The photo shows an above ground deck framing system. It uses precast concrete piers as the foundation. The are two courses of the piers that support the beams and they are staggered. The ledger is attached to the house. I notice that none of the wood shown here is pressure treated and that could potentially lead to wood rot over time, especially considering that the surrounding soil is covered with grass. I also thing the deck is built too close the the ground. In my opinion, there should also be a plastic sheeting barrier between the deck and the ground. Overall, I’d say this deck will eventually have problems.
I’m going over the illustrations in the library concerning decking. From what I have seen of real deck, most do not seem to meet the requirement shown in the example illustrations, thus I would think that most decks will eventually have problems and this is a prime area for an inspector to examine.
Ledger board fastening plays a key role in the integrity and stability of a decking system both long and short-term. Half inch lag bolts should be used with washers on both the nut and bolt side of the ledger board. Lag bolts should be staggered and used no less than 2 inches from the top of bottom of the ledger board as well as no less than 5 inches from the end of the board. This will insure a stable/solid connection to the structure while resisting cracking over time.
There are two common styles of wood framing: balloon and platform. The main difference
between balloon and platform framing is apparent at the floor lines. The balloon wall studs
extend from the sill of the foundation all the way to the top plate of the second floor. The
platform framed wall, on the other hand, is independent for each floor
Home inspectors should be able to explain that, in balloon framing, there exist
chases for fire to quickly travel from floor to floor. This hazard can be mitigated by
the use of firestops at each floor level, but firestops can’t always be confirmed by
home inspectors. Balloon framing has been outlawed by building codes in many
areas because of the fire danger that it poses. Again, this can be mitigated by
adding firestops.
The attached image of a deck ledger board shows good and bad. the bad in the photo is the use of improper fasteners to secure the ledger board to the house. The contractor did not use washer, did not use 1/2" diameter lag bolts or lag screws and they are not staggered. The good is that we can clearly see that the deck joists are secured to the ledger board with joist hangers. We can also see that there is flashing behind the leger board.
“Deck Receptacles”
It is important to know the approximate year the home you are inspected was built. Knowing the age of the home will help determine what parts of the code need to be followed. The article speaks about the code change from 2005 to 2008, a house built prior to 2008 would not need to follow the new conditions put forth in the 2008 code. It is important to note that all exterior receptacles be securely fastened, have weather proof enclosures and be GFCI protected.
I chose the image titled, “Decking Not Staggered”. The image clearly shows deck planks where the butt joints of the planks are not installed so that they are staggered with the adjacent planks. Butt joints should not line up and each plank should span at least four floor joists.
The image is clearly illustrates the definition of a front porch. The house is a bungalow built circa 1920. The front porch and porch roof are constructed with the same elements as the home which was typical of porch designs of this era.
I’m sorry but I do not have a picture of a deck. As stated in these videos a deck is a place to gather and have parties. In the state of Florida we use screened enclosures made up of aluminum.
More than 2 million decks are built and replaced each year in North America. Only 40% of them are safe. People believe that decks are simple to build and do not realize that they need to be designed adequately to resist certain stresses.
looking at the images it seems as though these stairs have been repaired at some point. the decayed wood is a safety concern as they will eventual stop supporting the replacement wood at some point. the weight this staircase can hold decrease with this defect.
I try and find and article related to the subject and after reading inspecting decks, illustrated i could not help but notice the similarities with the course. some things did stick after reading the article like hand rails should continue but end at the post.
When used with common sense power strips are a life saver. I love using them around the holidays for decorating. I even have a few 20 amp commercial grade ones in my garage that are a permanent fixture on my workbench.
Doomed from the start. There are a multitude of defects with this deck. The ledger board was attached to the house over the cladding, without flashing. The balusters have more than the required spacing and are also of a climbable nature.
This deck appears to have the proper horizontal guards with balusters spaced less than 4 inches apart. Also, the stairs have railings on both sides. The posts supporting the deck appear to be 6x6 treated lumber. The footings for the posts are buried, but hopefully they are concrete with metal fasteners holding the posts to the footings.
I read through “Inspecting a Deck, Illustrated.” The illustrations really helped with understanding deck construction. I have seen many decks with girders held in place be lag bolts only. It is important that girders rest directly on posts. Lag bolts will not necessarily have a shear strength rated for such loads.
