Deck Collapses Preventable
As the weather gets warmer, more and more people will entertain on outdoor deck. It's the place best suited for social gatherings; but it's also the part of the house that's most likely to turn a party into a pitfall - literally.
Though there are no national statistics, experts believe decks simply separate from homes at a rate of one per week, especially in summer when they get the most use.
Because decks are elevated structures, usually about 8 -12 feet off the ground, injuries almost always occur. It is simply a matter of severity. The most widely publicized deck collapse resulted in 13 deaths and 57 injuries. On the night of June 29, 2003, young adults were partying on Chicago home with several elevated wooden decks when the top deck gave way. People on all three decks, without warning, went crashing to the ground.
Danny Lipford, the host of "Today's Homeowner" and The Early Show contributor shows what you need to do to prevent this from happening to your deck.
Here are some reasons for collapses:
- Age, especially of buildings erected before stricter structural requirements were instated in the late 1980s
- Structural integrity: rot and decay
- Loose or rusted bolts and nails
- No inspections by a sturctural engineer, a licensed private inspector, or a licensed general contractor
- Loose or spliting boards
- Loose handrails
- Crowding (most decks are designed for a uniformly distributed live load of 40 pounds per square foot.)
- Ledger, or deck band, that is pulling away, splitting, or rotting.
Ledger failure is when the piece of horizontal lumber running parallel to the edge of the house disengages from the outer wall of the home. The ledger is typically a 2x8 or 2x10, depending on the size of the deck. The ledger is attached to the house and holds the supporting joists, which in turn support the decking. The joists are the beams under the deck that run perpendicular to the outer wall of the house.
When the ledger becomes detached from the building, the deck tips outward and collapses. It usually happens without warning. In a very few cases, the ledger splits or fails due to internal rot. The entire deck, still fully intact, flops downward, house-side first. Experts say proper bolts and proper bolt placement is critical to preventing accidents.
You should always find a licensed professional to inspect your deck, balconies or porches. The International Code Council suggests that this be done at least least twice a year.