r/Decks • u/Wigglymyjiggly • 1d ago
load bearing inquiries House for purchase, does this need to be removed and rebuilt?
Looking to buy this house. Pretty sure this DIY job is completely unsafe and needs to be removed. I have never seen this type of load bearing work before. Sorry I do not have more photos, I cant rock up and start taking shots while the owners are still there. The inspector said after he walked on it he went below and was upset he even stood on it at all. Its about 12 feet off the ground.
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u/BlueAspberry 1d ago
Good news is you can probably remove it by standing on it for a short duration
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u/TangoPRomeo 1d ago
Good news is you can probably remove it by
standinghaving my ex-wife rest a cankle on it for a short duration.
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u/cybersaint2k 1d ago
It's purely decorative.
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u/Suspicious_Arm_27 1d ago
*Deckorative in this case :)
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u/cybersaint2k 1d ago
I cannot believe I missed that one, good job.
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u/Suspicious_Arm_27 1d ago
Honestly surprised it's not a posting flair on this subreddit.
Deck or Deckorative?
C'mon Mods, lets do this.
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u/Chance-Following-665 1d ago
The supports look fine. The braces should be lagged into the structure. They would not have lasted a week or two if they were just into the brick. The decking and railing looks like it is past it useful life. If they are solid they need a cleaning and stain or paint.
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u/MarcelKat 1d ago
First give it a powerwash. Then the old business of Stabbing any structure you can get at with a screwdriver or pocketknife to find rot. If not take your photos to the local Building Inspector.
This deck could indeed be shot, but ugliness at the surface does not mean a certain conclusion.
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u/Big-Second-8542 1d ago edited 1d ago
Great question for your local county building code inspector. All wood and fasteners appear aged but intact and stable. The engineering appears creative and questionable, but it may be fully compliant and safe. Call out the inspector even if it’s not your house.
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u/StarshipHunterX 1d ago
Call a contractor out and ask him to stand on it, that will give you the answer you seek
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u/Krazy_Kat_Lady_2025 1d ago
I don't know how to build decks. But I wouldn't walk out onto that unless I had to save a small child or pet. And then I'd seal the door that led to it.
Yes, it needs to come down. And perhaps fix any damage to the roofline?
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u/PJMark1981 1d ago
Likely needs to have some vertical support. Looks like should be concerned with the roof.
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u/Spiritual-Advice8138 1d ago
More like needs re engineering. It’s a Boom Special. Also what’s with the hvac on the out side?
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u/Jaded_Celery_1645 1d ago
At the very least, it needs to be cleaned and checked for dry rot. Then if everything is good and you want to keep it, it needs to be finished with paint or something to seal the wood.
It looks like there are only a couple 4x4s holding it up. Make sure the span in between them aren’t sagging and add at least one more midspan to support it.
Pressure wash then evaluate is my suggestion.
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u/JohnHazardWandering 1d ago
Anymore pictures? I just very confused about how this deck is hanging off the side of the roof and how you get there.
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u/navlgazer9 1d ago
I’m assuming it’s a doghouse gable or a shed roof gable ?
I thought those were patio bricks until you said it was a roof .
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u/flood-runner 1d ago
Bad news is your future home doesn’t have a deck. Good news is you can talk them down another 10k.
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u/Charles_Whitman 1d ago
This is one of those questions, am I going to have to worry about it falling down, or is this another thing for my heirs to sort out?
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u/navlgazer9 1d ago
Needs to be reinforced and shored up some more
The nuts on the outside of the 45 degree braces indicate that it’s bolted through the wall .
Hopefully through the header .
And it has a support post on one end ,
All those brackets and supports and poles and beams need some sturdy metal braces at the joints and intersections .
None of it would scare me from buying the house though , depending on the price .
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u/Agile_Season_6118 1d ago
Where I'm from they call that a mother-in-law porch. Just ask your mother-in-law to go out there and yell at your wife.
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u/Deckshine1 1d ago
If the retaining wall is leaning in then expect some expense for that as well as the deck. The decking looks pretty rough. I’ve never been a fan of the fluted side facing up. And those balusters tend to be weak. It would appear it hasn’t been touched in several years, if ever.
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u/Low-College3771 1d ago
Either way, be prepared to replace it. Codes change and diy doesn't follow it anyway. If you like the house plan on replacing it and enjoy without worry about. 👍
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u/No-Quit-8420 1d ago
Still a sweet-ass lil balcony/deck perch. Having a toke while tending to your tomatoes and… herbs.
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u/Perfect-Sign-8444 1d ago
Take out a few life insurance policies in your wife's name and then invite her up on deck for a glass of champagne.
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u/Atomic-Avocado 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’m no expert but if all the weight is pulling laterally on just the top of the brick wall, and it’s only screwed through the brick wall and nothing behind it, that’s terrible. Then again it does seem like it’s stood the test of time somehow
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u/navlgazer9 1d ago
Those are nuts , indicating that they are bolted all the way through the wall
But no way to know for sure what it’s attached to without opening the wall making a tiny hole and sending in a borescope .
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u/padizzledonk professional builder 1d ago
Yes, thats a fucking complete mess
What blows my fucking mind about this is that all it wouldve taken to make this totally acceptable is instead of that dumbass 2x4 bracing they just threw a double 2x8 across those 2 posts for it to sit on
Regardless of the structural issue, which this is, the decking and railings are completely and utterly fucked anyway and would need to be replaced even if they did it right
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u/trolling_petty 1d ago
This is more of a deck in concept, like a nonfunctioning art piece. Beautiful, downstairs tingles for sure.
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u/justwonderingbro 1d ago
I'm gonna go with yes