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 Mobile ViewEXTERIORS of buildings ADVANCED INSPECTION METHODS AGE of a BUILDING - how to determine BEST CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES GUIDE BUILDING SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE BUILDING SETTLEMENT CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS COOLING LOAD REDUCTION by ROOF VENTS Cracks, Checking or Splitting Beams & Log Homes CRAWL SPACES DECK & PORCH CONSTRUCTION Deck Construction Best Practices Deck Beams & Girders Deck Piers & Posts Deck & Porch Connections: Ledger Boards Deck Framing Tables, Spans Deck Flashing at Building DECK FLOOR & STEP CUPPING Deck Board Gaps, Spacing Guide Deck & Porch Steps or Stairs Deck & Porch Railings Deck & Porch Products, Manufacturers Fasteners, Nails, Screws, Hidden, for Decks Fasteners, Structural for Decks Finishes, Coatings, Stains for Decks Porch Construction & Porch Screening Preservative-Treated Framing Lumber Rooftop Deck Construction Rot-Resistant Deck Lumber & Flooring Synthetic Deck Lumber: Composite, Plastic, Vinyl DECK COLLAPSE Case Study DECK FINISHES COATINGS PRESERVATIVES DECK FLASHING LEAKS, ROT Case Study DECKS, ROOFTOP CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS STAINING on ROOFS DEFINITIONS of Mobile Home, Doublewide, Modular, Panelized DEFINITIONS of ENGINEERED WOOD OSB LVL etc DEHUMIDIFICATION PROBLEMS DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE DISASTER BUILDING INSPECTION & REPAIR SAFEY EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED FOUNDATIONS ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings ENGINEERED WOOD Flooring ENGINEERED WOOD Products FIRE DAMAGE vs MOLD DAMAGE FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FOUNDATION BULGE or LEAN MEASUREMENTS FOOTING & FOUNDATION DRAINS FOUNDATION CRACKS & DAMAGE GUIDE FOUNDATION WATERPROOFING FRAMING DAMAGE, INSPECTION, REPAIR FRAMING DETAILS for BETTER INSULATION FRAMING DETAILS for DOUBLE WALL HOUSES FRAMING & SUBFLOOR for TILE FRAMING MATERIALS, Age, Types FRAMING METAL STUD PERFORMANCE FRAMING METHODS, Age, Types FRAMING SIZE & Spacing, Age, Types FRAMING TABLES, SPANS for DECKS FRENCH DRAINS FROST HEAVES, FOUNDATION, SLAB FRT PLYWOOD I-JOISTS, Wood Roof Floor LOG HOME GUIDE MODULAR HOME CONSTRUCTION MOBILE HOMES, DOUBLEWIDES, TRAILERS MOISTURE CONTROL in buildings Nanomaterials Hazards NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE PORCH CONSTRUCTION & SCREENING PRE-CUT & KIT HOMES Preservative-Treated Framing Lumber RAILINGS, DECK & PORCH RAILINGS, STAIRWAY RETAINING WALL DESIGNS, TYPES, DAMAGE RETAINING WALL GUARD RAILINGS ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES TERMITE SHIELDS vs TERMITICIDE ROT, TIMBER FRAME SEARS KIT HOUSES SHEATHING, Gypsum board SHEATHING Homasote & Other Board SHEATHING, OSB SHEATHING, Plywood SHEATHING, FOIL FACED - VENTS SINKHOLES, WARNING SIGNS STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS STONE CLEANING METHODS STRESS SKIN INSULATED PANELS STUCCO WAll FAILURES DUE TO WEATHER STUCCO WALL METHODS & INSTALLATION STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION STUCCO PAINT FAILURES SURFACE GRADING, SITE DRAINAGE TERMITES, ROT THERMAL EXPANSION of MATERIALS THERMAL MASS in buildings TRIM, EXTERIOR CHOICES, INSTALLATION TRIM, INTERIOR INSTALLATION TRUSS UPLIFT, ROOF TRUSSES, Floor & Roof VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in buildings VENTILATION in buildings WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES WALL FINISHES INTERIOR WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR BUILDING WATER ENTRY in buildings WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS WIND TURBINES & LIGHTNING WINDOWS & DOORS WINTERIZE A BUILDING WOOD Burning Heaters Fireplaces Stoves More Information |
This article describes critical safe-construction details for decks and porches, including avoiding deck or porch collapse and unsafe deck stairs and railings. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Also see our review of that book. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, Daniel Friedman, Steve Bliss, Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Photos & Construction Details of Unsafe Compared with Safe Deck Piers & Posts
Our photo at above left shows reinforcement details at a poured concrete pier installed at our New York forensic lab entry deck. The contractor excavated to bedrock (we could not get below the frost line) where he then drilled into the rock to insert wired re-bar to pin the pier to the rock surface. We took this photograph to provide to the building code inspector who could not be present at the time the piers were poured. Our photo at above right shows an above-grade masonry piers. Structural connectors were used to connect post to pier, post to girder, and joists to a ledger board that was bolted to the building's rim joist.
According to Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction:
Also see STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS - INSPECTIONS, CODES and see Building Safety Hazards Guide for a list of other building safety topics for home owners and home inspectors. More Examples of Unsafe, Collapsing Deck Piers & Deck Posts
Above are some photographs of short cuts taken to "get the deck up" when proper lengths of post were not available or where piers were re-cast on top of older poured concrete piers that were tipping or collapsing. It is surprising how often we see an extra block or scrap installed to make up for a deck post that is too short. This is an un-stable structure at risk of dangerous collapse (above left). At above right the original concrete piers were probably not dug deeply enough nor properly constructed and were tipping and sliding down hill. A repair contractor placed a new pier on top of the tipping, sliding, collapsing pier - a dangerous repair. The cross bracing may slow the fall of this deck when it collapses. Also see Manual for the Inspection of Residential Wood Decks and Balconies for an excellent guide to deck construction inspection and deck safety. Deck Building Building Permit and Deck Building Code Inspection Warnings
We inspected a deck built nearly eight feet above ground level, and without any railings. The owner wanted the view to remain unobstructed. The owner promptly asked us to convert the deck to a sun-porch using translucent corrugated roof panels. At the time of this photo safe railing balusters had not yet been installed. At another New York deck that was built abutting the home but not attached to it, we also encountered deck high above the ground (about 8') with no railings whatsoever. Our opinion was that this was a dangerous structure and that guard railings were needed. A local inspector examined the deck and opined that because the deck was a free standing structure, "building codes did not apply" and so no guardrail was "required". Our advice was that railings were needed for safety, regardless of that local opinion. In most jurisdictions, home inspectors, building consultants, and builders are not permitted to declare that a structure does or does not comply with local, state, national, or modern building codes. That authority is reserved for the local building code compliance officer. But in most jurisdictions a building permit and final building code compliance inspections are required to build a deck, regardless of whether or not the deck is attached to the principal structure. And regardless of what any inspector claims about the "legal requirement" for guard rails on decks, we recommend that for safety, guard rails and stair railings (if stairs are installed) should be provided; if the deck is more than 3 ft. above ground level the requirement for guard railings and stair rails is required by model and most local building codes. see Codes for Stairs for details about stair building codes and specifications. Questions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & answers about safe and un-safe deck construction practices & details Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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