Posted on August 16, 2022 at 10:50 AM by Hannah Behl
In 2018 there were 20,000 deck failures throughout the country causing many serious injuries. Many if not all of these failures could have been prevented by regular inspections and maintenance. The average life expectancy of decks without inspections or maintenance is 15 to 20 years. The two most common failures are 1) Lateral separation from the house and 2) Guard rail/handrail failures.
Failures occur when key structural connections loosen and allow the structural members to move and separate, these connections should be inspected at least once per year and before an event where the deck will become fully loaded. Key connections are the ledger/rim joist connection, floor joist/rim joist connection, beam/post connection and the post/ground connection. These connections must be tightened periodically because of the constant shrinking of the treated lumber. The entire railing should be fully inspected also, looking at the top rail, spindle and post/rim joist connection.
These are simple and quick inspections and will insure a safe summer for family and friends.