Throughout Minnesota many homes have an extension of living space which can be a very enjoyable experience. These extended areas of leisure are known as decks, and they really can be enjoyable if you make sure they are safe.
     Decks require maintenance, even those which are "maintenance free" material. Safety can start with something as simple as cleaning your deck and making sure the surface does not contain hazards. Many home owners throuhgout Minneapolis, Saint Paul and the surrounding suburbs are unaware of how to properly balance the weight distribution on the deck. Most people will put items such as a barbeque toward to railings along with the furniture and maybe some plants or decorative items. Decks are designed and engineered to have a distribution of weight so as not to load one end or support more than another. So try and evenly distribute your items around the deck for better balance ( This goes for parties as well, distribute seating around so as too distribute the weight more evenly.
    Another key issue I see very often is wood support columns in contact with the soil. No matter what anyone says about treated or untreated, wood will rot when in constant moisture at an excelerated rate. Mantaining proper drainage around your posts base (so as not to allow water to pool and settle against the post) will aid in preventing premature rot and potential failure of the post. Believe it or not, however, the most common cause of most deck collapses is caused by the ledger board seperating from the home. This board and how it is secured to the home is crucial when performing a deck inspection and has many requirements in order to be installed properly.
     If you are interested in having a deck inspected or need information on a Minneapolis, Saint Paul or surrounding 11 county metro area home inspection, call us @ 612-919-3844. We hope this information is useful and if you have any questions please feel free to call.