deck collapsed

[ralphie250]

on sunday me and a buddy of mine were on my back deck and it collapsed. we were 15 feet in the air. crushed my ac unit banged me up pretty bad, i ended up with a concusion liots of scrapes and bruises and a sprained ankle. homeowners insurance came out and inspected it and told me that the claim would be denied due to when the builder built the house (in 1984) they did not put flashing between the house and the deck so the rotted wood is not a covered part (found out they used railroad spikes to hold the deck to the house). Is there a way to argue this?




I landed between the house, and the deck. The grill slid down the deck and smacked me on the head and knocked me out for about 45 seeconds or so. my buddy got away with a small scratch on his back.

[The_Jazz]

Your Homeowners company is probably right. Those kinds of claims typically aren't covered. BUT - you might be able to go after the folks who built the deck since it suffered a major structural failure. I can't remember how the statute of repose works in Georgia, but I think that you might want to consult an attorney. A lot of them will do a free consultation.

[dlish]

like jazz said, you could go after the builder who built it. You might find that the person who built it was unlicensed. I wouldnt be surprised if it is the person that owned the house, since the workmanship sounds unprofessional. Ive been in construction for 13 years and ive never heard of somebody using spikes to connect a deck to the house at 3 metres high. thats just crazy.

[Borla]

Glad you weren't more severely hurt man, though it sounds like you got beat up enough.

I'd call a couple local attorneys and ask for advice, they will know your local laws. Most will do a consultation (at least over the phone) for free. If they do think you have a case, they usually work on contingency, so it won't cost you out of pocket.

[ralphie250]

the deck was built when the house was built in 1984. i replaced the floor 3 years ago and never put up hand rails (hard to do with a 3 year old). no one ever went out there. we only used it for the dogs.
the statuded of limitations in ga is 4, 6, or 8 years. depending on what the situation.



Where to find an attorney????? yellow pages??

[Poetry]

1. Convert into skateboard ramp
2. ????
3. Profit
4. Use profit to cover repairs.

Problem. Solved.

[RogueGypsy]

The deck definitely wasn't built to code, but I don't think knowing that is going to do you any good 27 years later.

If you own the house call your insurance agent and file a claim.

If you rent, call the landlord and threaten a law suit.

If the state/county/city gets involved, DO NOT mention resurfacing the deck and not adding the hand rail. They will lay all the blame on you. Code for hand rail is any structure a minimum 30"-36" off the ground. They will throw that in your face and say YOU are at fault for the faulty structure and likely hand you a hefty fine. Even if it has nothing to do with the failure. They will say you should have inspected the whole structure (which you should have) before resurfacing.

Contacting the contractor directly maybe a good option as well. If they are still building in the area, they will not want this as an advertisement for their workmanship. They probably will not fix it as a warranty, but between them and your insurance you should be able to come out of it with very little money out of your pocket.

If the contractor is unwilling to work with you: take multiple pictures of the damage, get several good shots of where it tore away from the house. Make some flyers with the pictures, put the contractors name in big bold letters at the top like an advertisement. At the bottom list any current local projects they're doing and a line saying something like "Quality construction for you" and their phone number. Staple one to every telephone pole in the area and one to the pole outside of their offices. Fixing your deck will become a priority to them.

If none of this works and you need tips to rebuild, let me know, I've built a couple hundred decks. I can probably help you out there.


..
.

[genuinegirly]

Wow. I have no advice, but I'm just glad that you're ok. Sounds like the injuries could have been far more significant.

[eribrav]

You put new decking on a structure that's 25 years old, don't note that it's structurally deficient, and think someone else should pay you for that?

[Charlatan]

Nothing to add other than, you're lucky the bbq wasn't on and hot.

[raeanna74]

I have never had a home insurance where at least the insurance broker didn't come out and do an inspection. If there are major issues, siding missing, or broken steps, they will add exclusions to your policy. If the policy does not specifically state an exclusion for the deck, regardless of the previous owner's contractor issues, I would think this should be covered. I would argue it with them at least.

Now I've only owned in Wisconsin and Michigan, and laws could be different in GA but I doubt they'd be that different. Check with your Insurance Commission and their website - it looks like there might be some possible info there. GADOI Home Page

If it comes down to it you could go after the home inspector that you had when you purchased the home (I'm assuming you are the owner.) You could go after the previous home owner... OR you could go after the city/township for allowing the deck to be built without a permit and inspection. This is NOT something that would normally be allowed to be built without permits and inspections in any area that I have ever seen. All said and done though - technically, the INSURANCE company is supposed to go after those people - that's why we have insurance.

[james t kirk]

I'm glad you were not hurt, however, I don't think you should be entitled to a dime.

I'm looking at that photo and all I see is one 4 x 4 Pressure Treated column. No evidence of any X bracing. I imagine that there were two 4 x 4 pressure treated columns for the enitre deck. (One at each front corner and the back side of the deck was tied to the house (which is a mistake in itself)). If that is the case - here is a list of structural deficiencies associated with the deck:

1. Columns are overloaded.
2. Improperly sized and spaced columns
3. NO X bracing of columns means that the structure is laterally unstable since it is not a fixed connection, but a pinned connection.
4. Deck improperly connected to adjacent structure (railway spikes - I mean come on. Railway spikes are way too monsterous to use as nails in conventional construction. They will simply split any dimensional lumber into tooth picks.
5. No railing around perimeter of deck - you admit as such. I cannot fathom how you could not have installed a railing - 3 year old or not.
6. Deck planking appears to be 1 x 6 boards in the flat which is substandard and overloaded for your application. At minimum, deck planking should be 2 x 4 when laid in the flat.
7. Outside Ring Joist shows no evidence of proper joist hanger.


All of the above from one photo and 2 minutes.

Deck was improperly constructed right from the get go. You bought the house, you should have had a home inspection done at the time of purchase which should have pointed out that the deck was improperly constructed.

Either way, I see it as your problem

[cj2112]

I seriously doubt that railroad spikes were used. This is a railroad spike:

Is that really what they used?

A few things from the post above:
Just how do you know the columns were overloaded? Note that it wasn't the columns that failed.

What is the proper spacing of the columns? Again, note that it wasn't the columns that failed.

I have yet to see an elevated deck w/ cross bracing on the columns. Again, note that the columns did not fail and still appear to be in place. I've seen a lot of houses in earthquake territory built on stilts w/ no lateral cross bracing. Hell I've seen freeway overpasses and entire piers with no lateral cross bracing. If the columns are properly fixed to the ground (concrete, or pier blocks) the bracing is unnecessary.

The lack of railing did not cause the deck to fail.

A "proper joist hanger" is unnecessary. People used butt joints for a very long time before joist hangers were invented.

[dlish]

i dont know about builing regulations and rules in the states, but there's a general rule that if someone's going to do work to an existings tructure, that they have a duty of care inspect the existing structure and ensure that the existing structure is safe. Thats where doing work by an unlicensed person can be tricky. if the insurer found out that ralphie did work to it, it'd probably void his policy anyways.

im also not sure that bracing is necessary if the columns were concreted into place. one thing is for sure, that there was some sort of lateral movement for the deck to come off the wall. the deck should have at least been bolted into the house or it should have had posts underneath along the side of the wall. maybe another pic or two can clear that up

[Charlatan]

FYI - JT Kirk is an engineer (structural I believe).

[ralphie250]

Originally Posted by james t kirk

I'm glad you were not hurt, however, I don't think you should be entitled to a dime.

I'm looking at that photo and all I see is one 4 x 4 Pressure Treated column. No evidence of any X bracing. I imagine that there were two 4 x 4 pressure treated columns for the enitre deck. (One at each front corner and the back side of the deck was tied to the house (which is a mistake in itself)). If that is the case - here is a list of structural deficiencies associated with the deck:

1. Columns are overloaded.
2. Improperly sized and spaced columns
3. NO X bracing of columns means that the structure is laterally unstable since it is not a fixed connection, but a pinned connection.
4. Deck improperly connected to adjacent structure (railway spikes - I mean come on. Railway spikes are way too monsterous to use as nails in conventional construction. They will simply split any dimensional lumber into tooth picks.
5. No railing around perimeter of deck - you admit as such. I cannot fathom how you could not have installed a railing - 3 year old or not.
6. Deck planking appears to be 1 x 6 boards in the flat which is substandard and overloaded for your application. At minimum, deck planking should be 2 x 4 when laid in the flat.
7. Outside Ring Joist shows no evidence of proper joist hanger.


All of the above from one photo and 2 minutes.

Deck was improperly constructed right from the get go. You bought the house, you should have had a home inspection done at the time of purchase which should have pointed out that the deck was improperly constructed.

Either way, I see it as your problem

I'm not an engineer. with that said

1.the issue isnt the columns being overloaded. they stayed just fine. they were cemented into the ground. it had 2 4x4 columns.

2. they were 4x4 columns. I dont know what they are suposto be. ( i didnt build it)

3. It had X bracing on the underside of the floor. (If thats what you mean)

4. It did have rail road spikes holding it to the house. It had 4 of them. i will take a picture and post it later. I know its not right but it might have been 27 years ago?? i dont know

5. I dont know what not having railing has to do with the deck falling?? i do admit that i never put it up. as i stated before we nover went out there. only the dogs. the door stayed locked so my daughter couldnt get out there. I never put them up due to lack of funds.

6. yes they were 1x6 boards. they were the composite material. ok so i used the wrong boards. but the floor didnt fall through.

7. i dont know what a joist hanger is. so i cant comment on that one.



I didnt BUY the house. the house was my mother in-laws house. when she passed away 4 years ago my wife thought it would be a good idea to take over the loan and sell our house (WRONG... but thats beside the point). we assumed the loan and all other things.

If its my problem then im ok with that but my thing is that all we did with the insurance is transfer it into our name. how is it my fault that the deck fell??? i didnt know it was held in with railroad spikes.

when i replaced the floor on it 3 years ago all seemed ok (but im not in construction work). how often do you hear of a deck falling off of a house???? every time i hear about it on the news its usually because they had 45 people on the deck. not 2.

---------- Post added at 01:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:22 PM ----------

Originally Posted by cj2112

I seriously doubt that railroad spikes were used. This is a railroad spike:

Is that really what they used?

yup, thats what it looks like

[Baraka_Guru]

Originally Posted by ralphie250

2. they were 4x4 columns. I dont know what they are suposto be. ( i didnt build it)

3. It had X bracing on the underside of the floor. (If thats what you mean)

I think he means something not unlike this:



It's a type of bracing that is meant to prevent lateral (sideways) movement of the 4x4 columns, which are only meant for vertical support, rather than lateral.

Those spikes are another matter.

I'm glad you weren't injured grievously. Be sure to get checked out if you have developed any persistent and disruptive pain, because the longer you let it go, the less likely you will heal properly. Take care of yourself.

[dlish]

does your insurance policy cover personal harm and medical? or is that a different policy altogether?

id get checked out with a doctor and have him do a report just in case. especially if you say you got knocked out for a period of time.

[ralphie250]

it didnt have the above picture. just x braces under the flooring.

i am heeling good except for the concussion and my ankle is still bothering me. if its not better by wednesday then ill go th the dr. i know its not broken but im starting to think it might be cracked or something.




thanks to all for the well wishes. you are all correct. It could have been ALOT worse

[kramus]

Pay attention to details over the next while, ralphie. My dad rang his bell a few years ago. Slowly over the next few weeks he began to drag a bit on one side. Found using cutlery difficult. Eating began to take a long, long time. Eventually he was wandering across the lane when driving, and he completely lost the ability to read and write. Turned out a slow leaking subdural haematoma was putting pressure on his brain. Doctors drilled his skull to relieve the pressure, and immediately Dad was his old self (note - old self means that at the age of 80 he was up a ladder putting joists on a shed he built at the cottage, that's when he fell).

[MeltedMetalGlob]

Originally Posted by ralphie250

my ankle is still bothering me. if its not better by wednesday then ill go th the dr. i know its not broken but im starting to think it might be cracked or something.

If X-rays don't show any fractures, then I recommend a good chiropractor. You may have just knocked some bones out of whack, and a specialist should be able to put things right.

(check with your doctor, first.)

[chinese crested]

Whats money - compared to what could have happened had the children been underneath. Your blessing count, me thinks, is higher than your losses count.
Did a surveyour inspect the property before you purchased it - or on the landlords behalf if you rent.?
Get your head checked.

[james t kirk]

Originally Posted by Charlatan

FYI - JT Kirk is an engineer (structural I believe).

Correct.

22 years designing bridges and infrastructure since finishing University in 1989. 11 Years working at UMA / AECOM in the bridge group. 9 years prior to that at Planmac. 2 years currently designing and building railway bridges.

Always designing infrastructure - mainly bridges.

Worked in Construction prior to that as an Iron Worker. Fabricating and erecting structural steel.

I've got bridges all over Toronto and Southern Ontario that I was either part of the design team, or the Lead Engineer on.

---------- Post added at 04:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:52 PM ----------

Originally Posted by cj2112

I seriously doubt that railroad spikes were used. This is a railroad spike:

Is that really what they used?

A few things from the post above:
Just how do you know the columns were overloaded? Note that it wasn't the columns that failed.

What is the proper spacing of the columns? Again, note that it wasn't the columns that failed.

I have yet to see an elevated deck w/ cross bracing on the columns. Again, note that the columns did not fail and still appear to be in place. I've seen a lot of houses in earthquake territory built on stilts w/ no lateral cross bracing. Hell I've seen freeway overpasses and entire piers with no lateral cross bracing. If the columns are properly fixed to the ground (concrete, or pier blocks) the bracing is unnecessary.

The lack of railing did not cause the deck to fail.

A "proper joist hanger" is unnecessary. People used butt joints for a very long time before joist hangers were invented.

Yeah, I'm familiar with bridge design.

The concrete columns do not require X bracing because they are considered fixed connections. Fixed at the footing and fixed at the cap beam because the rebar runds right from the bottom of the footings, through the columns and into the cap beams.

Bolted connections are not considered fixed connections, they are pinned connections and thus are laterally unstable unless they are braced, or fastended to a brace frame directly.

The stilts you see coming out of the ground are piles and they are considered fixed at the ground.

If the OP had 4 columns, correctly laterally braced, he would not have taken the express route down.

Here's a simple video:

YouTube - ‪Construction: Lateral Stability‬‏

YouTube - ‪Construction: Lateral Stability‬‏

Look around and you will see that buildings MUST have some sort of lateral bracing:

1. X frame
2. Moment Frame
3. Diaphragm
4. Concrete core

Just because you've seen decks without X bracing doesn't make it right.

Also, Pressure Treated Wood is the WORST shit wood out there.

Wood is either No. 1 Structural (usually used for bridges and formwork, etc.)

No. 2 - typically used for framing houses and the like.

Not Rated - shit wood so full of knots and imperfections that it cannot be rated and is sent to the Pressure Treating companies so they can do something with it.

In Canada, you will see SPF No. 2 stamped on most dimensional lumber you see in the stores, etc. SPF stands for Spruce, Pine, Fur (one or the other) and No. 2 is the grade. You will not see this stamped on PT wood.

I think you may be able to buy No. 2 Pressure Treated Wood, but I have not seen it.

And yes, a 15' long unbraced 4 x 4 is overloaded on what I can estimate from that photo, whether it failed or not. Though the design of the column is based on the intended floor loading. If this was Toronto, the minimum loading I would consider would be 1.8 Kilopascals, or about 40 pounds per square foot.

As to the lack of a railing not being responsible for the collapse - I agree, however, the very fact that it was not present is an indicator as to just how well the deck was constructed. A well constructed deck would have had a proper guard in place.

[RogueGypsy]

Cut the guy a little slack, he didn't build the deck. The fuck wad that built it is the one you should be verbally slapping. The asshat that used railroad spikes, no cross bracing, no knee braces and by the span at least one too few 4x4 posts, is who's work failed.

Yes, he should have inspected or had a pro inspect the deck before resurfacing it.
Yes, there absolutely should have been a guard rail in place.
Yes, the decking should have been 5/4"+.
etc................

But what he did, although incorrect did not fail. It was a preexisting condition which absolutely should be covered by whoever insures the home. The insurer should have caught this long before it failed and at the very least informed the owner it was structurally unsound AND removed the deck. Structural issues are not something an insurer should be over looking.

And nothing against JTKirk personally or professionally, but show me anything structural that translates exactly from paper to real-world and I'll bow down a kiss your greasy balls. I've spent nearly 40 years around and working in, industries translating engineering dreams to real world product. Everything from Dam, pipeline and Highway construction to housing, as well as, electronics and electrical application. I do not recall seeing a single print in all those years that did not have field revisions before completion of the project. So, yeah, prints are the vision, but it takes a skilled builder to translate them to a working model. Now don't get me wrong, for all the headaches and hemorrhoids engineers cause us as builders. Without them our world would be a very ugly and dangerous place. But going from paper to structure is not a direct translation. Ever.

Engineers are not Gods, they're mathematical artists.

Nice avatar BTW- Trailer Park Boys is hilarious.

[ralphie250]

This is why i am a transmission man and not a builder. cause i dont know shit about wood working.

was i wrong in not having it checked out?? yes
was i wrong in not having hand rails yet??? yes
is it my fault the deck collapsed??? hell no (thats my opnion)

allthough i have learned a few things now.

[Hektore]

Originally Posted by ralphie250

This is why i am a transmission man and not a builder. cause i dont know shit about wood working.

was i wrong in not having it checked out?? yes
was i wrong in not having hand rails yet??? yes
is it my fault the deck collapsed??? hell no (thats my opnion)

allthough i have learned a few things now.

If it was within your ability to prevent it and you chose not to, then you bear an equal share of the responsibility.

[KirStang]

I was reading an article regarding denied claims on Readers Digest. Here's an online article that similarly approximates the material:

What should I do if my Homeowners insurance claim is denied?

Ask for a second opinion (another claims adjuster), review your policy, hire a claims specialist, call customer service etc. etc.

Good luck, and I'm glad you weren't seriously injured (for now).

[thesurgeon]

I was an insurance broker for 15 years dealing with building and property insurance (amongst other stuff).

There is a common requirement to assume that the building is maintained properly to qualify for continued cover, and that any defects in construction be notified to the insurers before cover commences, otherwise - as you have found - your claim may be refused. Insurers often won't pay the bill for something you should have done to maintain the property.

My advice to anyone is to keep your insurance company informed about your property's condition, be up front with them about it, if there's a problem they can inspect (if you like) and often give help before anything unfortunate happens.

BTW I doubt if having 45 people on a deck would be covered either, unless the insurers were informed about it's intended use otherwise from a 'normal' dwelling, which I presume they were charging for.

P.S. Sorry to hear about your injuries, and hope you get well soon.

[dlish]

Originally Posted by thesurgeon

I was an insurance broker for 15 years dealing with building and property insurance (amongst other stuff).

There is a common requirement to assume that the building is maintained properly to qualify for continued cover, and that any defects in construction be notified to the insurers before cover commences, otherwise - as you have found - your claim may be refused. Insurers often won't pay the bill for something you should have done to maintain the property.

My advice to anyone is to keep your insurance company informed about your property's condition, be up front with them about it, if there's a problem they can inspect (if you like) and often give help before anything unfortunate happens.

BTW I doubt if having 45 people on a deck would be covered either, unless the insurers were informed about it's intended use otherwise from a 'normal' dwelling, which I presume they were charging for.

P.S. Sorry to hear about your injuries, and hope you get well soon.

so what youre saying is that insurance companies ate happy to take your money ever month but not bothered to come out and do an inspection and rely on the owner to tell them if something is wrong even if they may not be qualified to make that judgement. whatr if the owner lives in another state or country to where they own property?

it just sounds like a get out clause to me. the classic 'oh we didnt know', therefore its void argument. in the same way that they make people who have life insurance do health checks, is it not reasonable for these companies to send their inspectors out and validate the condition of the house?

in the meantime people like ralphie are paying a portion of their premium on something that was never insurable. sounds like the little guy is getting screwed over again.

[thesurgeon]

Originally Posted by dlish

rely on the owner to tell them if something is wrong even if they may not be qualified to make that judgement

Yep, the proposal of insurance will usually ask if there is anything wrong with the property - a dodgy 27 year old wooden deck held together with pins/pegs/spikes for example - it's up to the property owner to inform the insurers of their risk, if they are in any doubt they should disclose it, that's what forms the contract (which is usually renewed every year without a thought) this is exactly where the little guy goes wrong - he doesn't care about contracts or insurance.... until he needs it.

The company will assume the property is in normal 'up to code' condition, until told otherwise, and charge/cover accordingly - hence the 'oh we didn't know' classic.

Unfortunately, with ownership comes the responsibility of ownership, but personal finance is so alien to too many people so little guys keep getting reamed by the big guys, it will carry on 'til we wise up.

'Ah well it's only money'.

Finance and insurance should be taught at school - it's big business.

[ralphie250]

ok, so what if i hadnt repalced the flooring. and say the deck fell (as is did) how am i suposto know the deck was not built to code if you cant see whats behind the wall? i didnt know that it was held togeather with spikes until it fell. how is it my responsability as a homeowner to tell the insurance company something that i didnt know? i dont have super powers.

[RogueGypsy]

There is the crux of 'knowing what you're doing'. Hiring a home inspector when purchasing or acquiring a home is supposed to relieve this burden. They are supposed to know code and how it applies to save the home owner these kinds of head & foot aches. Unfortunately, not everyone hires an inspector and even those who do, don't always get the info they need. Not all, but most of the inspectors out there are just looking to make a buck and with no liability on their part, just don't care.

Had someone inspected that deck who knows what they're doing, a few things would have been evident right away.

1. No lag bolts in the rim joist. (they're easy to see if you know to look for them).
2. No knee or cross braces. (vital on a deck standing so high and easy to see).
3. Rotting deck (floor) boards. (you had enough knowledge to find this, a pro should too).
4. No joist hangers. (even if they weren't code when it was built, they are cheap and easy to add after the deck is built).

Any one of these would deem the deck unsafe in my mind and likely by code in your area. In the future, if you don't know something, hire someone who does and ask lots of questions.

I'm still not convinced that the liability is all on your shoulders for this though. I would keep pushing the insurer until you get a more satisfactory result. I find it hard to believe and insurer would insure anything sight unseen. Fuck even my car insurance guy has me drive to his office to look a car over before he'll insure it. I'm pretty sure if the hood was missing and one of the wheels was falling off, he'd tell me 'no way, fix it or forget it'.

[Charlatan]

A good home inspector can save you a tonne of cash. When we bought our house, he point out some issues that gave us the ability to negotiate for a lower cost of purchase.

[thesurgeon]

I still can't see the insurers moving on this. The deck wasn't up to code so it's not covered, whether you knew it was or not is irrelevant, but it's still down to you to let them know what they're insuring - or they wont cover it. I'm guessing they covered you for 'standard construction', if your deck was of standard construction then they would have paid up and taken the hit.

I'm in the UK so things are probably different over here but, insurers don't normally inspect buildings/cars/cats/dogs/bicycles/people etc before issuing cover but rely on information given to them by the proposer, if that suggests anything unusual about the risk then special terms or restrictions may be included in the contract accordingly.

Premiums would be even higher than they are now if insurance inspectors examined every single risk before covering it. I don't expect them to give my rabbit a medical examination, they just ask - how old is it? what breed?, has it had it's check ups?, will it in the future? any claims in the past 5 years? Its down to me to include any 'material facts' that may influence their decision, if I'm unsure I should tell them anyway.

From what I know most external timber structures over 20 years old will not be in the best of condition and will need inspecting, you don't need to be an expert to spot rotting timber, similarly you don't need to be a mechanic to spot a wheel falling off or a missing hood. There is a legal expression over here 'the man on the Clapham omnibus', ie a normal non expert layman, who can be responsible for a reasonable standard of care.

The trick with insurance is to get it right at the start, you may have to spend some time doing it (or get a good broker to earn his commission), but it's better than trying to sort it out after an accident, which must add to the pain.

[Lindy]

Originally Posted by ralphie250

on sunday me and a buddy of mine were on my back deck and it collapsed. we were 15 feet in the air. crushed my ac unit banged me up pretty bad, i ended up with a concusion liots of scrapes and bruises and a sprained ankle. homeowners insurance came out and inspected it and told me that the claim would be denied due to when the builder built the house (in 1984) they did not put flashing between the house and the deck so the rotted wood is not a covered part (found out they used railroad spikes to hold the deck to the house). Is there a way to argue this?




I landed between the house, and the deck. The grill slid down the deck and smacked me on the head and knocked me out for about 45 seeconds or so. my buddy got away with a small scratch on his back.

I asked my homeowners agent about this and he says that your problem here is that your deck failed because of gradual deterioration. Insurance does not cover, and is not meant to cover, failure due to gradual deterioration. A simple example would be if the shingles blow off your roof in a thunderstorm and, as a result, you have water damage inside, your insurance covers that.

If your roof leaks because it has worn out from being exposed to the elements for the last thirty years, you do not have an insurance claim for water damage.
The rotten wood is obvious evidence of gradual deterioration, whether you knew about it or not. That's a maintenance problem, not an insurance claim. My agent didn't think that the "railroad spikes" affected the situation one way or the other. They held the deck in place for many years, until the wood rotted away around them. Given proper maintenance, your deck would probably still be standing.

He also said that he would bet that, had your deck blown down in a windstorm, your insurance would have paid your claim without question.

Lindy

[ralphie250]

Well after a couple of phone calls the insurance company denied my claim (imagine that). for the reason of rotting wood. couple of things with this. i found out when they came out and did an inspection of my house for coverage all they did was walk around my house to make sure it was not falling apart. they told me that they naver came inside to do any type of interior inspection. That just sucks. but oh well...

after about 2 weeks i am all healed up as far as all the bruises and contusions. my ankle is getting better but its still a little touchey. i finally did go to the dr and they told me i had a major concussion. my head still hurts a little but not like it did before. just takes time is what they told me.

thanks to everyone for the get well wishes.



next issue. how to i go about fixing my house. it has to ahve the board (that the deck bolts to) repalced. is that a major thing???? any suggestions??

[Hektore]

Originally Posted by ralphie250

...any suggestions??

Hire someone who knows what they're doing.

[ralphie250]

Originally Posted by Hektore

Hire someone who knows what they're doing.

hell, i know that...

[RogueGypsy]

The first thing you need to do is have a pro assess the rot. If water's been soaking into the rim for 30 years, you can bet it's in the joists and plate as well. That could mean the same thing that happened to the deck, could happen to the floor inside the house. That has to be fixed first.

After that, the deck is more about muscle, than skill, when it's that high off the ground. IF the deck joists don't have any rot, you may be able to re-attach what you already have once the other rot is taken care off.

Lags, joist hangers, lateral braces, a hand rail and some sweat should get your deck back in order.

[hoyt 07]

wow glad you werent seriously injured. Looks like that could have been bad.