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View Full Version : Your opinions on the deck work



bigbadboss101
06-10-2009, 02:47 PM
Deck and fences built last year by a contractor. Didn't notice at first as I was busy and working out of town but now realize it might not be code/safe.

I am looking at getting them reworked by the contractor.

First two pictures show the pieces that holds the deck up have shifted.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/bigbadboss101/Fences/IMG_0159.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/bigbadboss101/Fences/IMG_0160.jpg

Stairs to back deck too far apart, and the steps are springy.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/bigbadboss101/Fences/IMG_0163.jpg

Top pieces of fences not screwed in properly.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/bigbadboss101/Fences/IMG_0164.jpg

Pieces not lining up

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/bigbadboss101/Fences/IMG_0165.jpg

Stairs to kitchen unstable and far apart. Kids can fall
right through

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/bigbadboss101/Fences/IMG_0166.jpg

Railings not fitting properly and not secure

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/bigbadboss101/Fences/IMG_0167.jpg

Back deck

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/bigbadboss101/Fences/IMG_0161.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q61/bigbadboss101/Fences/IMG_0162.jpg

narou
06-10-2009, 02:50 PM
I was expecting worse, but still that is not really acceptable.. You should definitely try to improve on that work

gretz
06-10-2009, 02:51 PM
not good
who was the contractor?

FiveFreshFish
06-10-2009, 02:54 PM
What a hack job. :thumbsdow

Your contractor is an amateur pretending to be a pro.

legendboy
06-10-2009, 03:03 PM
thats pretty bad

GQBalla
06-10-2009, 03:08 PM
wow that looks so shady...

good thing your getting it redone though

TKRIS
06-10-2009, 03:15 PM
That is hilariously shoddy work. What was he using to cut those fence boards? His teeth? hahaha
Why not just put everything together with elastic bands and gum?

Personally, I would seriously evaluate whether or not you even want this moron stepping foot on your property again.

You're stairs are fucked. Might meet code (I wouldn't know), but I'd never build stringers like that, let alone span that distance with a 5/4" deck board.

Get some brackets to secure your columns to the concrete outposts, build a couple new sets of stairs, and buy a few boards to replace the crap shown in the pictures. Won't take more than a day.

And yes: Post the "contractors" name and contact info so no one else ends up with this shit.

hedge
06-10-2009, 03:46 PM
Terrible work. Those stairs are completely unsafe.

benz_890
06-10-2009, 03:54 PM
This is proof that during the boom, anyone could just buy a truck throw some tools in the back and call themself a contractor

barmanjay
06-10-2009, 04:19 PM
DO NOT USE THE DECK AND STAIRS

Have a professional come in a fix, or rather completely replace


I seriously hope when you contracted the guy you didn't pick the cheapest price around. If you did,.. and didn't look up references,. then you might deserve the shoddy work that need replacing

lilmira
06-10-2009, 04:34 PM
Go have a look at the stringer at Home Depot or Rona, it should give you an idea of how big a step/rise should be.

I wouldn't trust those posts neither, they should be secured to the concrete cantilever beams, not just sitting on it. It looks like a long fall if something breaks.

Just curious, it is required to get building permit for residential deck if the deck is more than 600mm above grade at any point, so how many of you did get the permit?

barmanjay
06-10-2009, 08:29 PM
Man I just looked at the first pic again

Seriously bad work

the joists are not 16' apart,.. they are irregular

the railing pieces are what? toe nailed into the deck? wtf?

those 2 4x4 posts are holding what? the deck planks not the joists or a cross beam?

tear it all down,.. if the city comes by to see that,.. they will condemn it from use.

badatusrnames
06-10-2009, 08:36 PM
Let me guess.... he was cheap.

hedge
06-10-2009, 08:46 PM
Seriously Don't use that Deck. That looks like a serious safety issue, that thing could fall off at any moment.

- It looks like there's no ledger plate on the deck platform, it looks like the joist hangers are nailed into the plywood!

- What's keeping the 4x4's from falling off the concrete?

- That's not how you build stairs, the tread should sit on top of the stringers not on top of tacked on boards. Your weight is being supported by a couple of nails/screws. Nails are meant to hold things from moving, not to support weight.

- treads are too small, should be 2" lumber

Out the contractor that built that so that noone else gets scammed.

bigbadboss101
06-10-2009, 08:55 PM
Well they are going to come by in the next couple weeks to get things fixed. It could be that they had a bad crew for that weekend, I don't know. I will give them the benefits of the doubt and if they come by and get things fixed nicely I am cool with that. Have seen some of their other work and they looked good. My goal is not to give the company a bad rep, but to make the $8k or so I spent on fences, small deck to kitchen, and back yard deck worthwhile.

badatusrnames
06-10-2009, 09:00 PM
Originally posted by bigbadboss101
My goal is not to give the company a bad rep.

Uhh... it's the company itself that's making or breaking their reputation. By performing substandard work, they're breaking it.

I'm sorry, but no one should be left with a deck with that poor of workmanship. I think you have a bit of a responsibility to make people aware of who the contractor is, considering that there are SERIOUS safety issues with that deck. Someone who doesn't know any better could happily use their deck thinking everything is fine with it until it collapses underneath their feet.

Masked Bandit
06-10-2009, 09:35 PM
Well, we just finished building our fence this weekend and we must look like Mike-phuckin'n-Holmes compared to these asshats.

I wouldn't have paid for this shit work at all.

urban.one
06-11-2009, 08:12 AM
Pick your weeds! :poosie:

Its all been said already. That thing needs to be ripped down and a properly designed deck needs to be installed. Its not even that it was put together poorly; the problem is that it was desgned by someone who appears to have had no knowledge of code or even common sense. In fact it looks like theyve never even seen a properly built deck and stairs to get ideas from.

Its surprising someone who built that is coming back to take a look at it and potentially fix it. For your sake, Id hope the company you hired subcontracted this job to someone new and didnt followup on it and now the company will give you a new, properly designed and built deck and stairs.

At least youve realized theres a problem. I cant imagine how much shoddy work was pumped out over the past few years during the boom.

topmade
06-11-2009, 10:47 AM
Originally posted by bigbadboss101
Well they are going to come by in the next couple weeks to get things fixed.

No no, not fix, REPLACE!!

frozenrice
06-11-2009, 03:53 PM
I have to admit those stairs make me laugh.

A few things to look out for when they come and redo/replace the stairs:

1) Those blocks holding up the steps (threads) are horrid. They should be proper stair stringers cut/routed out from a 2x10 or 2x12.
2) Those stairs look wider than 40". Rule of thumb is that any stairs wider than 40" should require a 3rd stringer down the middle to prevent sagging/boucniness. Personally, I would have gone with full 2x(4/6/8/10) treated lumber which is a bit thicker/stronger than 5/4" decking material.
3) The maximum rise on a stair should be approximately 7.5". I can't really tell from the picture, but they appear to be more than that. It's not necessarily that a kid can fall through, but 7.5" is what is considered comfortable by code so that you don't trip/fall going up or down the stairs.
4) The spacing on the rail spindles look too far apart, I believe code is that they are to be a maximum of 4" apart (I can't remember if that's edge to edge or center to center). Either way they look too far apart from just eyeballing it.
5) In general the rest of it is just poor workmanship. The way the spindles are connected to the landing surface is bad practice. I can't believe either, that the posts aren't even bolted to the concrete brackets. Even the gate latch is misaligned. Other thing too, I can't remember exactly how the bylaw/code works, but technically anything 2ft above grade is supposed to have a permit- just somethings to keep in mind.

I hope that the company comes back and makes good on making it right. Good luck.

BlackArcher101
06-11-2009, 04:28 PM
Originally posted by bigbadboss101
Well they are going to come by in the next couple weeks to get things fixed. It could be that they had a bad crew for that weekend, I don't know. I will give them the benefits of the doubt and if they come by and get things fixed nicely I am cool with that. Have seen some of their other work and they looked good. My goal is not to give the company a bad rep, but to make the $8k or so I spent on fences, small deck to kitchen, and back yard deck worthwhile.

You can't be serious.... tell us the company name! There really is no excuse to not say it... you won't be giving them a false rap either as this is the actual work they gave you!

Oh, and please please please tell me you aren't paying them to fix everything. I have a feeling you are, as I haven't heard of a contractor agree right away to fix something for free they did a year ago.

With the amount of work they'll be putting into fixing this... it would be quicker just to knock it down and start over again.

Can you post a picture of the underside of the larger deck please?

redblack
06-11-2009, 05:32 PM
yeah, that is a poorly built deck. and you do need a building permit with the city for anything higher than 2 feet (600mm). As mentioned before these guys need to be avoided. Post the company name

88CRX
06-11-2009, 10:07 PM
Wow... that's a ghetto hack job if I've ever seen one.

I wouldn't be standing/walking on that deck or stairs. Brutal.

sxtasy
06-11-2009, 10:38 PM
lol wow. Some people just have no pride in their work. See how that set of "stairs/deck" is attached to the house. And take your bbq off already :nut:

masoncgy
06-11-2009, 10:58 PM
That looks totally unsafe, especially those stairs. Who in the hell builds stairs like that?

You can buy pre-cut & pressured treated stringers in a variety of sizes from Home Depot and they are relatively inexpensive. This just screams cheap and amateur...

Terrible. I'd be embarassed if I built that piece of shit.

Tear down and rebuild, starting with a proper deck nailer.

Geeez...

dj_honda
06-11-2009, 11:36 PM
haha holy shit. that is horrible. you can't get them to "fix" that deck. it needs to be torn down and rebuilt properly.

max_boost
06-12-2009, 12:06 AM
Oh man. That is seriously messed up!

:thumbsdow to that hack job. :nut:

TomcoPDR
06-12-2009, 12:52 PM
A bit off topic, what were the estimate comparsions building this deck?

scat19
06-12-2009, 01:04 PM
:banghead:

I'm not saying I'm a pro at this, but I've helpd build a deck - Turned out way better than this POS!

Those stairs do NOT look safe!

B4tMan
06-12-2009, 01:21 PM
That contraption is a device from Prince of Persia ?

BlackArcher101
07-02-2009, 08:00 PM
So bigbadboss101, did that crew come out in the next few weeks like they said and fix it up? Inquiring minds want to know.
If so, I think this calls for new pics!
If not, then I think it's time to name the contractor.

benz_890
07-02-2009, 08:42 PM
Sounds like another of those guys who had a truck and tools and called themself a "contractor" during the boom lol

Z_Fan
07-02-2009, 09:16 PM
So this is what you get after you've lost your ass in the stock market. :poosie:

Seriously. Those stairs are unsafe. It all looks pretty bad IMO. I'd like to see the deck construction too since the photos don't really show us much underneath.

That's crazy. It looks like something you would do on your first try *IF* you didn't read a book or use any kind of guide on how to do it properly.

My deck is a first try scenario that I did myself and it is way better and has been standing for about 8 or 9 years now. But I did use a couple books as a reference for how to build the main part of the deck. My stairs are using proper stringers, not hacked together stringers, and I used three stringers because I did use 5/4" deck boards for the stairs. You must be able to bounce up on those steps like it was a diving board.

:rofl:

bigbadboss101
07-02-2009, 09:19 PM
The guys came 10 days ago to have a look. He explained the guys that did the job are all long gone. Will come back in the next few days to redo the stairs, anchor the posts, and fix up other issues.

Will keep you posted.

barmanjay
07-03-2009, 07:02 PM
please take pics of the finished work

bigbadboss101
07-21-2009, 08:33 AM
I'll give it another week or so. Might not have a choice after that as I am running out of patience.

bigbadboss101
10-02-2009, 10:23 AM
Alright. The guys dropped off some wood at the house 3 weeks ago but no work has been done. I am getting fed up.

prae
10-02-2009, 10:43 AM
so call him? take him to small claims court? Posting on beyond wont solve your problems. ;)

G-ZUS
10-02-2009, 10:45 AM
wow

jonnycat
10-02-2009, 11:00 AM
OMFG! An entire summer wasted without a usable deck. You may as well tear it down and try it yourself. There's no way you could do a worse job.

zachattack54
10-02-2009, 11:12 AM
You need to get Mike Holmes up in that bitch. He would loose his mind if he saw that...."You do it right the 1st time..."

mekeni
10-02-2009, 11:14 AM
I agree with everyone, redo the whole thing !!

barmanjay
10-02-2009, 01:32 PM
Oh for fuck sakes!

it's too late now,.. the ground is freezing.

They can't properly put in a concrete footing now and have it cure properly

Have to wait for a good chinook and +5 nights.

I'm tempted to help

Graham_A_M
10-10-2009, 01:27 PM
^ Dont..... if they fuck up again, document it again and take it to the BBB. Again like what was mentioned, there are some serious flaws in its construction. It needs to be redone, not fixed. You cant "fix" some of the critical things wrong with it.

Im by no means much of a carpenter but even using merely a pruning saw I could do *WAY* better work then that.
I love how the posts aren't even attached to the cement supports. :nut:

Not a lot of thought went into that disaster. Wait until spring and it'll barely be standing at all, leave alone safe to walk on.

Mys73ri0
12-25-2009, 03:48 AM
Originally posted by bigbadboss101
The guys came 10 days ago to have a look. He explained the guys that did the job are all long gone. Will come back in the next few days to redo the stairs, anchor the posts, and fix up other issues.

Will keep you posted.

Originally posted by bigbadboss101
I'll give it another week or so. Might not have a choice after that as I am running out of patience.

Originally posted by bigbadboss101
Alright. The guys dropped off some wood at the house 3 weeks ago but no work has been done. I am getting fed up.

so since this thread was linked in the new one I thought i'd bring it back from the dead for two reasons.

A) have they fixed the problems
B) which company is this?

drclark
01-09-2010, 12:33 AM
Can we see the most current pictures?

What is the company name?

bigbadboss101
01-09-2010, 12:03 PM
The peeps didn't come back. Not too happy with LL even though the people who did the work are no longer with them.

BlackArcher101
01-09-2010, 12:38 PM
So what's the plan?

Need more of this?
http://i.ehow.co.uk/images/a05/ck/fk/multiuse-vaseline-200X200.jpg

G-ZUS
01-09-2010, 12:41 PM
Originally posted by BlackArcher101
So what's the plan?

Need more of this?
http://i.ehow.co.uk/images/a05/ck/fk/multiuse-vaseline-200X200.jpg

you mean this?

http://www.americanlifestyle.com/products/KY%20Intrigue.jpg

drclark
01-16-2010, 11:42 AM
So what is the company name?

Unknown303
01-16-2010, 02:20 PM
Originally posted by G-ZUS


you mean this?

http://www.americanlifestyle.com/products/KY%20Intrigue.jpg

Judging by their craftmanship I don't think they used either of those things. Just a little spit.