Deck Tips and Safety Precautions

7 Simple Techniques For How To Inspect Your Own Deck - Custom Deck Creations

The image above illustrates a girder poorly relying on the large strength of lag bolts. Girders should bear directly on posts. The image above portrays a girder properly resting on a notched post. Girders must bear directly on posts. The image above portrays a girder properly resting on a post.

Have Your Home Inspector Check Your Deck - Sherlock Homes & Mold Inspection

Girders supporting joist should not be supported by deck journals or band joists. The image above portrays a butt joint poorly situated within a girder span. Butt joints in a girder period are generally not allowed unless specifically engineered. Butt joints generally should be located above posts. The image above illustrates notches in a supporting beam.

On the stress and compression faces, the notch depth must be less than one-sixth of the member's depth, and the notch length must be less than one-third of the member's depth. Notches are not permitted in the center third of spans, or on the stress face of members that are greater than 3 inches thick.

Even with a carpenter's level, it can be tough to see beam sag from the front. The image above portrays beam sag being eyed-up. Often it is much easier to identify beam droop by eye than with a level by looking along the bottom edge of the beam. Ledger Connection: The most typical cause of deck collapse is when a ledgers retreats from the band joists of houses and buildings.

The Basic Principles Of Deck evaluation checklist - Professional Builder

The setup of through-bolts needs access to the back-side of the rim joist which, in many cases, is not possible without significant elimination of drywall within the structure. Many building regulations specify that, where favorable connections to the primary building structure can not be verified throughout evaluation, decks shall be self-supporting (free-standing).

so is beyond the scope of a visual evaluation. Nevertheless, the spacing of ledger fasteners is primarily determined by the length of the joists.  View Details , NACHI's ledger fastener spacing formula provides inspectors with a rule-of-thumb: A deck with substantially less journal fasteners than that recommended by Inter, NACHI's formula might be risky.