At a home in Orem, Utah, a recently built deck has shown clear signs of failure due to poor construction. The deck measures roughly 16 feet wide by 18 feet deep and was framed entirely with 2×8 lumber; including the joists, rim beam, and ledger. Eight columns support the structure, but the critical flaw lies at the house connection. Instead of a proper ledger board, the contractor installed a 2×8 with only a few inches of bearing, leaving the middle section completely unsupported.
When the deck began to fail, the contractor blamed heavy loads. In truth, the only items placed on it were standard barbecue equipment which can be considered negligible in weight from a structural standpoint. The failed area sits directly outside the sliding door, showing that the issue stems from poor attachment rather than overloading. People will try to blame a failure on many different reasons, however, an expert eye is always needed when diagnosing a structural failure.
Minor issues such as missing flashing also point to substandard work, but the main concern is the lack of structural capacity. We recommend the full removal and replacement of the deck. While the footings may remain intact, the rest must be rebuilt to meet proper structural standards. It’s a shame to have to start from almost ground zero again, but is often necessary when complete structural failure occurs.
