Home Inspections Winthrop | Home Inspector (507) 721-0818
More than 2 million decks are built and replaced each year in North America. InterNACHI 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. Like any other house or building, a deck must be designed to support the weight of people, snow loads, and objects. A deck must be able to resist lateral and uplift loads that can act on the deck as a result of wind or seismic activity. Deck stairs must be safe and handrails graspable. And, finally, deck rails should be safe for children by having proper infill spacing.
To ensure your deck is safe and properly built, our home inspector will come out to your property and inspect the following areas of your deck:
1. Ledger Connections. Older decks in particular are susceptible to pulling away from the home if this connection was installed incorrectly or has corroded. Our inspector will check to see if the deck is connecting to a wood rim joist or concrete/CMU, not brick or masonry veneer and that flashing is also installed above the ledge and behind the exterior cladding.
2. Posts and Footings. Our inspector will look to see if the footings should be sunk at least 12 inches into undisturbed ground and check for signs of decay, corrosion, or other weakening.
3. Post to Beam Connection. Our inspector will determine if the connection has been bent or modified, which can cause fractures and should be replaced. Also ensure that girders aren’t positioned alongside the posts and connected with a metal fastener (bolt or lag screw) providing the bearing. This is prohibited due to the chances of failure.
4. Joists and Connections. Our inspector will look for 1½ inch of bearing, as required by code. Nails in ledger strips are subject to withdrawal, and are prohibited by the code and also look for any modifications to the connections and any signs of corrosion.
5. Stairs. Our inspector will check that the triangular opening formed by the riser, tread, and guard bottom is less than 6 inches and also look for corrosion on connections and ensure all are in place and secure.
6. Deck Boards. Our inspector will look to see if the fasteners are tight and recessed, if composite or PVC deck boards are used and check that the spacing meets manufacturers’ guidelines.
7. Railings. Our inspector will measure railings to be sure they are at least 36 inches tall and ideally 42 inches tall, see what type of shear connection exists between the post and frame and check that the opening is less than 4 inches between the balusters on the deck and less than 4 3/8 inches on the stairs.
8. Other Areas. Our inspector will also check that all fasteners still have their finish, all connector holes are properly filled, all bolts have washers on the wood side of the connection, etc.
Having your deck inspected before buying your home or getting an annual inspection will prevent unforeseen expenses and problems down the road. Give us a call today to schedule your deck inspection!