6 Warning Signs of an Unsafe Deck

statistics show there are about 40 million decks in the United States and about half are not built to code or will exceed their life expectancy and this can often lead to collapse since 2007 alone there's been a 20% increase in debt collapses fortunately there's some really easy ways to tell if your deck is unsafe let's go over the six warning signs of an unsafe deck as well as the ten critical connections that make your deck safe and strong first we need to be sure that the structure or house you're attaching to is sound are there any signs of deterioration or rot and studs rim boards or sheathing if so they may not be able to fully support your deck a safe deck is a combination of wood nails screws bolts and steel connectors and if you're missing any of these you may have an unsafe deck vital connections may have degraded over time due to various factors wobbly rails loose stairs and Ledger's pulling away from the home are all causes for concern steel connectors and fasteners can corrode over time look for rust or other signs of corrosion that can weaken the structural strength of your deck wood can rot or degrade over time with exposure to the elements be mindful of rot within the deck frame as this may be especially unsafe as wood ages it is common for cracks to develop large or excessive cracking throughout the deck can weaken the structure when most people think about a deck they think about the lumber or the framing but how the lumber is connected is equally important in fact there are 10 critical connections to a deck 90% of all deck collapses are caused by the ledger pulling away from the house which makes the ledger critical connection number one the best way to ensure a solid connection to the house is to use structural screws and not nails when attaching the joist to the ledger a great option is a steel joist hanger hurricane ties or clips are a good way to secure joists to the beams that support the floor of the deck most experts recommend a steel post cap where the post meets the beam the best way to attach your post to the concrete slab or footing is with the steel post base this ensures a solid post to concrete connection and can prevent the deck from sliding off its foundation many injuries occur from people leaning on week or wobbly railings the railing and guard assembly must be properly attached to the deck framing stair stringers run along each stair and must be attached to the deck framing ideally with steel connectors and the appropriate fasteners next ensure that all stairs or treads are secured to the stringer using deck screws or steel connectors to ensure the deck will not pull away from the home it's a good idea to use the deck tension ties attached directly to the houses frame the final critical connection is the post a beam knee brace which reduces or prevents side-to-side movement together all these critical connections make for what is called the continuous load path which is the best way to ensure a long lasting safe strong deck if you think your deck has missing damaged or improperly installed critical connections or if you have any of the six warning signs it is time to repair or replace your deck the easiest way to know is to consult a structural engineer or a general contractor they know the local codes and permits needed to build a safe deck and they'll help you design a deck within your budget for you and your family you

Channel: Simpson Strong-Tie

Views: 38,449

Rating: 4.8326359 out of 5

Keywords: structural connectors for decks, deck fasteners, deck connectors, deck connections, deck brackets, critical deck connections, deck failures, how to perform deck inspection, deck, simpson strong-tie, how to build a deck

Id: z1vFIqsKQAo

Length: 3min 48sec (228 seconds)

Published: Thu May 09 2019