Category Archives: deck education

Life Specialty Coatings Product Demo February 10th in Santa Fe Springs

February 2, 2022 Bill Leys

Life Specialty Coatings announced their first product demo of the year at their headquarters in Santa Fe Springs CA.

Located at 12927 Sunshine Avenue in Santa Fe Springs, the demo will start at 9 am and run through till 1pm. Come for some of come for all, reps will be showing how to install their AL system the AL-flex system MC system and the FM system as well as discussing decorative overlays with stains and some of their new products that they are introducing.

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balcony inspection, deck education, deck expert, deck inspection, educational events

We’re Growing Again! Two New Page’s Added to Our Site!

August 8, 2017 Bill Leys

We’ve added two new pages to our site recently!

Our first new page is a collaboration with North America Deck & Railing Association and it allows visitors to DeckExpert.com to find deck inspectors that have passed NADRA’s Deck Inspection Training. You’ll go to NADRA’s page when you click on their links.

Click here to find a deck inspector in the US & Canada.

The second page we’ve recently added is for online web based courses on decks NADRA has an agreement with the Building Code College for you to either audit four courses on deck building, or to sign up and become a certified decking expert. The first version is free and we encourage everyone to audit the courses, Glen Mathewson, a recognized deck expert on building codes, wrote most if not all of the material. If you build/frame decks, this knowledge is very important. Take the time to take advantage of these educational opportunities and lets work towards making decks as safe as they can be.

Click here to start your way to becoming code proficient.

balcony inspection, Berkeley deck collapse, deck education, deck inspection, Deck Safety Month, NADRA

CA Senator Jerry Hill Introduces SB-721 Contractors: decks and balconies: inspection

March 7, 2017 Bill Leys 2 Comments

DeckExpert.com Supports Requiring Deck Inspections

Bill Duplicates Berkeley Bill Langauge in Who Can Perform Inspections

Should structural pest control operators, general contractors, architects or engineers inspect deck inspections as the state of CA is proposing?

They will be if the consulting and inspection industry doesn’t act quickly and object. Senator Hill has just introduced a bill that uses much the same language Berkeley’s city ordinance does.

“The inspection shall be performed by a licensed general contractor, structural pest control licensee, licensed architect, licensed engineer, or other licensee as approved by the Department of Consumer Affairs. The purpose of the inspection is to verify that all of the balconies and other elevated walking surfaces covered by this section are in generally safe condition, adequate working order, and free from hazardous dry rot, fungus, deterioration, decay, or improper alteration to the extent that the life, limb, health, property, safety, or welfare of the public or the occupants is not endangered.”

My thoughts-

Structural Pest Control Licensee-pest control licensee’s inspect buildings for termites/wood destroying organisms. They do not test roofs (or balconies) for water tightness, nor are they qualified to do so. Roof contractors can do so, but generally exclude themselves from inspecting decks. Pest control licensee’s do not know about waterproof coated decks, how they are installed, what problems to look for when doing an inspection and even if they do see a problem, don’t understand what caused it, what degree of a problems it is or how to repair it. Continue reading CA Senator Jerry Hill Introduces SB-721 Contractors: decks and balconies: inspection →

Berkeley deck collapse, best building practices, deck education, deck expert, deck failures, Uncategorized

Property Management Company KNEW DECK WAS FLAWED, DID NOTHING! Students Injured as a Result Get 1.6 Million Settlement.

November 29, 2016 Bill Leys

Dry-rotted Framing Where Deck Attached to Building. Photo courtesy of Robert Clayton Attorney

Wolfe & Associates Property Management Co paid a settlement of $1,600,000.00 to students injured when a deck they were on or under collapsed at a party during Deltopia in Santa Barbara CA. The reason Wolfe paid this settlement in my opinion? They knew the deck was flawed after getting a termite report that called out dry-rot, fungus and loose materials on the deck, yet they opted to do nothing.

Let me say it again, they opted to do nothing, no repairs, no notice to the occupants, nothing. They deliberately and IMO maliciously decided to not repair the deck. What scum does that? This goes towards proving my theory that property managers and management companies won’t fix something until someone dies!

Read the story here and read the termite report that led to the settlement. Similar to Berkeley, one of the POS defense lawyers wanted to blame the victims, saying there were to many people on the deck. Excuse me, but f you lawyer. It was your clients fault and you know it.

Lets hope that this case and the upcoming Berkeley lawsuit will teach these management companies a costly lesson. Hell it’s only money, soaked in blood.

deck education

Bill Leys of DeckExpert.com To Present at JLC Live in Portland OR Dec 3, 2015

August 10, 2015 Bill Leys

Learn the best practices necessary to build and waterproof roof decks from Deck Expert Bill Leys!

Appearing for a 6th time at JLC Live is DeckExpert.com’s Bill Leys!

I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be back again at JLC Live! Residential Construction Show for my 6th appearance. This year I’ll be presenting two seminars Best Practices for Framing and Waterproofing Pedestrian Roof Decks and Stairs and Principles of Waterproofing Concrete and CMU Foundations and Slabs.

JLC Live Residential Construction Show is celebrating it’s 20th year this year and so there should be some good reasons to come again to Portland and not just use good beer as an excuse to go.

The final schedule of speakers and dates/times is being finalized so check the website frequently at http://nw.jlclive.com/Attendee/Home to sign up and lock in early bird deals. Watch my twitter feed @deck_expert for specials too.