Tag Archives: Deck Safety Month

Berkeley deck collapse

The Seventh Anniversary of The Tragic and Avoidable Berkeley Deck Collapse is June 16th. We Shall Never Forget You…

Ashley Donohoe, Olivia Burke, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai Schuster, Lorcán Miller, Eimear Walsh and sadly Aiofe Beary, who was badly injured but survived the initial fall, sadly passed away recently. Seven lives cut short. Six lives permanently altered.

Last weekend I was in Berkeley. I stayed right around the corner from 2020 kittredge Street where the balcony collapsed. I was looking for a place to park my vehicle and they have a parking area there. It didn’t even strike me at the time when I drove in and parked that this was holy ground.

I walked outside of the garage and was on the sidewalk… I looked at it and then I looked up. When the place was library gardens there were two decks, one of which fell. As I walked down that sidewalk where they lay I trembled.

The Berkeley deck collapse was entirely preventable…and must not happen ever again. I call upon every state in the nation to implement deck inspections. Lives are at stake.

deck maintenance

Slip Resistant Stairs

Concrete stairs can often be slippery when wet. That can create liability issues for owners of apartment buildings.

The stairs on this apartment buildings were dingy, dark and dangerous. Uninviting, they needed some help.

Before-Ugly dingy dangerous stairs

After the old coating was taken off with grinders, they could be redone with an inviting look that provided safety with a slip resistant broom finish.

Simple broom finish with sand added to the texture.

Polymer is used as a primer on the steps, and then a concrete broom ($14.00 at Home Depot) is used to create a texture.

Deck sealer is used to seal the stairs.
Safety stripes create a visual warning.

As the above photo shows, the stairs appearance of dramatically different, clean, safe and it looks great.

Don’t let dangerous stairs be a hazard on your property, get them updated and safe for a reasonable cost.

balcony inspection, Berkeley deck collapse, best building practices

Exterior Elevated Elements Working Group Agenda for 5/25/17 is Announced

 

9e0e3-0216001100The deck waterproofing industry needs to speak up!

From the California Building Standards Commission-

Notice is hereby given that the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC), Exterior Elevated Element (EEE) Subcommittee will solicit technical expertise on the items listed in the attached agenda and the link below.  The public is invited to attend and provide their input or comments.  For questions on this notice, please contact CBSC at (916) 263-0916.

http://www.bsc.ca.gov/calendar/othermtgs.aspx Website www.bsc.ca.gov

 

Continue reading Exterior Elevated Elements Working Group Agenda for 5/25/17 is Announced →

Deck Safety Month, NADRA

Deck Inspection’s Save Lives! Consumers, Download A Free 10-Point Deck Safety Checklist & Check Your Deck Today!

URGENT! CONSUMERS ADVISED TO HAVE THEIR DECKS INSPECTED    

DECK COLLAPSES INJURE THOUSANDS EVERY YEAR    

Deck inspections are advised for every deck every 3 years. The rate of deck collapses is alarming and more must be done to prevent injuries and deaths.

Watch this short video on deck inspections and why they are so important-the first hand experiences from survivors of deck collapses are chilling. Please download the safety checklist and get an inspection done ASAP if you find anything questionable.

DeckExpert.com, as a member of the National Deck & Railing Association, encourages professional deck inspections. Download NADRA’s consumer checklist, designed to help owners of wood/composite decks to determine if they need a deck contractor or specialized inspection to determine if repairs or replacement of your deck is necessary. Don’t become the next victim and a become a statistic on a ever growing grim listing of deaths and injuries from deck collapses.  Click the link to open and download the  NADRA_Homeowner Checklist

Inspect your deck before that party you are planning, be safe, be sure!

balcony inspection, Berkeley deck collapse

 SB 721 Will Force the Inspections of Decks-Who Should Perform the Inspections?

2 Comments

DeckExpert.com supports the inspection bill for decks. The Berkeley tragedy, the lives lost and the survivors who are left with serious life long injuries, has brought us all to realize the need to implement an inspection & repair program on a statewide level. This “accident” was no accident. 

The collapse at Berkeley was on a path to occur somewhere-the building industry in California and beyond will argue against my points, but this tragedy was years in the making. There are many reasons for this-from architecture schools that don’t teach it’s students the basics of waterproofing.  For example, right here at Cal Poly SLO, many courses, not one on waterproofing. I’ve offered to give a lecture at Cal Poly; my offers have been meet with silence.

http://www.catalog.calpoly.edu/collegesandprograms/collegeofarchitectureandenvironmentaldesign/architecture/#courseinventory

The architect who designed the balcony in Berkeley designed it poorly. Continue reading  SB 721 Will Force the Inspections of Decks-Who Should Perform the Inspections? →