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Component Manufacturing dverti$er
All things Wood
Adverti$er
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
August 2017 #10217 Page #66
Evaluating an Existing Residential Deck By Frank Woeste
S
ince 2003, deck researchers and representatives of the code community have worked to improve and expand the deck provisions in the International Residential Code (IRC). I believe the deck-related provisions of the 2015 IRC, coupled with best practices in the American Wood Council DCA6-2012, provide practical information for constructing safe residential decks. As such, newer decks that have been permitted, properly constructed, and inspected should provide reliable service when maintained and inspected in-service annually. But what about the millions of older decks that were built without the benefit of improved codes and best practices?
Real Deck Safety Challenge The deck safety challenge now is existing decks, which is an issue for homeowners and property managers alike. Until now, there has not been a practical and comprehensive resource that people could consult before making the decision to engage a professional who can evaluate decks that were improperly built, and that have been exposed to the weather or to saltwater spray. The purpose of this All Things Wood article is to introduce a new book by Bruce A. Barker that is a treasure-trove of deck construction information and photos that show new and safe deck details, as well as unsafe details. Based on my experience in educational efforts, laymen need to see a visual depiction of what “unsafe” looks like, and then what “safe” looks like. One without the other apparently doesn’t work in learning—a stark contrast is needed. The photos in this book provide that contrast. Mr. Barker participated in a Virginia Tech short course in 2015, and later that year he self-published a deck evaluation book. Within the last few months, he completed a Black+Decker book on Deck Codes and Standards (2017), and I immediately purchased a copy on Amazon. I believe this book is ideal for creating the needed critical link between typical homeowners and multi-family property managers and safe-deck construction information given in the 2015 IRC and DCA6-2012. Deck Codes and Standards has 127 (8.5”x11”) pages and uses high quality photos and illustrations to present code-recognized deck construction details and best deck construction practices. For people with existing decks, pages 100103 provide a “Residential Deck Inspection Checklist.” Of obvious value to the homeowner and property manager, the author offers recommendations on various issues that may be observed. For some cases listed in the checklist section, his recommendation is stern: “Do not use deck. Strongly recommend professional evaluation.” Based on the current deck literature that I am aware of, none offer an actionable step based on the outcome from observing a certain deck deficiency or condition. PHONE: 800-289-5627
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