There has undoubtedly been an increase in outdoor living spaces. One of the most challenging questions prospective homeowners face when constructing their homes is whether to settle for a patio or a deck. Decks are open outdoor platforms without roofing that extend from your home. Patios, on the other hand, have the same layouts as decks but are generally cheaper to construct compared to the latter.
Most companies of residential and commercial construction in Utah will recommend decks for property owners looking for high investment returns. These boost your property’s resale value, work even on uneven terrain, and are easy to customize. They also offer an unhindered view of your outdoors and are among the best options for outdoor entertaining. In the past, most people were apprehensive of decks owing to the considerable risk of their collapse. Thankfully, some innovations in the construction sector now guarantee the safety of decks. Here are tidbits on some of these innovations.
Ledger Fasteners
One of the leading causes of deck collapse was the pulling away of the ledger board from a primary structure. In the past, deck construction involved the simple nailing of a ledger to a house. That, unfortunately, proved disastrous. Ledge fasteners provide a lateral load connection of 1,500 pounds per deck when fastened to a joist and are now the ones used in construction. They avert the risk of the deck pulling away from your primary structure.
Hidden Fasteners
Other than boosting the safety of your deck, hidden fasteners will boost its aesthetic appeal. The fastening of decking through its facing in the past left protrusions that increased the risk of tripping. It also left gaps in the decks that opened them to moisture damage, debris, and mold. Hidden fasteners are largely non-invasive to your decking material and engage it in a groove on the board’s edge.
Steel Framing
The advent of composite decking brought into light the fact that wood substructures were not durable. For contractors to solve this issue, steel framing is now used as the substructure for decks. The framing is durable and allows your deck to support even massive weights. Steel framing also guarantees a level deck surface.
Hanger Screws
Most property owners shudder at the sight of the joist hangers of a deck secured using a standard roofing nail. These nails have too small diameters to support the weights of decks adequately. Their heads might also pop off and release the hangers. To avert this in modern decks, contractors now use hanger screws. These have load rates that exceed those of the standard 10d nails used in the past.
Joist Tapes
Wood decay is a real issue in wooden decking and compromises its integrity and strength. Joist tapes are nowadays used along the tops of joists, ledgers, and beams. These boost the holding power of fastening screws and seal the holes around fasteners to avert wood decay.
Decks are no longer a safety hazard in commercial and residential properties. The above innovations guarantee this. Either way, your deck should be installed by professionals to ensure these innovations work as intended.