The onset of warm weather has everyone outside, and the 40 million decks in the U.S. are back in frequent use. Some decks, however, shouldn’t be used because they’re old, rotted, improperly installed, or because they fail in some other way.
The North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) reports that deck failures have caused more than 30 deaths and 2000 injuries since 2000 and that more than 75 percent of people on a deck when it collapses are either killed or injured. A recent Google search for “deck collapse” returned four news stories of deck failures that occurred within the last couple months across the country.
NADRA has published a “10-Point Consumer Safety Checklist,” and an article from Popular Mechanics provides a comprehensive inspection you can perform to check you deck. Both are well worth your time. Popular Mechanics focuses on ensuring the hardware and construction of your deck is up to snuff while NADRA’s checklist takes into account grills and furniture, lighting and electrical fixtures, and trees surrounding your deck as well.
If you do not have the time or expertise to make these inspections, you need to get in touch with someone who can. NADRA lists resources you can use, or if you contact us , Mid-Atlantic Deck & Fence Co. will try to put you in touch with someone who can perform an inspection. Once any problems are identified, we’ll work with you to get your deck rehabbed or replaced.
Tags: deck, deck collapses, deck failures, deck inspection, deck installation, deck safety, deck safety checklist, deck safety inspection, Decking, fence, fence installation, fencing, MAD Fence, Mid-Atlantic Deck & Fence Co, NADRA, North American Deck and Railing Association, Popular Mechanics