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INSPECT YOUR DECK!!

This is a "free floating deck" supported both in the front and back and not dependent on the house–DeckResurrect

Are you hosting a graduation party? Is there an upcoming wedding or family reunion at your home? Well, before you have everyone pose on the deck for pics, can you vouch for its construction? And that your deck was built without the builder cutting corners? If you are not sure, then call DeckResurrect or a qualified home inspector. We can check your deck to see if is anchored and properly built.

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Most townhome decks and some single family home decks are attached to the house by means of a ledger board of the deck connected to the ban board of the house. As the homeowner, you should scrutinize the construction of your deck, especially before you have friends and family on the deck. Some decks have been known to separate from the house because they are not properly anchored at the ledger to ban board, causing great injury to those on the deck. The injuries take place when there are a large number of people on the deck during a gathering or party, thus creating a lot of weight and added stress onto the deck (not a problem if deck is built properly). Make sure your deck is anchored well to the house before having people on it.

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Click picture above to see an enlargement of this deck. A better form of construction is to have beams and posts at the front and back of your deck (thus “free floating” as shown in first photo above), with the deck being cantilevered no more than two feet out over the beam. A beam should never be just nailed to a deck, but bolted with galvanized or stainless steel carriage bolts (if living near the ocean’s salt air). As a professionally trained and experienced home inspector, I can also check to see if your deck is properly constructed. I originally became a home inspector because of the amount of poorly constructed and unsafe decks I saw while cleaning them. I was amazed that these decks passed local county inspections (that is, if county permits were pulled in the first place). Typically, the contractor is cutting costs or the carpenter just does not know how to properly construct a deck according to code or national construction standards. (SEE GALLERY OF NEW & PROPER DECK CONSTRUCTION)

SEE our FAQ for more great deck power washing-related tips!

Click above to see the real life dangers many face from poor deck construction. This deck collapse was from December 2013.

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