Poorly Installed deck and our Solution
Challenge
Building a deck correctly is so important today and most times they are
built incorrectly leading to problems.
1) the beam holding up the deck is attached to the 4x6 posts with 2-3 nails
at each post.... That means those nails, not the beam, are the only thing
preventing this deck from collapsing when there are too many people on it.
The Correct install is to knotch the 4 x 6 and rest the doubled up beam on
the 4x6, leaving the weight of the deck to bear from beam to post to
footing, not reliant on any fastener to bear the weight.
2 ) If you are going to attach the deck to the house, then the Flashing at
the house is critical...( the band board attached to the house should have
been flashed behind it and a drip cap set on top to divert water away) , we
found this deck was improperly flashed and once we removed the deck from the
house and all the sheeting and the 2x4 supports behind the sheeting were
rotten. This deck was hanging on joist hangers fastened into rotten wood and
2-3 nails at the beam... a disaster waiting to happen
3) If you look at the picture under the deck there is also nothing attaching
the deck joist to the support beam, which can cause sway and loosening of
all the deck fasteners
4) I'm not even going to address the railing posts attachments and blocking
requirements, that were missed.
5) We build our decks to meet or exceed the Residential Wood Deck
Construction Guide.... all of these issues would be nonexistent had that
been done originally.