DO YOU HAVE A DECK OR A BALCONY ON YOUR PROPERTY?

Wooden structures on a property, whether they are attached to the main house or built separately are often overlooked when it comes to regular inspection and maintenance on a property. Many folks think that damage to wooden decks is only caused by WBO (Wood Boring Organisms) or wood rot (water damage). Sadly, whether professionally constructed or as a DIY project construction damage and defects often start during the construction process. These defects that could lead to a deck or balcony collapse are often very difficult for the average homeowner to recognise.

For this reason, an annual Deck Inspection by a Certified Professional Inspection is advised as part of your regular home maintenance programme. www.proinspect.biz

Regular maintenance of a deck extends its life span. Study the deck above and notice how the wood has deteriorated from sun exposure. This deck needs some rejuvenation to prevent irreversible damage.

More often than not, the beauty of a home blinds the viewer to defects. Do not let the aesthetic appeal of a deck or staircase blind you to the hazards that may be quite obvious. Hazards are often masked by the beauty and grandeur of a home.

Many homes in East London have some type of wooden structure on their property.  If you are the owner or only a tenant, how safe is your deck or structure? According to the latest statistics, only 40% of decks and staircases are completely safe.

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This deck shown in the photo below lacks bracing support on the support leg beams. The bearing load on this structure is hazardous and needs immediate attention. Should the mass load exceed the bearing capacity of the structure, the occupants could be at risk.

Because decks appear to be simple to build, many people do not realise that decks are, in fact, structures that need to be designed to adequately resist certain stresses.

Like any other house or building, a deck must be designed to support the weight of people,

equipment and other objects. 

A deck must be able to resist lateral and uplift loads that can act on the deck as a result of wind or seismic activity. 

The sketch alongside, illustrates the correct bracing method that should be applied to the deck to decrease the hazard risk of collapse.

Another aspect of deck building that is often ignored is the spacing in the balustrades, the width of the handrail and how the balustrades are attached to the deck.

Deck stairs must be safe, and handrails graspable. And, finally, deck rails should be safe for children by having proper infill spacing.

Would you let your child on the deck shown here? 

The hazard is blatantly obvious; the space between the cables is not according to the specifications of SANS codes.

Timber structures must be designed and built following the South African National Standards (SANS) 10163, which governs the structural use of timber and SANS 10082 ‘Timber Frame Buildings’. An engineer would make use of SANS 10163 on a timber decking project.

SANS 10082 is the code of practice for timber structures and your decking contractor should have a copy of this document as well as SANS 10043 (Solid Wood Decking) on hand. The National Building Regulations must also be strictly adhered to when constructing a deck – or any other structure for that matter – and will refer the designer, builder and engineer to the relevant code or regulation for correct execution of the project.

A deck failure is any failure of a deck that could lead to injury, including rail failure, or total deck collapse. There is no international system that tracks deck failures, and each is treated as an isolated event, rather than a systemic problem.

Very few municipalities perform investigations into the cause of the failure, and the media are generally more concerned with injuries rather than the causes of deck collapses. 

Rail failure occurs more often than total deck collapse; however, because rail failures are less dramatic than total collapses and normally don't result in death, injuries from rail failures are rarely reported.

Here are interesting facts about deck failure:

·         More decks collapse in the summer than during the rest of the seasons combined.

·        Almost every deck collapse occurred while the decks were occupied or under a heavy load.

·        There is no or little correlation between deck failure and:

                    whether the deck was built with or without building plans;

                    whether the deck was built by a homeowner or a professional contractor.

                    the age of the deck.

·        About 90% of deck collapses occurred as a result of the separation of the deck from the house.

·        Many injuries are the result of rail failure, rather than complete deck collapse.

·        Deck stairs are notorious for lacking graspable handrails.

·        Many DIY  homeowners and contractors, don't believe that rail infill spacing codes apply to decks.

Significant safety hazards are caused by both DIY and commercially built decks that:

·          poor attachment to the house, i.e poor deck structure and the use of improper fasteners;

·          are cantilevered in style without the proper support to prevent weakening and collapse;

·          are built too high off the ground for their supporting members;

·          are not anchored properly at the base with proper footings and piers;

·          lack proper bracing at their underside;

·          are built on loose or uneven ground;

·          Have deck planks installed without adequate spacing to allow for drainage of rainwater;

·          have deck planks installed without staggering for adequate load support;

·          lack proper rail height and width;

·          have baluster infill spacing that is too wide; lack graspable handrails at the stairs;

·          electrical wiring and lighting outlets are non-compliant;

·          lack adequate exterior lighting at the deck and/or stairs;

·          may have its supporting members subject to excessive moisture;

·          may be built over a septic system or underground storage tank.

If you are concerned about the safety of your family and visitors to your home, have a thorough Deck Inspection today.

As a Certified Deck Inspector, I can help you do a routine inspection on your deck.

Are you planning to do some entertaining on your deck this spring?

Have your Certified Professional Inspector® inspect it first. Visit www.proinspect.biz or call me on 0790338456