On The Level - Deck Safety Month

Published: Fri, 05/05/17

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From the editors of Tool Box Buzz, Home Construction Improvement and A Concord Carpenter

Volume 86

Hi Guys,

May is Deck Safety Month so we're focusing this issue on decks. Every year our team of contractors builds several decks and porches in the Spring months and we've seen our fair share of poorly built decks.

Just last week my crew started renovating and expanding an at-grade deck for a client. The first task was removing the old PT decking which revealed some serious structural issues. The good news is the deck was an at-grade deck so there was no real possibility of injury. However, the lack of proper framing and structural support resulted in frost damage and poor performance.

The picture below is the gem we uncovered. If you look closely you'll see a poor attempt at framing a beam between concrete piers. The "flat" framed beam with a sad excuse for a box beam between piers left this deck ripe for frost heaving issues. I'm sharing this picture and story as a reminder to always do the job right, and if you're not sure what to do, seek advice from someone with experience.

~ TODD

todd fratzel

Porch and Deck Footings

One of the most important details for any porch or deck are the foundation piers that support it. One of the biggest problems we see with decks are inadequate and poorly installed footings. Over the last ten years we've used more and more pre-cast concrete piers that we install using an excavator. Pre-cast concrete piers offer several advantages over traditional sono tube / concrete filled piers including larger foot prints for reduced bearing stresses and easy installation.

Read on to learn more about footing options and advice.

Rob Robillard

Deck Safety

In this article I go through a great list of deck safety issues that will help you determine if you'll need to replace your deck. Topics discussed include foundations, structural connections, railings and framing.

Jeff Williams

Flashing A Deck Ledger

Another big problem we see on a regular basis are decks that are not properly flashed and the ledger that is not properly secured to the house. We've repaired countless homes that have serious rotting of the siding, sheathing and framing in locations where decks meet the house.

This type of pre-mature damage can be avoided with the proper flashing details. In this article we go over the proper flashing methods for both wood framed and masonry buildings.

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