Watch the Video on Deck Safety (Mark Clement)
HOST: Mark, it's great to see you at the builders' show. I know your forte is remodeling and writing. But there's some issues I want to talk to you about -- And the biggest one is deck safety.
MARK: Absolutely, Scott. This is an issue that's flying under the radar a little bit. Now we've got about a million new decks a year being built. That's on top of about forty million decks that are out there now. And it's estimated--if you can believe this--that twenty million of those, not code-compliant.
HOST: I can believe it because I've been on and seen--not the ones that I've built, of course--some decks that are a little bit scary -- (MARK: Yeah.) -- Some of them have to do with height; and others have to do with handrail height actually.
MARK; That's a big safety issue. You come in too low, and you create essentially a trick step. The other thing is if a handrail isn't built strong enough to withstand two-hundred pounds of lateral force--and this is the worst thing about the whole thing--the deck failures that I've seen are happening at parties, wedding receptions -- (HOST: Exactly.) -- People come out -- It's the outdoor living. It's go time, and the next thing you know, you've overloaded the deck, the railing can be pushed off. But the most-common failure is right at the house.
HOST: Right. And what about as a builder and a remodeler, I mean is there some tips you can give us to just make sure we have the Ts crossed and Is dotted and we're safe?
MARK: Absolutely. There's a couple of really good resources you can use. One is the National Deck and Railing Association. (HOST: Okay.) Check them out. It's a good clearinghouse. Simpson also has an excellent resource book --
HOST: Is it the Simpson Strongtie?
MARK: Simpson Strongtie. Exactly, for hangers, fasteners, that kind of thing. And they're going to work with the pressure-treated lumber. They're going to be right there.
HOST: And then there's always -- We always have the code inspectors come through. And in my area, they're pretty stringent. So, you know, they keep an eye and make sure we're safe. Any other advice?
MARK: Yes, actually. Deck-safety inspection checklist. And this falls more under my remodeling daily wic, but certainly for new construction, too. You want to go through any deck you've been called to look at and look at the connections, look for rot, look for flashing details that haven't been done right. And the most important thing as a builder-remodeler, is to get up to speed on those.
HOST: In this slow market, reconstruction and remodeling's been doing pretty well. Are you seeing a lot of new decks being added?
MARK: That's the thing that they always say in conventional wisdom here is that when markets slow down, people fix the houses they already have. (HOST: Right.) Decks are the epicenter of that. It happens all the time, and it's a real good foot-in-the-door to offer a deck inspection.
HOST: Right. And then -- I mean, and then also just good rapport with your client. You get the deck. Next thing you know, you're in the kitchen, too, and out the kitchen. (MARK: That's right. Yep.) And that can always lead to more work.
MARK: Exactly. Exactly. It's a good gateway project.
HOST: Great advice.
MARK: Awesome, Scott, thanks. Good seeing you.
HOST: You, too.
Watch the Video on Deck Safety (Mark Clement)
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