When unsure of your home’s deck safety, schedule a professional deck inspection by a New Jersey structural engineer. The accessible and viewable structural conditions of an exterior deck will allow a licensed engineer to inspect it for safety issues. The assessment will provide valuable information to a homeowner and a repair plan if needed.
Professional Deck Inspection by New Jersey Structural Engineer
Our residential structural engineer inspected a cantilevered deck at the front of a home recently in Princeton, NJ. The deck consisted of 2×10 floor joists spaced at 16″, bearing on the block masonry wall. It extended back to the interior foundation wall of the crawl space below a guest bedroom. The floor joists were exhibiting advanced decay due to being untreated, unprotected, and exposed to water. Our structural engineering firm recommended that these conditions be remediated.
Deck Repair After Structural Engineer Inspection
It is not always easy to repair a deck, but when able, it can be less expensive than completely replacing one. In this case, our structural engineer was able to recommend two repair plans.
- The less expensive plan would include cutting off the existing cantilevered floor joists at the foundation wall. Then install new cantilevered floor joists “sistered” to the remaining existing floor joists, for the full span, where feasible.
- A slightly more expensive plan specified that the deck framing be remediated by cutting off the existing cantilevered floor joists at the foundation wall. A designed beam would then be installed which would span the outer edge and be supported by diagonal strut members attached at the base of the foundation wall ends.
Either repair option would recommend that the homeowner consider custom fiberglass covering for the deck surface. This would achieve ideal conditions to prevent water penetration beyond the exterior wall surface. Additionally, the existing sliding door and the siding would need to be removed. The fiberglass deck covering could then be covered with a secondary flooring material, and installed with various color choices. The guardrail also should be replaced to meet the minimum building code.
Cost to Repair or Replace a Deck
An approximate construction cost estimate for this deck remediation was provided to the homeowner. When repairing a deck, keep in mind additional costs such as painting, landscaping, finishing, etc. Costs also fluctuate based on the selection of finishes and other ancillary work. Often your deck repair will require structural engineering design services, especially when redesigning your deck or needing a designed beam. Penn Valley Engineering is highly qualified and offers design as one of its structural engineering services.
Fortunately for this homeowner, the two framed wing walls flanking the sides of the deck appeared to be structurally sound. There were no obvious signs of structural distress. Therefore, they did not need to be reinforced or structurally remediated.
For structural stability and safety, all of the repair recommendations outlined and described in the New Jersey deck inspection should be remediated collectively.
Deck Design Plan
This homeowner ordered blueprints designed by Penn Valley Engineering. With properly engineered construction documents, qualified/state-licensed contractors can quote a repair plan. Once they review and confirm the scope of work, the homeowner can compare the cost estimates. Blueprints are also required for obtaining necessary building permits. Once work commences, it should be monitored and supervised by a professional engineer licensed by the State of New Jersey.
If you have arrived at this article by searching “deck inspection near me”, we encourage you to confirm that we service your area. If we do, please schedule a deck inspection by a New Jersey structural engineer. Your safety is a top priority of Penn Valley Engineering. We’ve performed many residential structural engineer inspections and can answer your questions regarding structural deficiencies you think your home may have. Call or fill out our contact form to receive structural engineer consulting. We look forward to hearing from you!
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“The team at Penn Valley was knowledgeable and extremely helpful. They freely shared their expertise above and beyond.”
– Tom F., reviewing structural engineering in New Jersey