INSPECTION FINDINGS · FROM OUR INSPECTION RECORDS
A deck can look complete from above while its connections raise substantial concerns underneath. In these three inspections, we documented a beam barely meeting its post, a ledger without the fasteners identified as necessary in the report and missing hangers beneath another deck. Each photograph directs attention to a connection that a buyer might never see during a normal walk across the surface.
These are separate examples, not three views of one deck. I would not use them to prescribe a universal fastener pattern or declare the load capacity of a structure from a photograph. Their value is that they show the specific reason the original reports called for qualified evaluation of the support and attachment details.
Photographs and documented observations
A deck beam barely meeting its post
The deck beam and support post were misaligned at their connection. We flagged the bearing detail for a contractor to assess alongside the other deck deficiencies.
The deck ledger lacked proper fasteners
We inspected the deck from below and found that the ledger lacked the proper fasteners. The report called for a deck contractor to evaluate and correct the connection to the house.
Missing hangers below the deck
Several joist connections lacked hangers. We documented the underside so the buyer could see how the deck was actually supported.
A connection needs more than contact
The beam-to-post example is about how the beam is supported where it meets the post. The ledger example concerns attachment at the building. The hanger example concerns the way individual framing members connect. They belong in the same discussion because each involves the path through which the deck transfers load, but the corrective work for one is not automatically the corrective work for the others.
Ask for the connection to be evaluated
The appropriate follow-up is a deck contractor's evaluation of the full arrangement and any engineering needed for the repair. A photograph of an added screw does not demonstrate that the original concern has been resolved. Buyers should ask for a description of the repaired connection and confirmation that the related framing and attachment conditions were included in the work.
Related inspection insights
For related context, read Deck Ledger Boards: The #1 Reason for Structural Deck Failure and Deck Safety: Essential Tips for a Safe and Secure Outdoor Space.
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By Wesley Upchurch. This article draws on documented inspection observations and photographs. Images show conditions at the time of inspection; later repairs are not established unless stated. Property addresses and client details are omitted.
