So often people think their sundeck has been built to "code" and is safe for use. Watch this video to see numerous components missed that most people have no idea are required to make their deck safe.
I worked for custom deck builder 25 years ago. Never heard of needing a double outer joist or anti slip surface on stairs. I did notice that where the hand rail post are bolted blocking is required between joists to stop joist twist.
With typical Vancouver weather, that mildew is going to be there in no time! What a scary build all together! You get 10-15 or 20 people on that deck, and just nails holding it to the house and missing fasteners on the hangers? Wow, so many ways for people to get hurt or killed.
Great video Tom! The majority of decks we walk on when we are showing homes are not build to the building code standards that should have been used when they were constructed. It is sometimes difficult to explain this to home buyers, especially when a home can look great otherwise, but it seems to be the reality. Fortunately most of the decks we see in Michigan aren't from the second floor like this example. That stair is really unsafe and the lack of bolts to connect to the home is the stuff that gives us nightmares! The one thing you didn't show is the flashing at the house. (Or lack of flashing.) It is nice that you have a good view underneath to be able to check it!
This reminds me of that video where the roofer is stacking bundles of shingles on the deck, then he drops one on the pile and the entire deck sheers off and falls down.
Home inspectors usually hired by the buyer. Buyer and seller negotiate the issues and if they come to an agreement the house is sold with a lowered price to handle repairs. Or the buyer walks away.
Don't know where you are but the IRC doesn't allow 4" x 4" rail posts to be notched. The IRC also doesn't require that stringers rest on a concrete pad. It actually prohibits them resting on a concrete pad unless it extends to 12" depth or below the frost line. It also requires a graspable handrail and lighting. It also doesn't require that the rim joists be doubled although I agree it's a good idea.
Makes sense, because if the pad doesn't go below the frost line, frost heave will cause it to push up and cause structural failure of the deck and/or stairs. Doubling the rim joists makes for a stiffer base for the railings. That way, the railings will not bow outwards as much when you lean on them. Why build a strong railing, only to attach it to a wimpy joist? :)
@@BenjaminEsposti None of my decks have double outboard stringers/joists and my railings are quite sturdy. But then again I don't use lag bolts, Only carriage bolts with a washer an nut. Lag bolts can come loose and the wood can soften, so even if you to tighten them, there isn't much meat to grab onto. The washer and nut will create their own pressure and resistance. The only time I use lags is when I hang a ledger board on the house and can't reach the other side.
Precut store bought stair stringers. You'd be surprised how many "carpenters" don't know how to cut stair stringers with equal height risers and eqaul length treads based on the total rise from top of stairs to grade level. I've also seen many different clever yet inadequate methods used to connect the top of the stairs to the deck such as lots of toe nailing. It makes me cringe.
Over the course of renovating my 11 rm. Victorian in Greensburg, IN I hired 19 contractors, had huge issues with all but 1, sued 3 and won and reported 2 inspectors for "drive by" inspections.
Not bolted to the house? Amazing. When it comes to decks, skimping on construction quality is a non negotiable. There is a lot of stupid here. I'm waiting for the railing to collapse when people lean on it at the next party.
I had this happen to me as well! The deck to my house was only attached by 2 lag bolts on a 14 ft deck! Inspector did not catch this, but I ended up replacing the whole deck anyways so no big deal.
Worst one I have seen they TACKED it with 2 nails for whole deck (also deck had a full roof over it). But I was going through friends house he was planning on buying and they were trying to refuse to fix crap that wasn't up to code. So he ended up not buying it but reporting all the code violations to state.
That would be a double band board or rim joist. Ledger would be on the house and would not be a double. Were it a double band like it should be, it would be acceptable to use structural screws (something like ledgerloks) to fasten the newel posts.
I'm a little confused because you keep pointing at band joists and calling them ledgers. Why do they need to be doubled, is there something in the building code requiring that? If it is just for attaching guard rails, there are other ways than doubling a band joist or rim joist, such as boxing them in or running posts long.
The purpose of the rim joist is to give the entire deck stiffness. All wood will warp and twist over time. It depends on the species and climate conditions. The easiest, and certainly cheapest, solution is a doubling of the perimeter.
It is required where I live and work. I have always doubled by rim joist. Better post install and strengthens structure. This deck would fail inspection for sure.
Also, the double rim joist gives you a stronger structure to bolt the railings into. Thus, you won't have as much wobble in your railings, and they will be stronger for those times when multiple people lean against them, and if things are hung from them.
The only reason I know of is to provide wall anchorage over the decking in a house other other building. It does stiffen a bit, but I've not saw a requirement in the IRC, or American fraiming standards.
First thought was, "Homeowner and a few buddies built it"? It still can be saved for not too much money. But the roof part! Now I'm convinced it was a crooked contractor.
Yes. If its at foundation level you can use anchor rods epoxied into the foundation, wedge anchors, or concrete screws. For a connection above the foundation like this one you can use lag screws embedded into the wall studs.
Alamyst2011, Not on the deck that my father and I built. We used lag screws, at the intervals required by building code. :) (In fact, the nails for securing ledgers are _not allowed_ by the building code here, for obvious reasons. I suppose it COULD be strong enough with nails, but you must have the proper number of nails in there for the required strength! And then some, for good measure/durability/longevity.)
If it is dry, it can last forever. If it is not pressure treated, and it cannot properly dry, it can rot within a year. The point is, it is hard to tell as there is an infinite range of possibilities. It needs to be inspected, focusing on the points where it can stay wet, like behind ledger board, points close to the ground, wherever dirt can be stuck like between the decking boards top of the joists etc... Bad ledger boards are the most dangerous. If the footing posts are in ground, and not sitting on the top of concrete. It can rot fast as well. And I often see that the railing is getting loose if not properly fastened. Get it inspected.
I find it amusing that you advertise your business in all of your videos, but hey: With these videos you earn every right to toot your own horn. :D If anybody wanting to hire you has questions about your competency, you can just point 'em right to your youtube channel filled to the brim with videos of you catching code violations. 👍
That top stair connection is ugly and those outter posts are a hazzard but Id give a pass on the rail touching earth and no slip pads bit that awning sitting on the roof is absolutely abhorrent.
That's terrible construction all around! One question- aren't risers required on all stairs in your area? That space is plenty big enough for a child to fall through. Locally that would be a fail. Couple that with a stair rail which is not recognized as "grippable" . This video could have been ten minutes longer!
You should take a building inspectors course. One major thing you missed about the posts. They are not to be notched at all. They should be inside the rim joist and boxed around and yes. Bolted. Never notch a railing post.
Correct about the notches on the posts, but: "...They should be inside the rim joist..." Absolutely not. The bolts will eventually shear. The beam at the cantilever side of the deck should always sit ON TOP of the 4x4s or 6x6s to support the weight. The outer joists of the framing can be blocked to provide support for the rail posts.
at least go out and put some liquid nail where the boards lay on the shingles, then everything will go fine, but keep your insurance in good standing.. ha ha ha.
Many owners do not want to pull a building permit because of probable many skeletons in the closets the inspectors might see on the existing structure that might open up a huge can of worms. This deck is a prime example of possibly a homeowner doing the work or an unlicensed worker. Most likely a democrat .
That, or the contract they hire doesn't want the inspector there because the contractor knows he doesn't know how to build properly. They're also lazy and don't want to go pull a permit, then wait for the various inspections throughout the process. Or even worse, they tell the client and charge them for a permit and time to pull the permit and don't go through the process.
He missed all the black mold under the untreated deck. And cement at the base of wooden stairs will cause wood to rot. Water wicks into cement. Everything decomposes so it's amusing to see all these building codes to force the sale of new products. All they do is make us buy new products.
You need a secure landing at the bottom of the steps. You still have to elevate the top of the landing above the ground level and have water run off. Then you need a connector/tie in for the wood to sit on. Many times this is also elevated at least 3/4 inch. But even if it is only the thickness of the steel, the wood does not make continuous contact with the concrete.
