I have encountered some deck problems recently that I thought I would share with readers.

One thing that has really stood out is that the deck should be sitting on footings and not just a concrete pad sitting on top of the ground. Often you cannot see the footing because the deck post is sitting on top of the footing and then covered with dirt. To give you a simple explanation of what a footing is; it is concrete poured down in a hole, down into the ground so that frost will not make the deck move when attached to the house. Most builders now are using a pre cast footing. If you see that the deck posts are sitting on top of concrete pads then you know it is wrong and also it is likely the proper permits were not taken out to construct this deck. This application pertains to decks that are attached to the house.

When the deck is attached to the house it should have a flashing between the deck board (header) and the house to keep moisture from penetrating into the house. Usually you can see the flashing if you look under the deck. You can see the metal is bent over the board. Without this flashing it is possible for water to penetrate. Another common thing that I have found are ledger boards that attach the deck to the house held on by nails and or screws instead of lag bolts. The joist hangers that support the deck boards under the deck are attached with screws instead of nails. Screws do not have the shear strength and should not be used in the joist hangers. There is a new deck screw that is approved for attaching the ledger to the house. It has a large brass head and is driven by a star shaped bit.

Improper handrails have been common. 2x4's or 2x6's lying on there side is not a proper handrail. It should be installed so you can get your hand around the rail and no wider than 27/8's inches. The deck step risers which is the open space between the steps need to be closed off so children cannot crawl through. If the deck steps and deck itself are more than 24 inches off the ground you need railings and handrails. The baluster spacing should be just less than 4 inch spacing as of 2006. Balusters are the little posts on the railings. The older decks would have spacing of just less than 6 inches but, if you remodel you have to go to the current standards. If you are building a new deck, let the wood season a year or two before you stain and seal it. It is up to you but I would always stain and seal the wood on the deck. If you paint it, it's going to be an ongoing maintenance problem with peeling paint because of moisture penetration. A lot of people are now going to composite material decks or vinyl deck components that need very little maintenance except cleaning.


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