McCandless Warns Residents to 'Check Their Decks'

The May 6 collapse of a deck at during a house party at 303 Highoak Court in Wexford is a vivid example of what can happen when older decks aren't checked on a regular basis.

Fortunately, there were no injuries. "It's nothing short of a miracle that no one was seriously hurt," said McCandless Fire Marshal Dan Stack at the time. 

"The deck was built at the same time the house was built," said Stack. "Sometimes, over the years, the wood either rots or the supporting bolts rust away."

Since then, the town of McCandless has posted on its website a reminder to property owners to "check their decks."

Many older decks are still in use; they should be checked for signs of potential failure. Here is a list of items to check:

• Support posts for any twisting, cracking or decay.
• Deck attachment to the house, look at the bolts or lag screws and make sure they are one-half inch or larger in diameter or of another approved fastening method.
• Spacing of the bolts or screws and make sure they are no more than 16” on center.
  
• Bolts or screws for corrosion.
  
• Make sure there is positive attachment and that the band board is not pulling away from the house.
• Joist hangers and make sure they are nailed and not screwed in and check for any corrosion.
• All framing connections for splitting wood, separation of framing members and corrosion of fasteners.
  
• The railing to make sure that it is attached properly and is not loose.  
• Excessive sway, bounce or sagging members.