Thread: Hammered!

This one has me confused. The bolts have carriage head but do not exit the other side of the wood. Are these some type of lag bolt that is hammered in?

No such a thing as Im aware of.
That deck has other problems, need to have a contractor look at that one.
Jeff

Originally Posted by Vern Heiler

The bolts have carriage head but do not exit the other side of the wood. Are these some type of lag bolt that is hammered in?

Yes ... ... they are called "DANG! The carriage bolts are too short and the dang hardware store is 25 miles from here, WTH are we going to do ... WAIT! ... we can drill the holes and hammer the bolts in - they will hold because the load from above will wedge them in place."

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Yes ... ... they are called "DANG! The carriage bolts are too short and the dang hardware store is 25 miles from here, WTH are we going to do ... WAIT! ... we can drill the holes and hammer the bolts in - they will hold because the load from above will wedge them in place."

"DANG" well that pretty much says it all..DANG!

You aren't supposed to look on the other side...

You don't think they used a concrete anchor of some type??? Such as this:


Bubba, if it's good enough for concrete, it's good enough for wood...

5/16 diameter ring shank nails...hehe

Is that deck secured to the brick veneer?

Originally Posted by Darren Miller

Is that deck secured to the brick veneer?

Through bolts with washers go through the brick veneer and through the rim joist. There is some type of spacer between the brick and the rim joist. The bolts are in at an angle pointing up toward the rim joist so water will not follow the bolt into the wall. I know code says not to attach to brick but I see it passed so often I don't make a big deal about it anymore.

Joists actually run parallel to the wall so the rim joist isn't so much a rim joist... Hard to see due to the lack of context on the photo, but I'd say that the member in question isn't actually a beam or a joist, but more a decorative member - the post likely sits directly under the beam which runs perpendicular to the brick wall. This member you're questioning was likely a temporary piece left in place as "trim" to keep the posts square while they framed up the deck above it.

There are several bigger issues than the bolt though as others have mentioned.

Whatever the joists are resting on have to be supported at the house. I do not see any posts against the house so the beam & rim boards must be attached at the house.

I don't think this is confusing. It is crazy sh*t. The boards with the flat 2x4s beneath are wanna be "beams" supporting adjacent joists and the beams are supported by...um, this is a disaster.

Since you are asking about the bolts, ... I suggest you say the this deck looks poorly framed, and a qualified carpenter should evaluate further.

Dido what Mike said! The folks in my family are big. If we are going to get together on a deck, it had better have been built by someone who knew how to swing a hammer. I would not put my family on that deck. To be a bit clearer, I am not saying this deck is a throw away. It can be salvaged. From the lone picture it appears as though it is basically a floating floor that needs support. Not that difficult, or time consuming to remedy. But necessary.

How about non-preservative treated wood exposed to the weather....

The deck does look and feel solid, all of the joist ends are supported by either ledger boards or metal hangers or in some cases both. All of the lumber appears to be pressure treated and there is no sign of deterioration.

And now "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say. This was a pre-listing inspection, so I was working for the seller in this case. I listed everything I found in the report but was sure to let the customer know that nothing I say has to be corrected. I did tell him the bolts would probably be the most glaring issue, but in truth the bolts were providing shear strength and I am sure that with the pressures on those bolts they were not coming out easily.

So what would you have done?