Finally Feel Comfortable In Your Space

Responding To Damage To Your Deck

by Camila Holland

Your deck may be one of the most used areas of your property. Unfortunately, there are several types of damage and other problems that could impact your ability to use this portion of your property.

Exceeding The Deck's Weight Limit Is A Common Source Of Significant Damage

While there are many different sources of damage to a deck, exceeding its weight limit can be one of the more common. Individuals will often assume that a deck will immediately collapse if the weight limit is exceeded. However, this is typically only the case if the weight limit is exceeded by a substantial amount. When the weight limit for the deck is only exceeded by a small amount, this may not seem like a serious concern. However, this can add a substantial amount of strain to the decking materials, which can increase the risks of the deck developing cracks or broken supports that could lead to significant structural integrity issues over the course of time.

Determine Whether The Damage Is Structural Or Cosmetic

When your deck suffers damage, it is important to assess whether the issue is largely cosmetic or a potential structural emergency. One example of this could be shallow cracks in the floor panels of the deck. While these cracks may increase the risk of a panel breaking or suffering further damage, this is often a relatively isolated problem that is unlikely to impact the overall stability of the deck. However, if the damage is to one of the supports that are responsible for supporting the weight of the deck, this could have the ability to lead to the deck suffering a catastrophic failure. Whenever you suspect that the damage could have the possibility of impacting the overall stability of the deck, a professional should be hired to inspect it to determine the scope and scale of the damage that has occurred.

Do Not Assume The Deck Is Safe To Use If You Avoid The Damaged Area

Some individuals may assume that the deck will be safe to use as long as they avoid the area that has suffered damage. While this may seem like a viable option, the reality is that damage to any supports of the deck could dramatically alter the weight distribution of the rest of the deck. For example, this could drastically increase the amount of weight that the other supports are having to handle, which could increase the chances of a catastrophic failure. Due to these threats, you should avoid using the deck as much as possible until the appropriate repairs are completed.

Contact a professional to learn more about residential deck repairs

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