by Frank Woeste, Joe Loferski and Cheryl Anderson
This manual, published in cooperation with the International Code Council (ICC),
is intended for use by home inspectors, renovation contractors, consulting
engineers, homebuilders, and building code officials interested in the
inspection of residential wood decks built with conventional framing lumber.
Homeowners who own wood deck structures will also find parts of the manual helpful
in the proper maintenance of wood decks.
Information includes:
Preparation for Inspection - information that should be gathered,
the inspection plan,
and recommended equipment for an inspection.
What to Look For - general points useful in all aspects of the inspection
including proper installation of lumber and connections, National Design
Specification® (NDS) requirements, the quality of the elements, decay
hazard based on location, and the use of details that provide protection
against decay and insects. Inspection - a systematic inspection approach
including the preparation of plans and elevations and recommended
inspection procedures for all structural elements and the connection
system at the house.
Analysis - descriptions of structural calculations that may be needed
and resources available for the calculations.
Report - Recommendations for the content of a complete deck inspection
report prepared for a homeowner with a suggested format. The appendix
contains additional information on the "pick test" for detecting early
surface decay, information on deck attachment issues, a sample report
of a comprehensive deck inspection, and lists of accredited grading
and lumber treating agencies. The sample report includes sample
calculations with details on where to find the necessary information.
