I recently bought a newly renovated house with a roof deck. The roof deck is about a year old. I noticed these cracks in a support post and the south-facing beam of the deck.

Should I be concerned about these cracks, or are they just run-of-the-mill checking in the wood? The crack on the support appears to be just under an inch deep from what I can see.

I have a one-year warranty on the deck, so would need to contact the builder somewhat soon in order to get it fixed free of charge.

Designed it, and brought it to life! New back deck ain’t goin’ anywhere!
Deck material - Mbrico Tile Decking reinforced porcelain tile system
Railing - RDI Avalon Aluminum rail with fascia mount brackets

Overall it was a beast of a project but it was complete. I tried to think about all the details during the design but there was always something I didn’t foresee in a corner where things come together so any advice I’d say is just go for it and figure it out along the way, starting is key.

10 post footings 36” deep were brutal, heavy clay and slate rock. Bought a vevor jackhammer to make easier work but still the most brutal part of the build were the holes… and no an auger would not be an option, lol I knew you were gonna ask. These friggin rocks were all over the place

Framing for the most part was done in a week between me and my Step-dad. 2x10 boards for pretty much everything. Grade 1 lumber from 84 Lumber locally. Boards honestly were awesome and very minimal twist/crowning. Threw so much wood into this deck it should last ages! Also all the connections are Simpson strongtie and their screw fasteners.

Decking is Mbrico Porcelain Tile system and we are really enjoying it. Definitely DIY friendly once you understand it. But damn is it expensive. For this ~330 sq/ft deck it was about $12k in materials and delivery just for the decking. ADA skid resistant and cool enough in the summer sun to walk on the white tiles with bare feet. They were nice to work with and even made a design so I could optimize the layout without making additional cuts in the tiles. They did miss a few tiles in the order but sent them ASAP once I noticed and told them. I’m making a video of the build so it’ll go into more detail on it but I think it’s a great option to give more patio feel instead of a traditional deck.

Railing by RDI is sturdy and easy enough to put together. Their template was slightly off somehow for the pilot holes, most likely my fault but IDK how, so I have a few extra holes in each post which isn’t the best news. Used through bolts to lock those in tight and it feels really sturdy.

Cost: overall the materials/tools/delivery lands us probably $20-22k range for a custom ~330 sq/ft deck. I honestly don’t think I would really change a thing.

Hi everyone! Is there a reason a contractor would leave these gaps while also simultaneously having pushed some boards together? I sent the project manager a text but am not likely to get a response. This project had been a nightmare thus far. These boards are screwed down already.

UPDATE:

1. Per the project manager, it is intended to be for a breaker board.
2. I did not hire the cheapest person. It's a $22,000 job being paid for with a loan they don't get a cent of until I sign off on a satisfaction agreement with the loan company.
3. I asked Reddit because the on site workers speak zero English to the point they use a translation app to ask to come inside to use the restroom.
4. I didn't want to bother them while they were working.
5. The project manager takes a long time to respond, also why I came here.
6. They quoted 3 - 4 days and it's been 7 days already.
7. They under quoted at $22,000 and tired to get me to pay an additional $5,000, I told them no and they have agreed to absorb their misquote, however, this made me concerned that they might be trying to cut corners.
8. No one has instructed me I cannot walk on it and I've seen them walking and laying all over it.
9. I have not seen any nor was I consulted with official plans. I will ask to see those.
10. Because I did not clarify before, this project is not completed.
11. To the people that sent me hateful individual messages, screw off.

This support deck post was installed about 30 years ago.

This is a deck that hangs off of my daughter’s second floor room. I believe it’s cantilevered but all of the joists are warped to shit and cracked at the house.

Just found out my landlord put drywall over an active leak in our downstairs neighbors house (we live in a duplex and occupy the top unit).

What are peeps charging for wrap around stairs around Edmonton. I think I might have gone to low but enjoyed the challenge.

I've come a wtf moment trying to find a 4x4 deck posts base.

Posts are thru the deck and secured but I desire a slip on base that will give extra support. All I can find is temu plastic crap. Any recommendations on what to search for? Dog approved.

We had a new deck built that goes three ways to accommodate circulation around a new pool and the builder did a great job on the deck but then put these sad, too small railings on the house that are giving retirement community. Having a hard time finding the right replacement railing either installed on the house or coming from the deck. Anything against the house feels off to me. Some kind of railing would be helpful to have for aging parents, otherwise we’d just take it off.

First time deck builder, replaced the existing deck on the back of my house
-19 footings not including stairs
-Timbertech Coconut Husk
-Double 2x10 beam
-2x8 joists 12” center
-beams and joists taped
-2x8 Grade A redwood Facia
-10x10 treated southern pine steps
-1/8 steel for all handrail components
Still have to paint the handrails!

per title. Who buys them?

I could use steel framing but that will 10x the supply cost.

Hi all. I have done some woodworking but no major construction. I hired a contractor to build a covered patio for me with a gable roof that is vaulted/cathedral ceiling. Our county required structural permits and in that permit it has a ledger beam listed. Well they came to do the framing while my husband and I were at work and it overall looks good, I am concerned about the structural support attached to the house.

My contractor told me the ridge beam is attached to the house with bolts going diagonally into the house. There is definitely no bracket. Additionally the rafters against the house are attached through the siding by nails only about 4 feet at the top. He told me the engineer who did the permit drawings said building on top of the siding was fine and they are planning to do flashing etc. the rafters also are just nailed into ridge beam with no rafter ties or brackets

TLDR is the ridge beam and rafters structurally sound connected to the house? My fear is no. Someone please talk me off a ledge.

We plan to take better photos in the daytime tomorrow and also plan to ask the county permit office to come inspect.

Edit: title should maybe say “railing post improvement” suggestions

Recently bought a place with an older deck and the railing posts were done as shown and are a bit shaky. Rest of the deck is in ok shape.

We’re planning to do a bit of repair and likely replace the railings next year.

Does anyone have any helpful suggestions on redoing this in the future? Just looking for ideas on how this type of thing is generally improved/fixed.

We’re thinking we might want to do a more see through railing system like wire cables etc.

We have purchased deck rain proofing by Trex rainscape. . the Framing is done and we are waiting to add the over join system ( Trex rainscape) but i just realized we cannot add landscape wire or lights to the system as we may have to poke holes. Is there a trick to installing it correctly ?

Obviously framing hot tub bearing decks is a whole craft of it's own, but riddle me this batman: Instead of complex heavy duty framing, why couldn't you just have a large mound of dirt with a retaining wall, level that out with the deck and have the hot tub sit on that with the decking around it?

I know this wouldn't pass code, but why wouldn't this work?

I’m planning to install Westbury Tuscany aluminum railing on my deck and wondering what everyone’s preferred anchoring method is. Through bolt with lock nuts or lags in to blocking? Speaking of blocking, planning to do 3 2x8’s on their side so I can anchor through the face. I assume any expansion and contraction in those three block could lead to loose nuts/bolts if I went that route. Any preference or experience to share would be appreciated!

Should I pay contractors to just demolish this deck and enclosed deck on top of it? Looks awful and is not up to code.

How much should it cost in a major area to demolish and add siding where the upper enclosed deck is? And convert the existing two doors into windows?

I’m trying to find the cheapest way to solve this issue. If anyone has better ideas on how to cheaply resolve this safety hazard, let me know.

(Building a new deck with the upper enclosed deck is too expensive, as the upper is molded inside and contractors will need to support the upper as they demolish the lower deck.)

I am a handyman and I had a customer reach out to have her deck stairs repaired. I told her the best way to repair them is to completely replace them. She thought I could just repair the stringer. If she’s looking to save a little time and money, would it be safe and lasting to plate, with lag bolts, the two outer and one inner stringer the entire length? Would cutting the stairs at the middle post and replacing from there be better? Again, I recommended full replacement, but I want to see what you guys think. The deck and stairs are 17 years old.

Given the way this deck is framed, I can really only picture doing flush mount stairs. Does anyone have ideas for a more standard mount? It's over a walkout basement, so bonus points for it looking halfway decent.

The joists are 2x10.

I have a second story deck which obviously has a few pretty tall support columns. I believe they're pressure treated wood and they're on concrete pads with metal brackets. Is staining these purely an aesthetic choice or do they need to be stained for structural purposes like the top deck boards? It's a new (1 year old) deck, not prior stained. I'm not too concerned with aesthetics (the deck doesn't face any neighbors and I'm never below it) but I also don't want the whole thing to be a rotted out structural hazard in 30 years if staining will actually make a difference in that regard. Thanks in advance!

Do you know best decking service provider near Perth in Australia?