Moving along in the program. Looking forward to completing and getting in the field.
Just Staring the Deck inspections course! wish me luck!
1 Like
Good luck, Taylor! 
I’m definitely looking forward to this class! So many decks have some over-the-top deficiencies!
Next up…Deck Inspections. Looking forward to this one!
I am a but confused on a aspect of deck inspections as in the intro it states that a inspector cannot inspect a footing but yet the specifications for a proper footing are stressed. In reality is you can’t see the footing how do you know if its in undisturbed soil or below the frost line on secured to a footing. I would suspect the only means is what is visible. Such as a sagging portion of deck or even a rise in a deck due to frost heaving. Such as the case when I had to build a new deck for a client as it was sagging and I noticed the post were t a angle. Come to find out they tied off their horses to the post and the post were never fastened to the footings and the whole deck was pulling away from the house. I would assume its hard to inspect based on specifications for footing as they are buried and based more in visual elements.
I would say that the building practices were included so that we have a better understanding of the causes of any structural defects we may see. That’s the way it came across to me at least.
Starting Deck Inspections!
1 Like
It is a great feature of the iPhone. I’ve used it for multiple projects.
Hello, I’m starting the How to Perform Deck Inspections course. I’ll chime in if I have any questions.
Exactly. We are to point out things in need of further investigation. Not to diagnose the problem. Speculation can quickly be misinterpreted as fact by a client and next thing you know you’re on the hook for something you said.
Everyone on deck!
1 Like
covering some great material.
looking forward to this course!!!
I wish every course was set up like this one! Having the read along videos really helps me get through the long reading.
If there is a house that has 2 deck that are ground level and no outlets on the entire side of the house, would how many outlets would you recommend? I am assuming it was built to code at the time that the decks were built or there is no permit for them.
1 Like
Two are typically required and normally put at the front and rear deck/porch areas.
Hi, @vchatel. That question can be answered at this course page: InterNACHI® - International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, which is based upon the IRC E3901.7 https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2024P2/chapter-39-power-and-lighting-distribution#IRC2024P2_Pt08_Ch39_SecE3901.7
Any dwelling unit with direct access to ground level must have an outdoor receptacle at both the front and back of the house. A receptacle that is part of a yard light on a post, for instance, does not meet this requirement. If a dwelling has a balcony or deck accessible only through a door from inside, an outdoor receptacle located on the balcony or deck may not fulfill the requirement if it cannot be accessed from ground level. However, if the receptacle is within 6 1/2 feet (1981 mm) from the ground and can be reached while standing on the ground, it can be counted as the required receptacle.
Balconies, decks, and porches accessible from inside the dwelling must have a receptacle to support the use of appliances, lighting, radios, computers, phone chargers, and other typical devices. For a typical first-floor deck, the outdoor receptacle and the deck receptacle can be the same if all access conditions are met.
Looking forward to decks!
Starting Decks! All courses have been great!