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Crawlspace? No It's a Deck!

By David Helm

Home Inspector with Helm Home Inspections

July 19, 2007 05:11 AM

Not all WDO (wood destroying organism) damage is limited to crawl spaces. The following pictures show a deck in need of replacement. There are several reasons why this deck is in the shape it's in. When it was built, the structural lumber was not pressure treated. The joists are Douglas Fir 4X10, good solid construction, but the wrong product for the job. The house is located in a wooded area, dropping needles constantly, which go through the gaps in the decking and rest on the joists, holding moisture. The result was severe Anobiid beetle infestation and severe Wood Decay Fungus (rot). This deck could easily collapse and cause injury or even death since it is a second story deck.

Anobiid damage

wood decay fungus

Every joist on this deck was affected to one degree or another. The recommendation was to replace/rebuild the deck structure.

Thanks for looking.

David Helm, Bellingham, Washington home inspector

www.helmhomeinspections.com

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Chris Gempeler

Breckenridge Mountain Top Realtors - Breckenridge, CO

Mountain Top Realtors

Wow I have never ssen that before!

Jul 19, 2007 05:30 AM

Gene Allen

Fathom Realty - Cary, NC

Realty Consultant for Cary Real Estate

Funny what people will live with.

Jul 19, 2007 05:50 AM

Toby Boyce

C.G. Boyce Real Estate Co. - Delaware, OH

MBA, Delaware Ohio

David,

That's is an extensive infestation and I'm sure we've all seen decks in varying degrees of decay, rot, abuse, etc. My question is how often have you seen these deck issues remanifest themselves in the house?

A client and I looked at a house yesterday and one of the many reasons we walked away from it was similar to this situation. A noticeably bad deck that needed some major reconstruction and it was connected to a wood-sided house that made us nervous that the "bugs" from the deck were probably in the house as well. Just curious...

Jul 19, 2007 05:59 AM

Angel Perry

Top Mortgage - Mount Vernon, WA

Composite decking works well in the Northwest. Maybe they should consider rebuilding with this product. It cost more initially, but saves in the long run. Do your homework, not all composite decking materials are the same.

Jul 19, 2007 06:01 AM

David Helm

Helm Home Inspections - Bellingham, WA

Bellingham, Wa. Licensed Home Insp

Chris, It isn't all that uncommon. Thanks for looking.

Gene, Yeah it is amazing. If the deck collapsed with people on it I guess they wouldn't be living with it.

Jul 19, 2007 06:57 AM

Toby, That's a good question. It would depend on the type of construction (cantilever or ledger), the wood used (deck framing must be ground contact pressure treated) and the detailing of the house/deck interface (flashings, moisture separation, etc.). Seeing the condition that this deck was in would certainly make me suspicious and cause me to look very carefully at how the deck was attached to the house.

Jul 19, 2007 07:01 AM

Angel, Composite decking would not have made a difference on this deck. It is the structure that is damaged and composites are not structural. I do understand the difference between the various composites and was one of the first to be factory trained in their techniques by Trex. An improperly installed composite can cause a lot of damage too. It even matters what the outside temperature is when you install it. Gaps are based on ambient air temp because these composites are subject to fairly dramatic expansion and contraction based on the temperature. Thanks for commenting. I see you are in Mt. Vernon. Hello.

Jul 19, 2007 07:05 AM

Hello back to you David....

Jul 19, 2007 09:46 AM

Steven L. Smith

King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA

Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Often people do something like paint the decking, to hide the rot. The trained eye can usually tell but they are dangerous. I know two realtors who put a leg right through the floor. Bad bruises. One guy was hanging with a joist under each arm. As for composite: Ditto....it is the decking, maybe rails (usually not too attractive there from what I have seen) with pressure treated structure. We inspectors go under if we can and see all that. Build a deck with composite decking, over what you are showing, and probably the composite would be around after the structure was bye-bye. Some people do not realize that it is best to build of components that have reasonably similar lifespans. Especially when the one with the short lifespan would be the structure -- what a pain that would be having a great floor and spongy structure.

Jul 20, 2007 02:21 AM

Not to mention Steve, the deck that collapsed in Seattle a few years ago, killing several and injuring many. I fault the big box stores also, telling everybody they can build their own decks and do as good a job as trained professionals. While decks seem simple, to build them properly is much more complex.

Jul 20, 2007 07:42 AM

Thanks for the information David! Toby

Jul 23, 2007 03:57 AM

Jeffrey Owen

IonHomeInspection.com - Houston Metro Home Inspection - Katy, TX

Wow. That is an accident waiting to happen. Thank you for posting!

Jul 23, 2007 05:51 AM

Steven Turetsky

Comprehensive Building Inspections & Consultants - Staten Island, NY

Building Moisture Analyst

Good morning,

David, it looks like the deck is still in active use. You would think even the most"unqualified" resident would realize to stay off. I hope they thanked you, or did the seller bust your chops for giving the deck a "bad" review?

It amazes me how blind people can be sometimes.

Jul 29, 2007 01:30 AM

Don Rider

EZ Rider Home Inspections LLC. - Bossier City, LA

Shreveport Bossier Home Inspector

This gives you a new perspective when looking at deck. Thanks

Jul 30, 2007 12:41 AM

Toby, You are welcome for the information. We all need to keep learning.

Jul 30, 2007 04:36 AM

Steven, No realtor involved in this transaction. Buyer found me on the internet, is planning on major renovations and wanted to know everything so he could make a rational decision. I told him not to use the deck till it was rebuilt. Definitely an accident waiting to happen.

Don and Ion, Yes decks are a major source of danger in houses, especially since the proliferation of big box stores telling people they can do it, without the knowledge of how to build things safely.

Jul 30, 2007 05:09 AM

Crawlspace? No It's a Deck!

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