A few months ago, the Today Show asked Simpson Strong-Tie to demonstrate a deck collapse to educate the public about deck safety. Often through the Fall and Winter months, decks go unused yet see a lot of activity from rain, sleet and snow. When the sun comes out in the Spring, people get out on their decks again without much thought about how the elements may have affected the important connections on their deck.
In addition to the weather, there are other factors to consider about deck safety:
- Experts agree that the average life expectancy of a wood deck is 10 to 15 years.
- It’s estimated that there are millions of decks in the U.S. that are beyond their useful life and may be unsafe.
- The number of deck collapses has increased in recent years.
- Within the past five years, 651 injuries and four deaths have occurred due to deck collapse.
So, I’m thinking about deck safety. I thought I’d share with you the “5 Warning Signs of an Unsafe Deck” we discussed on the Today Show:
