Tag Archives: deck inspection

deck inspection, Wanke Industrial Commercial Residential Inc

CONSUMER ALERT- PALM SPRINGS AND SAN DIEGO BASED COMPANY PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS WANKE INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL IS TERRORIZING THEIR CLIENTS.

I have heard from several clients of the company formerly known as Wanke Industrial Commercial Residential who have told me horror stories about their tactics. Threats that if they don’t “fix balconies” that they will send a report to the city saying that the decks are dangerous etc. The scummy owner likes to use his wife’s law firm Lindborg and Mazor LLP to bully clients. I can’t give you legal advice but I would tell you to go get legal advice and do not allow the company formerly known as Wanke Industrial Commercial Residential try to push you around. I would encourage you to file complaints with the CSLB the attorney general’s office as well as the department of consumer affairs. If you receive threatening letters from his attorneys I would suggest that you go to the state bar and file complaints against them.

Is it a conflict of interest to do deck inspections under the balcony bill laws in California without disclosing that the company you are being referred to make the repairs or do the destructive testing is owned by the same person?

Continue reading CONSUMER ALERT- PALM SPRINGS AND SAN DIEGO BASED COMPANY PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS WANKE INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL IS TERRORIZING THEIR CLIENTS. →
deck expert

Magnesite Decking Is DEAD, LONG LIVE MAGNESITE! Asbestos Warning!

Magnesite from circa 1961 on a deck in Goleta.

I’m not sure when Hill Brothers Chemical Company first started manufacturing Magnesite, however, it’s safe to say it’s been around California, Arizona, Nevada and other Western states for a long long time…it’s distinctive bull nose edges are a sure sign of what the deck has on it.

What I do know is that up until 1977, Magnesite was manufactured using Asbestos as an ingredient. Hill Brothers sold millions of square feet of the material as interior and exterior flooring. This 1999 article from the LA Times discusses the allure of Magnesite, although it doesn’t discuss Magnesite’s little problem of asbestos in it… https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-11-re-54828-story.html

Continue reading Magnesite Decking Is DEAD, LONG LIVE MAGNESITE! Asbestos Warning! →
best building practices

Wood Decks Are Not Your Friend In Fire Country, Ever.

“The deck that we had off the house,” she said. “It was a two-tiered deck, and it was redwood, and that’s what brought down our house.” Corey and Danusia Larsen of Malibu CA of the Woolsey Fire that burned over 600 homes.

I’m still trying to find it but I remember seeing a quote from a firefighter in California describing wood decks as organized kindling. That quote sticks in my head and won’t budge. I’ve reviewed hundreds of pictures of homes that are burned and often you can see the outline of a wood deck or the remnants of…

To me the ideal fire resistant home would be stucco or concrete or Hardie board with a metal or concrete roof any decking on it would be a division 7 traffic coating that is fire rated for use in California fire zones.

Continue reading Wood Decks Are Not Your Friend In Fire Country, Ever. →
deck expert

IT’S DECK SAFETY MONTH, AND THE BALCONY COLLAPSES CAN’T STOP/WON’T STOP UNTIL AND UNLESS…WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Removal of the deck boards against the building reveals a seriously deteriorated set of beams.
They died because of poor workmanship and failing to inspect the deck. #NeverAgain

The North American Deck & Railing Association (NADRA) has declared May as “Deck Safety Month”, although IMHO, every month should be Deck Safety Month.

Rarely does a day go by without my Google alerts, “deck collapse” & “deck fire” sending me an email about another balcony collapsing somewhere or someone’s grill or fire pit on their deck was the cause of a major house fire.

Two weeks ago the headlines were about the Malibu balcony collapse, where 16 people fell to the rocks 15 feet below while at a house party on the coast. Fortunately no one died. This time. Six years ago, six students died and seven were seriously and permanently injured…broken backs, crushed lungs, featured bones, when the balcony they were standing on to take a picture for a birthday celebration suddenly collapsed.

Continue reading IT’S DECK SAFETY MONTH, AND THE BALCONY COLLAPSES CAN’T STOP/WON’T STOP UNTIL AND UNLESS…WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! →
deck expert

Balcony Collapse in Malibu

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/balcony-collapse-in-malibu-residence-sends-almost-a-dozen-people-onto-rocks-below/

A balcony overlooking the Pacific collapsed in Malibu California over the weekend. Nine people were injured and four people went to the hospital.

Balcony Inspections on condos and apartments with 3 or more units are now required to have their decks balconies and stairs be inspected after a deck in Berkeley collapsed 5 years ago, killing 6 and seriously and permanently injuring 7 other people.

Find a deck inspection company at our website at http://www.deckexpert.com

balcony inspection

From Davis-Stirling.com a Reader Asks A Question Whether Co-ops Need to Inspect Their Balconies

THE BALCONY BILL
AND STOCK COOPERATIVES

QUESTION. Does Civil Code §5551 apply to co-ops? -Maury J.

RESPONSE: Good question. A stock cooperative is a common interest development governed by the Davis-Stirling Act. Section 5551(l) of the Civil Code states that inspections of elevated wooden structures apply to multi-family structures with three or more units. If a co-op’s buildings are multi-family structures with three or more units, it would seem to apply…

Read more by clicking this link https://arborescens.eocampaign.com/web-version?lc=a6c657f7-2409-11e9-a3c9-06b79b628af2&p=21af816c-9ac0-11eb-a3d0-06b4694bee2a&pt=campaign&t=1618145000&s=808c5c7e8174bf9c2dce156c5b05b4a57473a465286d859bd0dc1f3f83d7de07