Some of the Most Common Defects to Cause U.S. Deck & Balcony Collapses

Many homes across the United States feature balconies and decks among their amenities. Some balconies might be purely decorative ornaments, while others are load-bearing. Balconies usually form part of the original construction and gain some benefit from professional design and building.

Decks, on the other hand, often form later additions built by the homeowners themselves.Deck collapse attorneys understand that sometimes the homeowners don’t know to obtain permits for the work, and the decks never receive a proper safety inspection.

NADRA (the North American Deck and Railing Association) estimates that less than half of America’s approximately 40 million decks are built to code. Our deck collapse attorneys note that building to code represents a minimal level of safety, as building codes state the MINIMUM requirements to which one must build. Even a deck built to code might not withstand the heavy load bearing requirements of large gatherings and parties.

Some of the most common and dangerous defects you’ll find in a deck include:

• Lack of proper attachment of the deck to the house. The ledger board might be nailed in rather than bolted in to the house. A weight-bearing member that is only nailed in will suffer from shearing stresses, and will almost certainly pull away from the house at some point, leading to catastrophic injuries and fatalities from a sudden deck collapse.

• Missing nails in joist hanger brackets supporting the floor of the structure.

• Missing flashing at the connection with the house. Flashing is a protective layer that prevents water leakage into the house at the connection points. Water seepage can lead to rot, wood expansion and contraction, and corrosion of connection hardware, among other problems.

• Improper load transfer or a lack of support at areas intended to bear your weight.

As decks and balconies age, they become more prone to collapse and the danger from any defect increases. If you’ve been injured in a deck collapse or a balcony collapse, contact our experienced deck collapse attorneys at Denena & Points for a free consultation. We have a solid track record helping injured balcony and deck collapse victims successfully make just financial recoveries for their injuries. We could help you too.