May is Deck Safety and Repair Month, and experts from the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) recommend that homeowners check your deck before you begin planning family activities. At NADRA, Executive Vice President Michael Beaudry states that their “first priority and message to the public is to ensure the decks they use are safe; outdoor structures such as terraces are exposed to sun, rain, snow and extreme temperature fluctuations over the years. The need to maintain and inspect them is critical to keeping decks strong and safe.”
There is a carefully curated checklist and safety awareness list of information for consumers to ensure they have details available to evaluate their decks. This information can be found at https://nadra.org/deck-safety. It is important for homeowners to check their decks annually, as most decks in the United States, as there are an estimated 40 million residential and 10 million commercial decks, are more than 20-30 years old.
NADRA’s “10-Point Consumer Safety Checklist” provides information on how to look at the different areas of your deck, as well as keeping an eye out for what may need repair or replacement. A professional deck inspection is needed, “a professional inspector will thoroughly examine your deck, provide information on your deck’s capacity limits, identify any hazardous problem areas, and give you some insight into what to look out for in the future,” says Beaudry.
Older decks require closer examination and regular inspections. Many decks were built before code requirements were established to protect consumers. Some of these older decks may have deck-to-house fasteners using only nails instead of the current recommended construction using deck tension hardware which greatly aids in the prevention of ledger failures.
“We recommend ASHI-certified home inspectors or an expert deck builder for inspections of older decks,” says Beaudry. “Our NADRA deck builders must adhere to a code of ethics and meet state licensing and insurance requirements. This gives peace of mind to homeowners using our NADRA members.”
Deck inspection requires special knowledge, skills and experience. NADRA offers training and certification for its members along with ASHI home inspectors and others interested in professional deck inspections.
The North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) is committed to raising public awareness of the need for regular inspection and maintenance of existing decks and the proper installation of new decks. For more information visit http://NADRA.org.
At Best Rate Repair and Termite Co. we held a Deck Collapse Demonstration to educate the public about what a good deck looks like versus a poorly built deck. By raising awareness in the City of San Diego, we can help people maintain deck safety in their homes.
Information provided by NADRA
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