Source: Market Watch Personal Finance
The collapse of an apartment building balcony in Berkeley, Calif., that killed six college students and injured another seven has sent ripples through the deck-building business. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” says Mike Tebeau, a contractor in Frederick, Md., who has built close to 100 decks in his career, and is also a licensed home inspector with National Property Inspections. “I’ve never seen that many joints break at one time,” he said.
Five Irish exchange students and one American were killed on June 16, when a fourth-floor balcony broke off the side of the Legacy Apartments just a few blocks west of the University of California at Berkeley campus, spilling partygoers onto the street below. Investigators believe the cause of the collapse was water damage that caused the support beams to rot, even though the apartment complex was just built in 2007.
About 33,000 injuries (including more than 5,000 serious head traumas) are reported a year as a result of deck collapses or falls from failed railings, including 30 deaths between 2000 and 2008 (a porch collapse in Chicago in 2003 killed 13 people), according to the research group Legacy Services, using data collected from the Consumer Products Safety Commission.
So how do you know if the deck or balcony on the home you’re buying is safe?
The answer isn’t easy. If you get a home inspection, it’s unlikely that your home inspector is qualified to inspect decks, even if they say they build them. Michael Beaudry, executive vice president of the North American Deck and Railing Association, a Quakertown, Pennsylvania-based trade group of deck builders and component makers, says that while his group works with major home inspection trade associations — like the American Society of Home Inspectors — to increase their skills, only about 300 to 400 inspectors have taken his group’s 16-hour online course since it began in January of this year. “It takes terrible incidents like these to get some momentum,” he said.
Even more serious, he says that there are about 50 million decks in the U.S. that are more than 20 years old and many can get weakened by salt corrosion and snow load. “The concern is growing exponentially,” he said. Beaudry also worries that even new construction may be vulnerable, given the growing popularity of decks and the value a deck adds to a house. Homeowners may be tempted to add a deck addition without being certain of the structural quality, and prospective home buyers often have no way of knowing how structurally sound a deck may be. A February 2015 study from Remodeling Magazine showed that most deck additions recouped 81% of costs, even higher than the most popular remodeling projects of kitchen and bath upgrades. “People want to be outside,” he said.
About 90% of decks in the U.S. are so-called lagged decks, where one side of the deck is attached to the house, rather than free-standing on posts. Lagged decks can typically cost half of what a free-standing deck might cost. But Johann Szautner, a forensic engineer in Bethlehem, Penn., who’s investigated deck and railing collapses, says that lagged decks tend to fail the most at the ledger board, where the deck is attached to the house. Many had incorrect or missing flashing at the deck-to-house connection that allows long-term moisture penetration and associated deterioration of the wooden structural members. “Since the defects are concealed from view, the owners don’t realize how close to a collapse they may be,” he said.
Even worse, Tebeau of National Property Inspections says some lagged decks are merely nailed to the plywood on the exterior of the house, not attached with threaded carriage bolts at least 10 inches in length that are attached to the frame of the house. Tebeau says that even if the deck is constructed properly with the correct width and strength of posts and beams, there still may be other issues.
Pressure-treated lumber that’s used to build most decks is designed to hold up against insect infestation like termites, but can’t protect against conditions like dry rot, which is thought to be the cause of the balcony collapse in Berkeley. Moreover, the water damage begins at the connection of the house and deck, especially if the base is not properly caulked. “It rots out the house and you don’t see it,” Tebeau said. He also warns that in this age of do-it-yourselfers, a deck is one project that you should always get a permit for. “Everything should have a permit. The more stuff I see homeowners do, the more stuff I see it done wrong,” he said.
Here’s some advice from NADRA and other contractors that you can do to check your deck or balcony.
1. Search for split or decaying wood.
NADRA and Szautner say homeowners should check several different areas of the deck to be sure the wood is still sound, including the ledger board (where the deck attaches to the house), support posts and joists under the deck, deck boards, railings and stairs. Look for soft, spongy areas in wood that can indicate insect damage or decay. Mike Tebeau of National Property Inspections says any signs of water staining or cracks at the base of a balcony are also signs for serious concern.
2. Test railings and banisters.
Check the security of these key pieces of the deck by gently pushing on them to assure they are firmly attached with no “give” that could indicate failure. Then, get the yard stick or the tape measure out. Most codes require a 36” high railing (and usually encourage 42” high railings) with rails placed no more than 4 inches apart (measured from the inside of the rails) to keep small children and pets from squeezing through.
3. Check your fasteners.
Over time, fasteners may “pop” from wood, loosen or even corrode. NADRA recommends to check nails, screws or anchors and reinforce or replace anything that looks suspicious.
4. Step carefully.
Homeowners should check each step to make certain of security and lack of decay. If an area behind the stair treads is open, NADRA says, this opening should be no more than 4” high.
5. Clean up debris.
Make it a priority to clean away leaves, branches or other debris from your deck, NADRA says. When left in place, these can be slippery and promote mildew, according to the trade group. If you’re already seeing mildew on the deck, or the deck coating has worn away, NADRA recommends you should clean it and apply a new waterproof coating.
Source: Market Watch Personal Finance
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