How to get your deck inspected in the DMV

1 year ago 8

Here's how to make sure your deck is safe ahead of summer cookout season.

CLINTON, Md. — Four people were taken to the hospital after a household deck collapsed in Clinton, Maryland Thursday afternoon. At the scene, first responders noticed the deck in the backyard had detached from the side of the house on the second story and collapsed.

As more people are gearing up to host summer cookouts, Donald Masters, who owns Master Home and Building Inspections, said it's most important to look underneath the deck to inspect the structure.

"You want to make sure that the weakest point on your deck is not something that’s a major failure point,” Masters said.

If you need to focus on three key points to inspect, he suggests the following:

Check for rust underneath. He said if you see that on the surface, it is probably worse inside.
See if the deck moves while you're standing on it. That could mean structural instability.
Make sure the point where the deck connects to the house is secure.

Here are some further resources and information on where to get your deck inspected in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.