With summer well on its way, you'll want to make sure your deck is in safe condition for you and your family to sit out and enjoy the warm weather. Did you know that you can do some preliminary checks on its safety all by yourself? While these tests and recommendations are not necessarily replacements for a serious inspection, they can give you a better idea of whether or not you should worry about your deck's integrity.
First, the most common cause of a deck collapsing is due to ledger boards separating. In fact, 90% of deck collapses were a result of it! Check the corners of your deck for loose connections, interior fasteners, and dry rot, splitting or decay. If you see any signs for concern, don't wait - tackle the problem immediately. You don't want to let it carry on too long.
Another place to check for safety is the stairway. Check the stairs and rails for loose boards or a swaying staircase. Also, check underneath the deck. Make sure the joists are stable and solid and there is not rot or insect damage. Examine the footings and support posts as well. Look out for signs of loose connections, interior fasteners, pooling water, or signs of decay. Again, if you see anything, address it immediately by fixing it yourself if you're savvy with tools or calling in a professional.
Other than visually examining your deck for signs of weakness, there are two tests that you can try to test your deck. The first is the hula hoop test. Yes, it may seem silly, but bear with us. How it goes is you place your feet in the center of the deck and move around like you're keeping a hula hoop up. If you want, you can also actually try the hula hoop. If the deck is wiggling, you have some trouble with either loose connections or damage and need to fix it right away.
The second test is the dry rot pick test. Check at various spots on your deck for dry rot by prying up a splinter of the wood. Some places you should check are joists, support posts, and the underbelly of the deck. To carry out the test, get a screwdriver, awl, or ice pick and leverage a splinter of wood up. You may have a problem with decay if there is any of these 3 signs:
- The wood is soft and spongey.
- Your implement can easily go 1/4 inch into the wood.
- There is no sound or few splinters and the wood breaks directly over the tool.
Again, if you see any of these 3 signs, you'll need to fix your deck before it's safe to use.
Last, check to make sure you're not accruing water damage to your deck. Ensure no downspouts, sprinklers, or hoses discharge near support posts. Also, look at any wood that regularly gets water on it, say the part of the deck nearest the hose, for water damage and rot.
You don't want to wait until an accident happens to know whether your deck is safe or not. Use these tests to check its integrity today. If you find any reason for worry, call a professional to get it taken care of or fix it yourself if you're capable. Look at the infographic for more details on this subject.
