Deck Construction - InspectionNews

mathew stouffer · #1 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 09:38 AM

Am I missing something? This house is 4 years old and the deck ledger board was not bolted, it was nialed to the house. Also, timber columns were not bolted to glue lams, they were toe nailed. It this acceptable.

Nick Ostrowski · #2 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 10:17 AM

I don't get to see any timber columns like that in these parts Matt so I don't know the proper way of connecting the two. But I can't see the toe-nailing being adequate enough to support the full weight of that deck with a load of people as well. Looks like trouble wating to happen. And even though there is a ledger strip underneath the ledger board, it should still have carriage bolts.

Was the deck showing any evidence of movement, shifting, pulling apart at the suspect connections?

Jerry McCarthy · #3 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 10:42 AM

Mathew
Looking at you photos at the very least I see under-sized joist hangers, lack of ledger bolting and inadequate connection hardware at the support posts. I'd recommend a PE for a FULL evaluation and you wonder if they ever got a permit for that erection, and if they did, wow!
Other than that the flashing looks fine.

Billy Stephens · #4 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry McCarthy

Mathew

under-sized joist hangers, .

.
If The joist coverage height of the connector is at least 2/3 depth it is correct.

wayne soper · #5 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 12:35 PM

It is possible that those beams may be morticed into the posts. How close did you look.

Steve Lowery · #6 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 03:00 PM

I'm with Wayne,the 1st picture sure looks like the lam was let-in. From the size of the timber ( and depending on how it is connected to the ground (buried, Bolted Etc.?) might not be moving a'tall. Still seems weird not to see some kind of physical fastener. Was the owner a Japanese carpenter?

mathew stouffer · #7 (**permalink**) 07-05-2008, 04:35 PM

I looked close and did not see anything except for a few toe nails on the inside of the one timber. The house was very well built and the builder builds high end custom homes. Wayne has a good point, but the ledger board is still missing bolts.

Steve Lowery · #8 (**permalink**) 07-06-2008, 09:21 PM

The second picture shows that it was let-in. Note the bottom edge of the lam. Nobody would round the bottom of that lam to fit the profile of the post and then fail to attach it. Moot point . It stands! It is let in.

East coast Jerry. Are there any code here that allow Fancy joinery W/out special inspection, as in eyes-on witnessing of joint construction.

Dave Hahn · #9 (**permalink**) 07-07-2008, 07:09 AM

Are (the) Glue LAM's rated for exterior exposure ??

Jerry Peck · #10 (**permalink**) 07-07-2008, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Lowery

East coast Jerry. Are there any code here that allow Fancy joinery W/out special inspection, as in eyes-on witnessing of joint construction.

What ever the engineer designs and signs off on goes.

But I doubt they would allow 'just nails' for those connections instead of through bolts.

Of course, if there is no code, and no inspection process, then it's "anything goes" out there.

Do you have a code and AHJ?

Jim Kasterko · #11 (**permalink**) 07-08-2008, 12:13 PM

I'm sure many are aware, but there are a couple of good deck building practices available. Here are two.

Fairfax County Typical Deck Details*- Fairfax County, Virginia

Daniel Stone · #12 (**permalink**) 07-11-2008, 12:29 PM

Looks to me like the house would fall and the deck would stay put...why bolt a good deck to it? haha. Just kidding. But seriously, those are some pretty hefty timbers holding up the corners of that deck. We don't see that much here in the east. My only take is that I hope they are set in concrete or real deep.

Larry Kage · #13 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Kasterko

I'm sure many are aware, but there are a couple of good deck building practices available. Here are two.

Fairfax County Typical Deck Details*- Fairfax County, Virginia

Here's another:

http://www.awc.org/Publications/DCA/DCA6/DCA6.pdf