#1 - we recently had a covered patio installed. The amount of reinforcement they had to add to the outside wall in order to support the weight of the extra roof was incredible. But there are building codes for a reason, to prevent #1 from happening.
When my then wife and I bought a house one of the first things I did was check to see how the decks (all three of them) were attached to the side of the house. All three of them were nailed to the sill, something I knew wasn't going to do the job.
Out came the drill.
I placed carriage bolts every 16 inches (in between the joists) of which both sides went through backing plates - one inside and one outside - to secure the decks.
Looking at the picture I have to wonder of that deck was attached the same way mine were: nailed...using too few and or too small sized nails to do so.
We thought building codes applied to our failing multi-level deck. Then we discovered the deck was not actually bolted to the house! Since it was a stand-alone structure, building codes were not in effect. Buyer beware, indeed!
#1 Where the deck and wall meet is a moisture trap so the nails or bolts rust away. I couldn't afford to dig below the frost line so I built my deck and front porch as free floating structures so they can rise when the ground freezes without affecting the house. Fourteen years later everything is solid. #7 Tail draggers are notorious for being unable to see what's ahead of you. In WWII mechanics would ride on the wing to give the pilot directions. Al_in_Ottawa
Many years ago my then wife and I bought a house with a two level deck on it. We threw a huge party to celebrate with 20 or so people. Afterwards I began seeing videos of deck collapse and thought HOLY CRAP! I never even thought about it. Thank God that didn't happen to us.
When I met my girlfriend (both widowed) she showed me her house in Plymouth. The enclosed porch attached to the house was old but in good shape... except when I looked at the outside wall it didn't look right. I told her I wanted to check something and next time I was there I put a ladder up against the house and attached a plumb bob to the top of the wall. At the bottom the bob was three inches away from the wall.
After looking at the outside support posts I asked her for a butter knife. I got down on the ground and easily passed the butter knifes blade under the bottom of the supports. They had rotted out from the bottom, all of them. The attachment to the house was the only thing holding the porch to the house. Luckily I know a guy, she's good now. Off topic, I just got back from my bike ride. I was stopped from going into the local park by the local police. I asked the cop "What's the problem, Zombies?". He answered, "Don't know yet, we're recovering a body, it hasn't moved yet". Point to local cop.
I recently completed a project that I was called to because one of the posts supporting the deck was no longer vertical. It looked like soil was flowing, but when we dug down beside the post we found the post had simply been placed in the ground and there was no foundation and there was significant rot at the base of the posts. The client was also going to make an addition that was going to set on posts. I designed the footings and analyzed the deck so I could design footings for the deck as well.
There is a lot that gets done DYI that does not meet building code.
4. There was a low bridge near my town. Had warning signs and a laser measurer that would activate a flashing light if a truck was too tall. Still didn't stop them from trying at least two or three times a year. The dot finally ripped it out and turned it into a 4 way intersection. -lg
I fixed one once where they simply screwed it into the siding, with no regard for actually attaching it to studs. Do it yourselfers provided me with a pretty good income. CC
#2 is a tank mover ? right ? how in the world does one flip one of them over ??? that shows real skill as my dad used to say. bet it was his last day on the job too.
Leopard 2AX on a Rheinmetall MAN 40.633 FX DFAETX transporter. Probably Bundeswehr in Germany, but could be anywhere in NATO. Was traveling on the elevated road barely visible on the right. Went off the roadbed and flipped when the embankment tilted the transporter about 30 degrees clockwise on its travel axis. These are not especially stable vehicles.
6 - when the airlines deregulated in the 80’s there was an airline that had a crusty DC9 flying between Altanta, Alexandria, LA and Dallas. Best Airways. It wasn’t but for some rea$on my company made me fly it. Back then you always got a meal but one time the airplane started to smell real bad. The flight attendants began heating up the lunch, a hot ham and cheese sandwich. They never removed the plastic from the cheese! Burnt plastic smell everywhere. We didn’t divert and were only offered an apology. They thankfully went out of business.
#5. I drive from LA to Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevadas a lot and the winds can be very high driving through the northern Mojave desert. I see 10-15 mobile homes, RVs, and 18 wheeler trailers on their side each year.
Down at the marina where I worked we call that "rubber necker row" A handful of people with nothing better to do. Park there right in the way, clogging up the parking lot and turnout, all agawk watching boaters. No real use for 'em ya know.
#1 - we recently had a covered patio installed. The amount of reinforcement they had to add to the outside wall in order to support the weight of the extra roof was incredible. But there are building codes for a reason, to prevent #1 from happening.
ReplyDeleteWhen my then wife and I bought a house one of the first things I did was check to see how the decks (all three of them) were attached to the side of the house. All three of them were nailed to the sill, something I knew wasn't going to do the job.
DeleteOut came the drill.
I placed carriage bolts every 16 inches (in between the joists) of which both sides went through backing plates - one inside and one outside - to secure the decks.
Looking at the picture I have to wonder of that deck was attached the same way mine were: nailed...using too few and or too small sized nails to do so.
We thought building codes applied to our failing multi-level deck. Then we discovered the deck was not actually bolted to the house! Since it was a stand-alone structure, building codes were not in effect. Buyer beware, indeed!
Delete#1 Where the deck and wall meet is a moisture trap so the nails or bolts rust away.
DeleteI couldn't afford to dig below the frost line so I built my deck and front porch as free floating structures so they can rise when the ground freezes without affecting the house. Fourteen years later everything is solid.
#7 Tail draggers are notorious for being unable to see what's ahead of you. In WWII mechanics would ride on the wing to give the pilot directions.
Al_in_Ottawa
Many years ago my then wife and I bought a house with a two level deck on it. We threw a huge party to celebrate with 20 or so people. Afterwards I began seeing videos of deck collapse and thought HOLY CRAP! I never even thought about it. Thank God that didn't happen to us.
DeleteWhen I met my girlfriend (both widowed) she showed me her house in Plymouth.
DeleteThe enclosed porch attached to the house was old but in good shape... except when I looked at the outside wall it didn't look right. I told her I wanted to check something and next time I was there I put a ladder up against the house and attached a plumb bob to the top of the wall. At the bottom the bob was three inches away from the wall.
After looking at the outside support posts I asked her for a butter knife. I got down on the ground and easily passed the butter knifes blade under the bottom of the supports. They had rotted out from the bottom, all of them. The attachment to the house was the only thing holding the porch to the house.
Luckily I know a guy, she's good now.
Off topic, I just got back from my bike ride. I was stopped from going into the local park by the local police. I asked the cop "What's the problem, Zombies?". He answered, "Don't know yet, we're recovering a body, it hasn't moved yet". Point to local cop.
I recently completed a project that I was called to because one of the posts supporting the deck was no longer vertical. It looked like soil was flowing, but when we dug down beside the post we found the post had simply been placed in the ground and there was no foundation and there was significant rot at the base of the posts. The client was also going to make an addition that was going to set on posts. I designed the footings and analyzed the deck so I could design footings for the deck as well.
DeleteThere is a lot that gets done DYI that does not meet building code.
It's not that people don't build to code. It's that people don't understand construction and load transfer.
DeleteEvil Franklin
Like a hawk eating a sparrow.
ReplyDeleteLike a rottweiler on a chihuahua.
Delete-lg
4. There was a low bridge near my town. Had warning signs and a laser measurer that would activate a flashing light if a truck was too tall.
DeleteStill didn't stop them from trying at least two or three times a year.
The dot finally ripped it out and turned it into a 4 way intersection.
-lg
7 - what is it with idiots parking in the roadway?
ReplyDelete#1 Yeah. Improperly secured decks are a serious freaking hazard, and insanely common. MPAI plus shortsighted builders trying to save a few cents...
ReplyDeleteI fixed one once where they simply screwed it into the siding, with no regard for actually attaching it to studs.
DeleteDo it yourselfers provided me with a pretty good income.
CC
Even more is that assumption that a raised platform will hold a sauna.
DeleteEvil Franklin
#9 Never a shortage of amatuer boat launches. At least he sunk an old van. Always nice to see a 70K truck in the drink.
ReplyDeleteOr using a POS van to try and haul a heavy boat up a steep and slippery ramp. Van stalls and slides down the ramp. Trade mark Pennsylvania Navy move.
Delete#2 is a tank mover ? right ? how in the world does one flip one of them over ???
ReplyDeletethat shows real skill as my dad used to say. bet it was his last day on the job too.
Leopard 2AX on a Rheinmetall MAN 40.633 FX DFAETX transporter. Probably Bundeswehr in Germany, but could be anywhere in NATO. Was traveling on the elevated road barely visible on the right. Went off the roadbed and flipped when the embankment tilted the transporter about 30 degrees clockwise on its travel axis. These are not especially stable vehicles.
DeleteThe transporter rolled because it went over the embankment.
DeleteWhoever tied that tank down had their shit together.
ReplyDeleteTruckdriver maybe not so much.
maxx
#1 - Happened to me in the NC Mtns. Mid-March 1993, we got 31" of wet snow over 2 days. Middle of Saturday night - CRASH!!!
ReplyDelete6 - when the airlines deregulated in the 80’s there was an airline that had a crusty DC9 flying between Altanta, Alexandria, LA and Dallas. Best Airways. It wasn’t but for some rea$on my company made me fly it. Back then you always got a meal but one time the airplane started to smell real bad. The flight attendants began heating up the lunch, a hot ham and cheese sandwich. They never removed the plastic from the cheese! Burnt plastic smell everywhere. We didn’t divert and were only offered an apology. They thankfully went out of business.
ReplyDelete#5. I drive from LA to Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevadas a lot and the winds can be very high driving through the northern Mojave desert. I see 10-15 mobile homes, RVs, and 18 wheeler trailers on their side each year.
ReplyDeleteI always think...that's gonna be expensive.
#9 - My dad and I used to go to the public launch in the valley and watch the entertainment!
ReplyDeleteDown at the marina where I worked we call that "rubber necker row" A handful of people with nothing better to do. Park there right in the way, clogging up the parking lot and turnout, all agawk watching boaters. No real use for 'em ya know.
ReplyDelete#1 Joist hangers are over-rated...
ReplyDelete#10: gesundheit. tissue?
ReplyDelete