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OT-Check your decks-PSA

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jeffwit
jeffwit Posts: 1,348
in Off Topic
I know the title sounds trite, but we have some good friends who were out on their second-story deck when the bolts attaching it to the house gave way and the deck collapsed. They’re going to be ok, broken bones and a lacerated liver, but it could have been much worse. 
I’m not usually a worse case scenario person, but this one hit close to home. Have a look occasionally to make sure everything is tight and not rotting. 
PSA over. Grill on. 
Jefferson, GA
XL BGE, MM, Things to flip meat over and stuff
Wife, 3 kids, 5 dogs, 4 cats, 12 chickens, 2 goats, 2 pigs. 
“Honey, we bought a farm.”
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  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,767
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    Wow , prayers for a speedy recovery 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,314
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    Geez... wood decks more than 10' off the ground have always made me nervous. 
    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
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  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,677
    edited July 2018
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    I don't know if it was the case here, but pressure treated lumber is extremely corrosive to fasteners,  even specially coated fasteners and galvanized. I know this, because I recently dismantled a pressure treated play set in my yard.
    I had 1/4 galvanized lag bolts that has completely rusted in too and 1/2 bolts that for rusted half in too.

    I hope everyone recovers quickly.

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Sorry to hear.  My deck is 3 feet off the ground so I'm not too concerned.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,187
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    That’s nightmare material for sure. When we bought our house last year, our #1 priority was getting the shoddy deck replaced, kitchen and bath remodel was put on the back burner after a thorough deck inspection. 

    Prayers for a speedy recovery to those injured. 
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  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 6,304
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    Thanks, I have a one story and my deck is only a foot off the ground, but I appreciate the warning. It was noted by FEMA after Katrina that in the case of most buildings that were torn off of raised foundations it was because the fasteners failed. Either due to corrosion or just in adequate strength. An entire block of condos were swept off of their foundation leaving a lattice work of concrete pilings and beams 12 feet off of the ground.
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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,977
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    nolaegghead said:
    Sorry to hear.  My deck is 3 feet off the ground so I'm not too concerned.
    Exactly.  You don’t need no elevation to break a couple of ribs...
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
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    As a part-time real estate agent for the last 10 yrs I will NEVER walk on a deck until I've been underneath it first.  I am not a home inspector, but it's really obvious if it was an amateur job.  I have literally seen a deck held up by 4x4's anchored by a cinder block (which at one point had dirt built up around it, but had since eroded.)  One push and the whole thing would have come down.  There was a really bad deck collapse in the city north of me a few years ago--bunch of teenagers having a party, one killed.  Cheap "builder-grade" deck.....band board was just nailed to the house rather than lag bolted.
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  • Jeremiah
    Jeremiah Posts: 6,412
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    Yeah. Our deck is like 2 feet off the ground and rotted. Planning on a Trex deck remodel this fall. 
    Slumming it in Aiken, SC. 
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    JohnInCarolina said:
    nolaegghead said:
    Sorry to hear.  My deck is 3 feet off the ground so I'm not too concerned.
    Exactly.  You don’t need no elevation to break a couple of ribs...
    thanks, butt-munch
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
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    Lacerated liver????  Holy Moly -- I'm amazed that one survived!

    Thanks for the PSA!
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,187
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    The flashing is the main thing to check. Make sure it extends out from the house a good ways and isn’t cut or rusted out. Another thing to check is the deck board closest to the house. If it’s nailed or screwed in close to the house, then the flashing has holes in it and is compromised. That deck board should only have a nail or screw on the outside edge away from the house. 
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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
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    Crap! That's no bueno. Our deck had (section that's about 300sqft ish that's also our egging area) some soft spots on the railings and boards beginning to twist.  OBW this section of the decking was only 10 yrs old. Long story short the douchecannoe contractor slipped one past the inspectors...no wrap between deck and house structure.  Siding, deck, sections of floor joists etc had to be replaced.  Deck is at the lowest point 4ft off the ground and highest point 8ft.  Solid concrete pilings support the structure and these were the only things that were still okay.  Deck was replaced with all new skeleton and Trex decking, rails etc. 
    Good PSA!!!
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • mEGG_My_Day
    mEGG_My_Day Posts: 1,653
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    Wow - Wishing your friend a full and speedy recovery.  
    Memphis, TN 

    LBGE, 2 SBGE, Hasty-Bake Gourmet
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,772
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    my deck is 12 foot up over a stone wall embankment, not going out on it and hoping it survives to the fall.  stike condemned it a decade ago when the wind was lifting it and it was dropping the main posts that the damn french builder never attached to the deck or wall at all =) im still good with the deck part, the railings not so much.

    ive had lots of folks crash off the deck at camp, its 6 inches tall and sits on the ground. one could blame it on too much crown. i built a ramp for it to help some get off the deck =)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • piney
    piney Posts: 1,478
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    DoubleEgger said:
    That’s nightmare material for sure. When we bought our house last year, our #1 priority was getting the shoddy deck replaced, kitchen and bath remodel was put on the back burner after a thorough deck inspection. 

    Prayers for a speedy recovery to those injured. 
    And a beautiful house with a wonderful lot it is! Sandy and I loved it!
    Lenoir, N.C.
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  • Killit_and_Grillit
    Killit_and_Grillit Posts: 4,326
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    Man that’s terrible. Hope for a speedy recovery. 

    My wife and I went and looked at an older house that needed some repair a few weeks ago. Had a second story mini deck over the driveway. 

    My wife said, “come look at this view”. 

    Daaaaaamn that. Hard pass. 2nd story decks stress me. 

    "Brought to you by bourbon, bacon, and a series of questionable life decisions."

    South of Nashville, TN

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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
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    We just rebuilt the deck on the lake house last summer and found the old one barely attached to the house.  Lucky we caught it before someone got hurt.  Folks really need to be cognizant of the danger.  Good PSA!

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
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  • poster
    poster Posts: 1,172
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    Is 2x6 over a 36" span too much? I could hardly bring myself to go across
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  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
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    poster said:
    Is 2x6 over a 36" span too much? I could hardly bring myself to go across
    I would have my legs as wide as possible, with each foot spanning two boards, and a death grip on both ropes. 

    ***not afraid of heights, just afraid of falling.
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  • evie1370
    evie1370 Posts: 506
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    Just replaced our deck floor and rails last month. the footers etc were fine, so that saved us some $$ though what we did was costly enough. 

    I knew it was in bad shape, but the final straw was when the back steps collapsed on the husband when he was trying to walk out. Yea, no bueno. I am not hitting the singles scene again at my age!

    Good PSA, many times we do not notice things until it is too late. Thanks for sharing.

    Medium BGE in Cincinnati OH.

    "

    "I don't know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me. " Duke of Wellington, Battle of Waterloo.
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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
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    The falling part doesn't scare me as much as the landing.

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
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  • SonVolt
    SonVolt Posts: 3,314
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    I'm more scared of losing that plate of ribs on the way down. 
    South of Nashville  -  BGE XL  -  Alfresco 42" ALXE  -  Alfresco Versa Burner  - Sunbeam Microwave 
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  • slovelad
    slovelad Posts: 1,742
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    GATraveller said:
    The falling part doesn't scare me as much as the landing.
    A very wise man with an evil knievel spirit indeed 
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  • poster
    poster Posts: 1,172
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    stlcharcoal said:
    poster said:
    Is 2x6 over a 36" span too much? I could hardly bring myself to go across
    I would have my legs as wide as possible, with each foot spanning two boards, and a death grip on both ropes. 

    ***not afraid of heights, just afraid of falling.

    You mean you wouldn't walk your dog or push a stroller across? I did your technique and made sure I had 2 boards under each foot at all times as close to the supports as possible. The daughter took a 1/2 mile zipline back, I walked through the bush
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  • alaskanassasin
    alaskanassasin Posts: 7,661
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    A similar thing happened in Columbus I think last summer on some townhouses , the contractor I toe nailed it or at least did not use any lags.
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


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