help deck dropped

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dolfan

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The deck is 8 feet 5 inches wide and 23 feet 5 inches long. I just saw the part at the house in the middle or so has dropped about 3 inches give or take. There are no wood going to the ground against the house just the outside and corners,total of 8,3 corners,3 middle,2 for steps. I just put 2 4x4 in the middle or close to it not nailed and it raised it up slightly. I may have 2 more to put in tomorrow but not sure how long it is. Should i put them in the middle or against the house? I will get it looked at as soon as i can but will be awhile. thanks
 
Nobody should go on or under that deck.
 
The part that's attached to the house...the ledger board, should of been through bolted or lag screwed into the band joist. You wouldn't need supports going to the ground at the house.
Sometimes when people build decks they just nail them on or don't properly use flashing to divert water and preventing it from flowing behind the ledger board. Eventually the nails rot and it falls off. Sounds like what may be your issue.
You need to see how it was attached to the house.
 
Here are two pics which illustrate what you SHOULD see under the deck at the house connection. One is a photo which illustrates the bolting and the joist hangers.

The second is a diagram which illustrates flashing to make sure water runs off the ledger board and does not rust the bolts. I have also seen plastic hold-offs installed between the ledger and the house which allow water to fall through the crack.

If your main ledger board is slipping, you will need to jack it up very carefully. Once secure, you can go about properly re-attaching it to the house.

headers-1.jpg

DECK.jpg
 
Thanks. I will hopefully post pics later today. When had the house inspected he said it was built good,right etc
 
Looks like you do have a carriage bolt but I don't see too many of them. I'm wondering if you have visual access to them from the inside of the house.
Looking at your pics, my first guess would be that the brick that carriage bolt was bored through has, or was broken. If it's a double walled brick foundation you may not see it from the inside.
Did you try jacking up the low point and see if the bolt slides upward?
 
Your inpector is the guy that gives inspectors a bad name.
In picture 4 we see what looks like an anchor bolt going into the brick, there should be one 1/2 x 5" hdg anchor about ever 2 ft holding the lumber tight to the brick. See Villa's post for the hangers that should be holding the joists to that board and the hdg or plastic flashing that is also missing. Anywhere joist turn and round into each other there should be a hanger.
A little hard to see but the support post should be under a beam that spans from one post to another to support the joists.
If you are in an area where you get frost in the ground the deck will go up and down all winter, which may not be a big deal but it does tend to wiggle things loose, not good when there are no hangers used.
 
Thanks. This deck is covered. Also the house is a manufactured so would i still be able to see the bolts from inside the crawl space?
 
Thanks for the pics. Glad I live where I do ...

Easy to see the shortcomings. I cropped two of your pics to make the point. It is clear there are no joist hangers (as Neal spotted). This is substandard construction. Good news is you can retrofit the hangers and save the structure. However, the second pic shows what looks to me to be a ramset nail holding the ledger to the brick ... O - M - G !! If that is what they did, they should be arrested. Even if it is a bolt, it looks undersized.

Get the ledger jacked up, leveled, and properly anchored to your wall.

DECK 1.jpg

DECK 2.jpg
 
The one post don't have a pic is on the corner of end of the house is at least 20 feet tall and is buried in the ground . Not sure how much it is. I am going to get some more 4x4 and use to hold the deck up in the middle,close to the house and the 1 end. When i am able to get it fixed by a pro i will. Thanks
 
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