Showing posts with label deck expert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label deck expert. Show all posts

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Signs Your Deck Needs To Be Inspected

We have had a lot of traffic recently to our site from people who are concerned about their decks. We want to assure you that your waterproofed deck probably isn't going to collapse, but many wood decks do collapse on a near everyday basis in the US. How can you check your waterproof solid surface deck to see if it has any warning signs of danger?

Do use our photograph's to check your deck for signs of problems and dangerous conditions. If you find these conditions, you'll want to have a deck inspector review your deck and give you a report with a basic scope of work to use to obtain bids with. Don't let a deck waterproofing contractor write his scope of work, they may be complete and truthful or they may be adding extra work and profits on.

Even if your deck is in no danger of collapse, water getting under the surface of a waterproof deck can cause damage to framing and the plywood substrate.

1.) Therefore, cracks on a deck are a warning sign. Look at your deck carefully in the field of the deck. Many times plywood moving will cause a deck to crack.

Urethane deck with seam tape showing through coating.
We recommend a professional inspection and evaluation. 

Long cracks in the field of the deck
should be inspected and repaired. 
Some decks crack because of moving plywood. This deck's
coating cracked because of plywood not being level. 

Cracks at the edge of a deck may indicate a more serious issue underneath.
Further evaluation is recommended.



2.) Rusted metal flashings on deck edges or at deck to wall areas. Rusted areas in field of deck. Rusted railing bases.

Rusted railing bases have lost their strength and now may present a hazard
as they won't be able to retrain you from falling. An inspection and fast repairs
need to be done in many cases to maintain safety. 

Any type of plant growth around a railing bases indicates moisture
conditions underneath. 

Rust on the metal flashing like this is a sign that further inspection
should be done and a scope of work written.



3.) Ponding Water. After a rain storm, your waterproof deck should be dry within 24 hours to at most 48 hours. Water should not ever pond longer than that. An inspection of the problem areas can help you determine what work can and needs to be done to correct a ponding water issue.

Ponds in the middle of a walkway always create problems.

Water sitting at the wall can attack exposed sheet metal causing rust and leaks.

Water sitting on an edge indicates a high edge. 
Watch for future articles discussing drains and scuppers.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

NADRA Reminds All Deck Owners That May is Deck Safety Month! Check Your Decks, Save a Life!


Editors Note-
Check your decks should be an ongoing action item for all homeowners, whether they do it or best option, have a pro inspect 
the deck for you. 

Locally in SLO County I perform deck safety checks utilizing NADRA's checklist. Call for an inspection today 805-801-2380

 Editor Bill Leys











QUAKERTOWN, PA – Your deck is the perfect place to enjoy warm weather with friends and loved ones. However, a poorly maintained or unsafe deck could possibly collapse, causing serious injuries to you and your guests. During Deck Safety Month® in May, experts at the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) recommend homeowners Check Your Deck® before starting to plan family activities.
“Our number one priority and message to the public is to ensure that the decks they use are safe,” says Michael Beaudry, executive vice president of NADRA. “Outdoor structures like decks are exposed to sun, rain, snow and extreme temperature changes over the years. The need to maintain and inspect them is critical for keeping decks strong and safe.”
NADRA has created campaigns and educational programs, along with certifications for home inspectors, deck builders, remodelers, builders, code officials, engineers, architects, distributors, lumberyards and manufacturers to improve proper installation practices. The organization has also developed checklists and safety awareness information for consumers to assure they have details available to them to evaluate their decks. The information can be found HERE.
With an estimated 40 million residential and 10 million commercial decks in the United States that are more than 20-30 years old, it’s important for homeowners to check their deck on a yearly basis.
Consumer Checklist
A key element to enjoying your deck for years to come is making sure it is safe and code compliant. NADRA’s “10-Point Consumer Safety Checklist” is an efficient way to take a good look at the different parts of your deck, with an eye to what might need maintenance, repair or replacement. The checklist can be found at http://bit.ly/NADRA10PointConsumerChecklist.
Homeowners should consider a professional deck inspection. “A professional inspector will thoroughly examine your deck, provide information on your deck’s capacity limits, identify any dangerous problem areas and give you some insight of what to keep your eye on in the future,” says Beaudry. “NADRA provides industry professionals with a Deck Evaluation Form that is available HERE.
Older decks require closer scrutiny and regular inspections. Many decks were built before code requirements were established to protect consumers. Some of these older decks may have deck-to-house attachments using only nails instead of the current recommended construction using deck tension hardware that greatly helps in the prevention of ledger failures.
“We recommend ASHI-certified home inspectors or a knowledgeable deck builder for inspections of older decks,” says Beaudry. “Our NADRA member deck builders are required to adhere to a code of ethics and comply with state licensing and insurance requirements. This brings peace of mind to homeowners using our NADRA members.”
Deck inspection requires special knowledge, expertise and experience. NADRA offers training and certification for its members along with ASHI home inspectors and others interested in professional deck inspection. For additional information on NADRA certification classes, click HERE.
The North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the necessity for regular inspection and maintenance of existing decks and proper installation of new decks. For more information visit www.NADRA.org 

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Division 7 Waterproofing Consultants is Open in Arroyo Grande CA

Opening our virtual doors at www.californiawaterproofinginspections.com and literally at 405 E Branch St in Arroyo Grande, Division 7 Waterproofing Consultants is now ready to service you.

Whether you are a buyer of a property, or selling one, we inspect roof decks, balconies, walkways and stairs that have waterproof pedestrian traffic coatings on them.

We also provide inspection services to CID's and Apartment Communities throughout California. Inspections for reserve studies, rule enforcement, maintenance needs and 3rd party observer inspections when contracting with a contractor are some of the services available.

For legal and construction defect professions, we also offer expert witness and destructive testing services.

Check out their website and call for a quote on your projects needs. Division 7 Waterproofing Consultants is also on Twitter @slodeckexpert and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/waterproofingconsultants


Friday, April 25, 2014

Now Get Advice From The Deck Expert Live on Video Via Google's Help Outs!

Taking the game one step ahead of the rest, Deckexpert.com is now live on Google's Help Outs!

What the heck is Help Outs you ask? It's Google's new service where live via Hangouts, I speak with you and we discuss your issues on anything to do with waterproofing a deck or building a deck to be waterproofed.

We have the same low price of only $25.00 for 15 minutes or time and now you can show me a problem live via your tablet or phone, we can talk and get your issue ironed out.

Try us now at Google HelpOuts by clicking here
 https://helpouts.google.com/115859394115623652965/ls/945618a20b6d529a


Friday, August 28, 2009

Our New Website Has Arrived!



Check it out today! WWW.DECKEXPERT.COM
All new design, easy to navigate, and best of all, optimized for every browser.

Thanks to Valerie Spencer, my designer...

Three spaces are available at the top of each page for advertisers...call me for rates at 805-801-2380.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Introducing our New Logo!

HERE IT IS! OUR NEW LOGO FOR OUR NEW WEBSITE!
Yes we are changing the site's name, henceforth we'll be doing business as and be known as DeckExpert.com.

Look for our new logo on everything, ads, t shirts, website and vehicles!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Our 6th anniversary passes by quietly this week...

It was dated June 6th, 2002, the employment contract I have in my files from the first company to hire me as a salesperson/estimator for waterproof deck coatings and we opened up our office in a historic building/warehouse in San Luis Obispo...and the rest is history, as they say.

Pretty funny now to think about how it all went down...a guy who was the sales man for Deck masters of Lake Forest CA, talking his boss into letting him hire me and sell jobs for them...funny stories, our office building burned, tales of a crew of our guys who got carted away by immigration, the truck gets impounded...

So here it is 6 years later, I'm celebrating a small milestone and look forward to providing you with news, entertainment, advice and service, along with great decking products in the central coast area of California.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Deck Expert Buys .info extensions of major deck manufacturer's

Seeking to establish our presence even further on the web, Waterproofdeckcoatingadvice.com has purchased ten additional web addresses ending with the .info extension. "
"We hope that with these purchases we will generate even more traffic to our site and increase awareness in the market place that consumers have choices and now have good information available to them to make good decisions when buying waterproofing." Said Bill Leys, owner of the firm.
Our purchases included www.desertbrand.info, www.westcoat.info, www.pacpoly.info and several other major manufacturer's of deck coatings
While some manufacturer's won't like our owning their domain name in an .info extension, buying .info extensions and using them actively is a protected use. We're not going to squat on them and hope to sell them back to a manufacturer for a profit. We will use them to help increase our presence on the web and direct traffic to us when someone is searching for information regarding their products. Any one could have bought the .info extension url's names, including the manufacturer's themselves...

www.deckexpert.com now points to our website

Completing the last stage of the transfer of www.deckexpert.com to Waterproofdeckcoatingadvice.com's ownership, we have finished pointing the DNS servers to our website.
Previous readers of deckexpert.com will find a completely different website, filled with valuable information, advice and links to manufacturer's. We welcome you to our community and hope you'll come back!There is now substance and an actual deck expert behind the name, not just a company reselling a web site name.
New readers probably won't know any difference so welcome to our site as well...