Deck Inspection | Home Inspector New Ulm MN

To ensure your deck is up to code and is safe for all future adventures on your deck give us a call today!

Over the past 10 years, deck failures have brought a new awareness to deck safety that has been slow to surface to the level of seriousness in the eyes of the general public to prompt the type of change that is needed. While improvements are seen in new deck construction, many decks are still built by persons unaware of the new standards or who simply do not understand the importance of certain types of connectors or how they should be used. The purpose of this inspection is to bring about greater awareness and improve safety, by identifying potential concerns, failing components, construction defects that are likely to cause future issues.

The inspector will look at the following areas:

Improper Attachment to the House- The most common reason for deck collapses is improper attachment at the house. If the deck is supported by the house, it should be attached with bolts, lag screws, SDS screws, or some other similar method. This is the most common deck ledger board attachment method.
Improper Flashing to the House- The inspector will check to ensure flashing installed above the top of the ledger board. The purpose of the flashing is to keep water from leaking in behind the deck at the house and causing rot. Here in Minnesota, painted galvanized steel is pretty much the standard way to flash the ledger board.
Improper Joist Hanger Insulation- The inspector will look for defects that we regularly find with joist hangers like the following: Missing nails, improper joist hanger nails and check to make sure joist hangers shouldn’t be bent or cut.
Rot- The area that usually rots first is the place where two deck boards butt up against each other over a joist. The inspector will look over this area to ensure there is no rot. They will look for any soft spots or visible rotting.
Improper Stairway Attachment- The inspector will look to ensure the stair way is attached with a stairway stringer to a deck and that it is not attached with a joist hanger bracket.
Guardrail Problems- Guardrails should be strong, the inspector will check that your guardrail is secure and you cant move it when you push on it. The inspector will also check that the balusters be spaced so that a 4 inch sphere can’t pass through.