Deck Construction & Inspection - San Marcos

TREC Approved for 8 hours of continuing education.
TREC Approved Course #42377

According to recent industry report, 6,500 people have been injured from collapsing balconies and decks in the United States. The North America Deck and Rail Association (NADRA) estimate more than 60 million decks in the U.S. (50m residential and 10m commercial), it is estimated that 30 million decks are past their useful life and need to be replaced or repaired.

It is crucial for homeowners to have their decks inspected to verify the integrity of their deck to ensure user safety as well as help extend the deck’s life-span, improve appearance, and increase livability.
Deck Construction Based on the 2021 International Residential Code® puts the provisions of the 2021 International Residential Code® (IRC®) that affect deck design and construction in the hands of the deck industry.

It is the intent of this course to clearly present the code and establish an understanding of the baseline “minimum standards” such that code designs or designs not covered by prescriptive code are more easily identifiable.

Topics Covered

• Best Inspection Practices
• Identify Minimum Prescriptive Wood Deck Requirements
• Describe Deck Construction Including Wood Members and Fasteners
• Deck Attachments to Existing Structures
• Minimum Fasteners Requirements
• Prohibited Ledger Attachments
• Stair, Guard and Rail Requirements
• Importance of Identifying Wood Rot and Rusted Steel Failure.
• International Residential Code Requirements
• North American Deck and Railing Association, Inc. (NADRA)
• Deck Safety Academy (DSA)
• American Wood Council

Here are some interesting facts about deck failure:

• More decks collapse in the summer than during the rest of the year combined.
• Almost every deck collapse occurred while the decks were occupied or under a heavy snow load.
• There is no correlation between deck failure and whether the deck was built with or without a building permit.
• There is no correlation between deck failure and whether the deck was built by a homeowner or a professional contractor.
• There is a slight correlation between deck failure and the age of the deck.
• About 90% of deck collapses occurred because of the separation of the house and the deck ledger board, allowing the deck to swing away from the house. It is very rare for deck floor joists to break mid-span.
• Many more injuries are the result of rail failure, rather than complete deck collapse.
• Deck stairs are notorious for lacking graspable handrails.
• Many do-it-yourself homeowners, and even contractors, don't believe that rail infill spacing codes apply to decks.

REGISTER TODAY!

Registration starts at 7 am the day of the course.

Class starts at 8 am.