This is a deck built off the rear of the home. The deck is covered and covers’ posts were notched out to fit the deck framing. They literally notched away 3/4’s of the outer posts to hang the deck rim boards.
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The most under-appreciated under reported critical connection on a deck framing is probably post to decking supports. Write up the building defects.
Missing mechanical fasteners.
Missing anti sway brackets/bracing.
You could cut off the entire top of the post and set the corner on top of the flat surface. Structural support is provided by the joists sitting on the notch. What I don’t see are the joists thru bolted at the corner in either direction.
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Exactly how it should be…failure free
Yet again, lack of consensus on the basics.
That would make me concerned about the strength of the guard rails, and of the cover if both are using that same 6x6. The stair stringers should bear fully on the rim board and stringer hangers would have been recommended over the toenailing.
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As long as the cover (roof) structure is adequately designed, the lateral stress on those posts where they pass through the deck floor structure is minimal, mostly they’re exposed to compression.
Especially if the cover was securely attached to the home roof structure this condition would not be an issue. Even if the cover were free-standing, diagonal bracing would be sufficient,
The type of movement most likely to cause failure at those points would be bending, which would be held to a minimum with either of the methods just described.
“You could cut off the entire top of the post and set the corner on top of the flat surface.”
… and as long as the upper post were fastened down and it was properly designed, I agree.
As for bolting… I thought the same thing, Joseph. I’m guessing that the doublers overlap each other and so the corner is fastened together with nails and that the inside doublers are nailed to the post. Good old-school practice but not good new-school practice.
If that’s the case, those connections will eventually loosen with time and thermal/moisture cycling.
But you know… it’s pretty clean work. Notice, no overcuts at the inside corners. It could all be fastened together with countersunk lags. Looking for nailheads at the outside corner might be a clue, but it looks like high-quality work to me. Impossible to tell from this one photo.