This image shows corroded bolts in the ledger board. There is also no visible flashing and it appears to be connected directly to the masonry. The bolts are also not spaced properly to evenly distribute weight and has a protruding nail from the ledger board.
Inspecting a Deck, Illustrated by Nick Gromicko, is a great article and complete overview of the entire Deck course. It’s easy to follow and makes a great reference piece when talking to others about understanding proper deck construction and pitfalls.
Moisture Meters
Moisture meters come in two varieties; pin type and search mode. “Pin Type” uses probes to measure the moisture content of a materials surface or at an incremental depth below the surface. Usually through electrical conductivity. “Search Mode” (Pinless Mode) detects and measures moisture content beneath the surface of a material via electromagnetic waves. If moisture is present, these waves are interrupted and a reading is given. Pipes, various types of wiring and other objects can give false readings on Search Mode type meters. Of the two types of moisture meters, pin type is usually the most accurate, but moisture meters can come with both Pin Type and Search Mode together.
Poor workmanship and substandard deck construction is a serious safety issue. Settling/heaving on improper footings and support posts along with decay on the floor boards can amount to a disaster waiting to happen when a large group gathers on a poorly constructed deck.
It is evident to me that many people start with the best intention of building a good deck and structurally sound deck. In my area the largest problems appear to be poor workmanship and poor advice. A lot of people try the home handyman approach and don’t consult with the professionals about proper construction.
Deck Guards and Railings: Deck guards and railing aren’t required unless a deck is raised 30" or more above grade. The deck in the picture is less than 30" so the guards and railings were not required. Although serving as a decorative component to the structure, it will still be inspected because its installed.
Digits and Hyphens in Inspection Reports: It can be difficult knowing when to use numerals vs spelling out a number in words. The rule of thumb is that numbers that represent measurements and percentages should be written as digits, while a description of time in single digits should be written as words.
During a deck inspection the following observations were noted, there is evidence of 2 previous repairs to the decking material. It is recommended to replace those 2 boards with new decking spanning a minimum of 4 joists. The bottom horizontal handrail support is in a deficient condition and should be replaced with a single solid rail capable of withstanding a 50 pound load on a 1 foot area.
I read about the importance of kickout flashing, it is especially important to have it at the transition of a roof to a vertical section of wall where the wall continues past the roof edge or gutter or where a gutter terminates at a chimney. This helps prevent water from being channeled behind the siding and potentially allowing water into the buildings side walls.
In this course we learned about decks and how to inspect them. The image above is of a deck that is attached to the back of a home. We learned that decks are usually used for large social gatherings. One problem I see with this deck is that the stairs that lead up to the deck may be spaced too far apart from each other. A sphere four inches in diameter cannot pass through the gap.
In this course we learned how to inspect decks. I chose to write about a picture from the gallery. The picture I chose is of a man inspecting a deck, specifically the guardrail. We learned that many incidents involving decks are due to handrail and guardrail failure.
For this writing assignment I took a picture of some front entry steps that are missing its hand rails. There are more than four risers so the hand rails are required. Missing hand rails are a safety concern and should to be installed.
For this research assignment I read on article on deck inspections. More than 2 million decks are built and replaced each year in North America. There are estimates that of the 45 million existing decks, only 40% are completely safe. Because decks appear to be simple to build, many people do not realize that decks are, in fact, structures that need to be designed to adequately resist certain stresses.
The deck pictured here appears to be well built. The spacing of the balusters acre good, posts are spaced no more than 6 feet apart. Ledger board is not to be tied into brick and the girders are not bearing directly on the posts.
In looking at the image of the distance of non treated wood from grade it is obvious that the distance between grade and non treated floor joists must be no less than 18 inches and from a non treated wood girder to grade must be no less than 12 inches.
Inspection of the subject deck revealed, Infill spacing is excessive, infill balusters improperly attached, some post splitting from poorly placed nails as fasteners, non-graspable handrail. Recommend deck system be inspected by a qualified contractor and decking contractor. Recommend re-inspection after repairs.
Inspection of the subject deck revealed, Infill spacing is excessive, infill balusters improperly attached, some post splitting from poorly placed nails as fasteners, non-graspable handrail. Recommend deck system be inspected by a qualified contractor and decking contractor. Recommend re-inspection after repairs.
Improper installation of deck boards can result in multiple issues. not spacing the decking does not give the space wood needs to expand during warmer weather and could cause fasteners to break loose and trap moisture between boards causing failure to the deck.
In this attached photo one can see that the deck was improperly secured to the home. The deck needs to have proper spacing of supports and must be properly secured to the home if the deck is being used as a raised deck.
The inspector observed a rear deck structure which was to be of solid construction. The girder beam was properly notched with the load being bore by the 4"x4" post. The lumber is of the chemically/pressure treated variety, in order to protect it against decay especially in the areas which come in direct contact with the ground. 1/2" lag bolts with properly sized washers (both on nut and bolt sides) were used to attach the girder to the in-ground posts. However, an additional lag bolt is recommended regarding the girder to post attachment. The deck planking was properly staggered and spaced 1/8" apart to all for water to pass through the surface. The railings were of the proper height (between 34"-38" in height) above the decking surface. Balusters were properly spaced as to prohibit a 4" sphere from passing through.
