Inspect your deck regularly
Updated: Dec 30, 2021
Inspect your deck regularly
Lately during home inspections, I’ve noticed a lot of decks with damage and safety issues. Even if you had a home inspection it is a good idea to inspect your deck regularly yourself. A surprising 33,000 people per year are injured on collapsing decks.
Deck Inspection tips:
Make sure the deck is secured to the house.
Check that all of the framing is secured tightly together.
The posts should be solid, connected and raised out of the dirt.
Look for any rotted, damaged or cracking lumber.
Inspect where the stairs are attached to the deck.
If there are more than 3 risers or steps or the deck exceeds 30″ above the ground the deck must have a handrail.
Check to see if the handrail is secure.
Look out for any loose or missing steps.
The balusters must be within 4″ of each other.
This “inspection” would be a basic safety inspection and not considered an exhaustive full inspection. We recommend keeping your deck painted or stained to help prevent weather damage.
Consider getting evaluated by a deck contractor or a certified home inspector.