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Decks are a popular feature in many outdoor leisure areas and the construction and safety of decks is a huge concern within the building industry.
Improper deck installations have resulted in a growing number of deck failures and related injuries. While decks are required to meet certain code standards and load capacities, it is estimated that only fifty percent of decks installed are compliant.
This leaves a number of decks that need to be rebuilt or retrofitted at a later stage to prevent collapse and injury. Unfortunately, the building industry is plagued by a number of contractors who do not follow any lawful |
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guidelines. The reasoning behind this is that as much cost cutting is done by contractors with a short term view of securing as many projects as possible.
Inadequate
substructure materials are used, unlawful engineering specifications
are followed and the cheapest decking accessories
are sourced, all of this simply leads to disastrous consequences.
Because decks look relatively simple to build, many people do not realise that decks are structures that need to be designed to adequately resist certain stresses. Like a house, or any other building, a deck must be designed to support the weight of the people and objects |
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placed
on them as well as the lateral and uplift loads thatcan result
on them such as wind. Besides the engineering requirements,
each timber species has a unique installation requirement and the
same holds true for composite or PVC decking.
Composite
decking materials have unique characteristics and require very
precise fixing requirements that differ from timber.
We recommend that all our guidelines, technical documents and frequently asked questions are read thoroughly before commencing the design and construction of any deck using Envirodeck products. |
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