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What are the top 3 most common deck problems?
Summer is here, and for a lot of people that means spending time outside on the deck with family and friends, enjoying the nice weather, firing up the BBQ and maybe even having a few cocktails. Good times! As long as your deck is safe. Decks are fairly simple for the most part, yet they seem to be the most incorrectly built structures we see at Nu Level Home Inspections. Here are the top 3 recommendations we make to our clients with regards to deck construction and condition.
Poor attachment to the house. The ledger board is the main connection between the deck and the house. Lag bolts should be used for this connection, but very often we find only nails have been installed. Also, the ledger board should be protected from rot and water damage by means of a metal flashing. Implications: Structural failure.
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Rot: No real mystery here. If it's rotten it will need to be repaired. Depending on where the deck is rotted will determine the urgency of the repair. Implications: Structural failure / Personal injury
Of course there are many other problems that can occur with a deck, and not all are builder related. Like all things, decks wear out over time and need a little TLC to be at their best. The good news is no matter how big the repair, even if it's a complete tear down, decks are fixable. The trick is to try and catch problems early before they become bigger problems down the road.
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