Tag Archives: Central Georgia deck safety inspection

Is your Central GA deck an accident waiting to happen?

Pressure treated deck Central GA
There is no place like a home with a quality built deck.

Decks are a staple of outdoor living. It’s important to ensure your deck is structurally sound in order to take advantage of all the ways it can benefit your home and lifestyle. In a six-year period there were an estimated 179 deck failures which resulted in 1,122 injuries and 33 deaths. These grim statistics may come as a surprise to many Central GA homeowners, but deck safety is no accident. In observance of May being Deck Safety Awareness month, Archadeck of Central Georgia wants to ensure you or a member of your family doesn’t become a casualty as a result of an unsafe deck.

buckhead deck collapse
This local deck collapse made headlines.

When you look at the big picture of deck safety, there are no deck… accidents. An accident is something that occurs unexpectedly. Deck failures are a result of shoddy workmanship or creating a deck that will not hold the capacity which it will be subjected.  Archadeck of Central Georgia feels that deck failures are very preventable occurrences and not accidents at all. A good example of placing your safety on the line is hiring a cut rate builder to construct your deck. If you choose this route to save a few bucks, you are taking a chance that really isn’t worth the savings you gained. If a deck is built by a seasoned, reputable builder, it is built correctly meeting or exceeding building codes. Unfortunately, in the world of outdoor structures there are no police force for bad builders.

As part of Archadeck’s “Be Safer” deck safety program, Archadeck of Central GA was featured on NBC 41 WMGT to talk about the importance of making sure your Central GA deck is safe in time for the debut of the outdoor living season.

As a recap of this informative interview, here is a handy checklist of things homeowners can do to prevent having a deck safety issue:

Be safer with a deck inspection by Archadeck of Central GA
Be safer with a deck inspection by Archadeck of Central GA

1) Get your deck inspected by a professional. Archadeck of Central GA offers a free deck safety inspection for those who contact us. We also urge homeowners to be an active participant in the safety of their deck. Gain a sense of the basic components of your deck’s construction.

2) If you are adding-on or re-doing, make sure you use a qualified builder. If you choose Archadeck, remember that the builder will always have Archadeck clearly visible on their shirt. If you choose another builder make sure they have a contractor’s license. You can verify this by visiting the Georgia Professional Licensing website at https://secure.sos.state.ga.us/myverification/. It is also important to make sure your builder pulls all the necessary permits to build your deck. Check their references thoroughly! If a builder does not provide this up-front, ask for them. In many cases a cut rate builder will not offer references to avoid the homeowner learning the truth. That may be proof they have something to hide.

There is no better deck for safety than one built by Archadeck. We don’t believe in cutting any corners, especially where our clients are concerned. Let Archadeck of Central Georgia build your dream deck with maximum safety in mind. That’s what we do. Contact us today to schedule your deck safety inspection, and to schedule a free consultation (478) 745 – 2000 • email: centralgeorgia@archadeck.net

Stephen Denton, owner of Archadeck of Central GA
Stephen Denton, owner of Archadeck of Central GA

Please visit our website to view our wide selection of quality deck designs, including our wooden deck photo gallery, and our composite and PVC deck photo gallery.

Archadeck of Central Georgia reflects upon a year of blessings and a wonderful holiday season

 

Stephen and Katherine
Stephen and Katherine at the Goodwill Gala

As I take a moment to reflect upon the past year, it is filled with blessings. I am fortunate to say my family is healthy, happy and doing great. My better half, Katherine, is doing well personally and in her personal organization business, myfriendkatherine.com. Katherine is in her 17th year and was specializing in professional organizing before it was the “cool” thing to do. She provides home organization, book keeping, office organization and speaks to professional groups about organizing, planning , and motivation.

Kate
Kate with her tennis trophy

Our oldest, Kate, is at Tattnall Academy and she plays on the Varsity Tennis Team. She played her first USTA tournament this year and won the consolidation bracket!”

Tate
Tate in the lab/workshop we built for him.

Our younger children, Keely and Tate, are in the gifted program at Howard.

Keely Keely is playing violin and piano and performing in concerts while Tate is into everything that involves electronics. Among building electronic devices, for Christmas he asked for wires, brackets, transistors and soldering units. I even went as far as to build him a lab in the walk-in attic to further his interest in electronics. I am thankful to have three wonderful children that are devoted to their aspirations and hobbies.

My crew here at Archadeck of Central Georgia consists of the same two lead guys I have had since 2001, Mike and Jay. Zeek, Jay’s son, has been working with us since the tool belt he wore was bigger than he was! Zeek is now old enough to run his own crew and we are hoping when the economy turns he will have the opportunity to run his own separate crew. I am really thankful to have all of these guys.. They are honest, hardworking, trustworthy, and are great to work with. Having this kind of camaraderie makes the business run like a well-oiled machine.

Archadeck of Central GA CREWS
The wonderful crew here at Archadeck of Central GA

With Archadeck of Central GA, we are holding our own in this difficult economy and the future continues to look bright. We keep looking into other outdoor living spaces opportunities in an effort to provide our clients more choices such as hardscapes which have been doing great the past few years. We anticipate that when the economy turns we will be inundated with work. We have seen a lot of projects within homeowners’ backyards that have been put on hold, a number of which are safety issues that are going to have to be addressed. This year in particular I have inspected many decks that are not safe. These have been a result of safety issues that should’ve been addressed 2-3 years prior. We foresee an explosive workload when the economy turns around because people (such as the unsafe deck owners) know they need to put money into their home, but have been holding off until things begin to look better in the economy.

In addition to my many blessings and prosperity in my personal and business life, I have to mention my continued involvement with Goodwill industries and Polly’s Hospitality institute. I am on my 5th year as Secretary on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA. I am in my 3rd year serving as Chairperson on the Education Committee for Helms College, which is the first accredited college of Goodwill. I am also in my 6th year as serving for the Chairperson for the Tuition Assistance Committee for Polly’s Hospitality Institute, which is the culinary program of Helms College which trains chefs and is accredited through the American Culinary Federation. These organizations are dedicated to enriching the lives of those whom otherwise would not have the means. Goodwill believes in a “hand up” approach rather than a “hand out”, I am proud to be involved so closely with the many facets of this evolving organization which holds a special place in my heart.

From our family to yours, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!

Stephen Denton, owner of Archadeck of Central GA
Stephen Denton, owner of Archadeck of Central GA

Contact Archadeck of Central Georgia to learn more about adding an outdoor structure that will help you enrich the special moments spent with the ones you hold dear. (478) 745 – 2000 centralgeorgia@archadeck.net.

Archadeck of Central Georgia urges homeowners to use cooler months to have your deck inspected

Central GA deck safety
Inconsistencies such as rail and post connections can create a safety hazard on your deck.

The cooler months provide the perfect opportunity to run a check on the safety and stability of your outdoor spaces. Since the late fall and winter are times when most of us are staying warm indoors, now is the perfect time to have a licensed professional perform a deck safety inspection. Making certain your deck is safe and in proper working order will mean you will be ready for the outdoor living season that will be here sooner than you think.

Within the last six years there were 179 nationwide reported deck failures that resulted in 33 deaths and 1,122 people being injured. These accidents are unfortunate because when it comes to deck safety, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is the reason we offer a free deck safety inspection. This program not only enables us to catch a problem before it worsens and puts the safety of your family at risk, it also provides peace of mind.

The North American Deck and Railing Association, (NADRA) urges homeowners to have their deck inspected by a licensed professional to ensure deck safety.  “According to NADRA  A professional inspection will examine every inch of your deck, provide information on your deck’s capacity limits, identify any dangerous problem areas and give you a map of what to keep your eye on in the future. If your deck is older, this might include a regular deck inspection schedule.” Some of the crucial areas a deck safety inspection should check for are ledger connections, posts and footings, post-to-beam connections, joists and joist connections, stairs, deck boards, handrail assemblies and guards and other miscellaneous aspects of your deck’s construction. It is also important to inspect structural supports and connections, such as post sizes, fastener types and specific design aspects as well as any visible indications of corrosion or weakness. Any inconsistencies in these areas can cause an unsafe deck that could lead to an accident or in a worst case scenario, a deck collapse.

Archadeck of Central GA is dedicated to deck safety. Even if your deck doesn’t look great that doesn’t mean you’re going to fall through the floor. If your deck is aged, or looking a little worse for wear, it is a good idea to have it checked. In many cases you may actually find that even if your deck is cosmetically lacking it can still be structurally sound. When we inspect it, we will inform you of what needs to be done in order to keep any problems from worsening and we can also make a list of anything that we find that needs to be fixed.

Stephen Denton, owner of Archadeck of Central GA
Stephen Denton, owner of Archadeck of Central GA

Contact Archadeck of Central Georgia today to schedule your free deck safety inspection and get the peace of mind in knowing your deck is safe and ready for the outdoor living season ahead. Call today (478) 745 – 2000
centralgeorgia@archadeck.net

If you do not currently have a deck and are thinking of adding one in advance of the outdoor living season, you can view some of our beautiful deck designs by visiting our composite and vinyl deck gallery, wooden deck gallery and Ipe deck gallery located on our website. All of our outdoor structures are built beyond quality and structural standards.