Your father's/grandfather's toenails (method of nailing) are no longer the old reliable. Florida Building Code R502.2.1 expressly prohibits "...the use of toenails or nails subject to withdrawal." In fact, injuries and even deaths occur each year because of old or poorly constructed wood frame decks and balconies. We don't have to search far back in our memory filing cabinet to recall the Wrightwood deck failure in Chicago that resulted in the death of 13 persons. That deck was only 5 years old, woah.
Improper or old school building techniques, exposure to the sun and rain, corrosion of fasteners, deterioration of building materials, lack of maintenance, simple overloading and erosion can all lead to partial or full deck/balcony failure. Whether you're a landlord or homeowner, simple retrofits are available to make your deck/balcony safer and last much longer.
First let's understand that there are 3 primary loads on decks/balconies. See also FBCR502.2.1.
- Down force from wind, dead load (materials and installed built in equipment) and live load (party people).
- Lateral (sideways) force from wind or people walking/leaning.
- Uplift from wind or rotation from an imbalanced load on the overhang portion (pivoting) of the deck.
Let me ask you a question to try and put things in another perspective ‘cause I am the K.I.S.S. guy...If you had to pull a nail from the wall with your bare hands that was tight/partially driven, how would you do it? Why you'd wiggle the heck out of it creating a bigger hole until the nail came out (failed to hold). All those forces combined with time (and hurricanes) have the same effect on simple nail connections of your deck. The results can result in injury to you, your family or your tenants.
Currently the best/smartest way to combat that which will hurt us is brain power and technology. Just like current building standards (FBCR301.1) for homes require a "continuous load path", we incorporate the same techniques in decks/balconies. Each framing component transfers load via solid connections from the tippy top to the very bottom (foundation) using straps, clips, buckets, screws and bolts. No need to fret, the engineers and marketing department has made this very easy and affordable.
This image from Simpson (Simpson Strong Tie) shows the critical deck connection points. Simply put your mouse over the orange points and a small image of the proper fastener opens up. This makes it super simple to visualize and quantify what we need for our own projects.
Straps, clips and similar metal connections are inexpensive and easy to incorporate into your project whether it's new deck construction or you're retrofitting existing construction.
Now the fasteners we use are also critical. I read an article by Anne W. West that stated "For every inch of penetration, lag bolts have as much as nine times the pullout resistance of a nail. A thru bolt gives even better resistance with its metal-to metal connection." Your engineer or contractor will specify which ones to meet load, material and weather conditions your deck/balcony will encounter. Simpson makes a fastener they call the Strong Drive® for THE MOST critical place...the ledger attachment to the house. This is a real guy thing ‘cause just lookin' at this bad boy makes ya grunt!!! Need an engineer/contractor? Yep. If your deck is higher than 7 3/4" above grade, it requires a permit. If it is higher than 3', it would require engineering. Railings also required for decks above 30".
Florida building codes and zoning have many requirements. You cannot act as your own contractor on rental property either.
Trust me people, it's less expensive to do it right the first time than suffer the Bob Lerner (attorney) consequences.
On another note...a word of warning...remember a couple/few years ago the arsenic (CCA treated lumber) scare? Well manufacturers have since changed chemicals to treat wood but we found that as a result, metal fasteners and connectors corroded so engineers and entrepreneurs changed the way metal is treated also so that stuff you today will be compatible. And...FYI A press release from CPSC as part of an ongoing study to produce possible mitigation measures to decrease the amount of "dislodgeable arsenic" from CCA-treated (the old wood preservative) wood says that if you are concerned with exposure from CCA-treated wood, you can treat the structure with a sealant! So rest your worried minds! Data suggests that application of oil or water based penetrating stains/coatings to residential CCA-treated structures can be effective in reducing dislodgeable arsenic. This information is based on first year results from two year studies by CPSC and EPA in 2003, to determine if stains, sealants and paints (13 different) are effective in reducing potential arsenic exposure from existing CCA-treated structures.
Brian Bone with Home Depot on Red Bug Lake Road says they carry over 100 of the most popular Simpson products but still has a phone book full of others. Brian also suggests simply calling in with your needs, they will pull it all for you so you know you have the right parts and pieces so all ya gotta do it pick it up! Call him at 407.977.4613. I don't mean for this to be a commercial for Simpson nor am I compensated for this. Simpson is a long standing and highly reputable company with great products. I recommend you check out the web site, it'll make ya look really smart on the job site or your next rehab.
If we all stick together, nobody gets burned (or toe nailed).
