ledger flashing is bad or not at all installed.
Inside of this Crawl Space I found 32 Metal Jack Piers Which principal function is to support the weight of the house through the Metal I-Beams.This Metal Jacks resting on Concrete footing,and welded at the button part of the I-Beams, something more else we can see the vapor barrier to aisled the Crawl Space from the moisture coming from the soil.
I learned that real function of this Metal Jack Piers is give more confidence to the home owner because if have the knowledge that this piers are in good shape and good distribution, good anchorage his house is safe and good place to live.
This image shows the underside of a second story deck attached to the house. The post does not go all the way to the top, and all of the weight of the deck is supported only on the cross beams. The joists are attached only by large nails and not lag bolts. This deck will need to be rebuilt to be as safe as possible.
Defensible Space.
This article discusses the area around a structure, and the steps that should be taken to limit the available fuel for a wildfire. These issues do vary from region to region. Houses in New England are not as prone to wildfires as houses in California so the size of the defensible areas can vary. Colorado State University divides Defensible Areas into 3 zones. This is important information to pass along to the client if the areas you are performing inspection in is high risk.
