New Deck Question

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So long as your spacing meets code I can not imagine why it would not pass.
 
You guy's don't have kids I hope....these are refered to as ladders and are not up to current industry standards(I hate to use that 4 letter word).
So if you are not concerned about little folks..do what you gatta do....but it won't pass if you get an inspection.:eek:

That picture looks like the deck is so high you could use it for base jumping...right off the railing.:D
 
I understand the whole climbing thing, but I see houses in newer developments with this kind of look. And, they too are very high off the ground. How do they get away with this?
 
I was wondering if I got some steel pipe 1 or 1 1/2 if it would rust? I saw some that would be fairly cheap but didn't know if it would rust.

Also on inspection.....if I have several houses in the area with these railings, could I assume it has passed inspection or is okay to do on mine?
 
Hey Cibula:
The steel pipe will not rust if you prepare it and keep it painted. Forget the PVC pipe, it will sag like crazy unless it is supported every 4'. Rigid conduit is galvanized on the outside only which will call for more preperation.
Back in the day, we were required to have a 36" top rail, an 18" knee rail and a toe rail. Somewhere along the way came the requirement of no more than 4" between rails (so a child's head will not fit through it).
Finally, your comment about everyone else having it; Have you ever been picked out of a group of cars going 80 mph and you were the only one who got the radar check? No, the others don't make it legal.
Glenn
 
I have seen the same post and picture on several different forums. The same thing applies to strung cables.

For a CODE inspection, depending on the inspector, it MAY pass code (minimum acceptable) if you point out other applications.

The old story - "You are never wrong if you meet the minimum code, but you may not be right".

For a SALE inspection, the main criteria is for the safety of the purchaser's family. Someting can meet code, but it can be pointed out as a safety problem.

You may get a permit for construction, but you can have a problem ($$) when it is a safety hazard that should be corrected before a sale.

Some people think the 4" maximum is crazy and stupid, but many children do die or are paralyzed every year. You certainly could not a hand rail system like that around a pool and sleep at night.
 
THanks for the insight. In my situation the deck is actually a little less than 3 ft from the ground. In the picture shown, I could see why that would be dangerous. I will check with my inspector before pursuing. I also may do vertical pipe instead of horizontal. Same effect, but safer.
 
I've probably inspected 7000+ wood decks...and it has fully convinced me the best wood deck is concrete.

BTW these not so new sawdust and plastic extruded deck planks..they stain easy, they crumble from UV they burn they are expensive and heavy.
Guarantee, the first time you BBQ on one, it will stain all over.

If you must have wood, OIL OIL OIL every piece of wood BEFORE you fasten another piece to it. Don't use spar varnish or anything that becomes remotely hard.
 
We just recently finished having an Ipe deck built and would highly recommend it to anyone thinking of building a new deck. Although more expensive than some alternatives, it actually came out not too much more expensive than some of the composites.

I've put together a little page that describes the project along with a number of pictures.

Here's the address

http://www.freestategolf.com/ipe.htm
 
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