Once a backyard deck is finished and being enjoyed by family and friends many homeowners don’t give it a second thought. They lose sight of the fact that a deck is susceptible to the same forces the house is (wind, rain, snow, settling etc) and figure the deck will just take care of itself. A new posting on the American Society of Home Inspectors website reminds us that this is not the case. They recommend you have your deck inspected at least once a year.
Mike Beaudry, executive vice president of the Bucks County-based North American Deck and Railing Association, said deck inspections are simple to do, but often are ignored by homeowners who think decks last forever.
About 50 million decks in the United States have been built with a municipal permit, Beaudry said, and about half are older than 20 years old.
The age of those decks could point to a fairly broad possibility of trouble. More frightening, he said, is the untold number of decks that were built without permits — and often without attention to code.
Of course what applies to our friends south of the border also applies to the many decks currently gracing homes in the GTA. Especially, as the article points out, those constructed by deck builders without proper permits which were therefore never inspected during their construction. And in case you think this is little more than alarmist tongue-wagging consider these recent incidents:
- In May of this year a deck in an Indiana suburb collapsed injuring a dozen people. The deck pulled away from the house while crowded with party goers and collapsed to the ground. Later reports indicated poor construction was the likely cause.
- The following month an apartment balcony collapsed in Berkeley, California killing 6 young people and injuring 7 more. The balcony pulled away from the building and collapsed to the street below. City inspectors say the balcony, if built to code, should have had no problem handling the weight of the people; meaning someone cut corners somewhere.
- In Sept 2013 a deck in Dartmouth NS collapsed during a party injuring 15 people. Neighbours reported hearing a “loud crack” before the deck plunged to the ground. Local building inspectors were called in to investigate.
We could go on but you get the picture. While even the best built deck will eventually succumb to the effects of age, most deck accidents result from shady deck builders circumventing the rules in order to increase profits. So if you have a deck that was constructed without permits you really need to bring in a qualified inspector to look it over, top to bottom. The alternative is to let problems fester and wait for them to turn into a newsworthy accident.
Choose the Right Deck Builders and Say Goodbye to Safety Concerns
Deck inspections are a smart way to head off potential problems with your deck regardless of the circumstances of its construction. An inspector can identify issues that may not be obvious to you but which could lead to an accident and/or injuries to you, your loved ones and friends down the road.
The best way to head off potential problems however, remains making sure your deck is built by fully licensed and insured deck builders with verifiable references and a history of success like the professional deck builders at Toronto Custom Decks. We’ve been creating beautiful, durable and safe backyard decks for our clients in the GTA for more than a decade and have a long list of satisfied customers to show for it. We never take chances with your home and make sure every aspect of your deck is built to meet or exceed local building standards. With Toronto Custom Decks on the job you’ll never need to worry about the safety and security of your loved ones on one of our backyard decks.
Dreaming of a Having a Deck? Get in Touch Today!
Call us today on 647-878-8780 for a free consultation. We’ll help you determine what type of deck will be right for your home and then set up an appointment for you to come in and discuss the matter in further detail.