What’s Under Your Deck
Decks bring the outdoors “in,” extending your living space with patio furniture, grills, entertainment systems and even hot tubs. But just because they’re outside, decks are structures just like any other part of your home. If they’re built and maintained poorly, the results can be catastrophic.
Luckily, a well-built deck will last for years. To keep your family and friends safe its best to get a deck inspection. If you see or feel something about your deck that is moving, loose or deteriorating, it’s time to have it inspected. Even if it bounces slightly under your feet, we would get it inspected.
More than 2 million decks are built and replaced each year in North America. 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.
Need a Deck Inspection
As a NADRA deck inspector, we have a responsibility to educate homeowners on the importance of deck safety and doing a through deck inspection.