Common Mistakes You Should Avoid When Adding a New Deck

With your kids finally out of your home, you might be ready to make changes to it, including adding a new deck. This can increase your home’s value and provide a larger entertainment space where you can host gatherings. But if you do it incorrectly, you may only get headaches. Read below about the common mistakes you should avoid when installing a deck so that your project is successful.

Not Following Local Building Codes

One mistake to avoid when adding a deck is not following your local building and safety codes. Otherwise, you may find the deck you built is not structurally sound, and your friends and family cannot use the structure safely.

You should also check if you need to get a permit for the deck. Otherwise, you may have to remove it and pay fines after you have already built it. It’s better to check ahead of time to save unnecessary labor and costs that you can avoid.

Not Hiring a Qualified Contractor

Another common mistake you should avoid when adding a new deck is not hiring a qualified contractor. Although a professional’s help can simplify the process, that contractor can complicate it if they don’t have experience building decks, the right credentials, or good customer feedback. Ensure you properly research the contractors you’re considering before hiring them. This will better guarantee your project’s success.

Applying the Wrong Tension

One of the features that you can add to your deck is a wire cable railing system. But a common challenge people face with wire cable railing is applying the right tension so that the cable itself doesn’t droop between the posts.

As your contractors install the system, make sure that they space the cables at 3 inches on center and install your posts every 48 inches before tensioning them. After they have applied tension to the railing system’s posts, your guard rail openings should not be able to let a 4-inch sphere pass through.

Not Waterproofing Your Deck

A final mistake you should avoid is not adding a waterproof coating after your contractors install the wood for your deck. Although it may look fine, the material can immediately start weathering after the addition. Instead, do it quickly since it’s the right time for the wood to accept new coatings.

When you avoid these mistakes, you’ll be in a good position to get the best deck possible. You’ll have a safe place where guests can have fun, and you’ll enjoy the increase in your home’s value.