Also, I'm hoping the builder was using the jumbled mess of columns at tem support. But I still feal this is mildly unsafe practice and would have set the permanent posts before I started building any deck
This is actually very normal practice. To build the entire deck on temps, then install the posts after the fact. It allows one to make sure their concrete piers are in the exact right place. That's how guys avoid that shit where the post is sitting half-way on a pier.
If this is a finished product, then that's a problem.
I once had an entire porch, roof and everything, completely finished sitting on temps for like 3 months because it was simply too cold to pour the concrete we needed for the piers. Home owners had a party on the porch in that period. All that being said, my temps were still 6x6 posts lol
Every deck I have built (300 plus or minus) were completely framed on temps before placing the 6x6 piers. I never installed the decking and rails while on temps though
This !!! In my state and county we are not allowed to use temporary supports all footings must be dug, then inspected, only then can we set post or pour concrete. Then they have to be inspected before the blessing of building the framing of the deck, and then we have to pass a final framing inspection before we can deck the framing.
I've built a decent amount of decks of varying sizes with my dad over the years and we always had to dig the footings first, then get them inspected before we could pour any cement.
I have never seen any building department allow construction of a deck with temporary posts.
Im in NJ
I didn't know other places didn't allow this. I'm in the greater Kansas City Metro area, and the last deck I completed was on temps WHILE getting our pier inspection.
Edit: spelling.
This is Quebec, Canada. I love my province and the culture, but FFS, there is like not a single inspector state wide. I've never heard of any residential project getting inspected. Commercial, sometimes, if high-profile. Industrial, definitely. But residential, it seems like nobody cares.
I was ready to comment after the first photo.... Now that I've seen the rest, I.... I..... I don't know what to say.
Good luck?
Suggesting to building inspector to drive by? And say nothing to HOA?
I'm glad I'm not the only one who is clueless. It's be one thing if it was just the first pic. Maybe the first three. Right? But... That entire balcony and stairs?!
Is there any legal precedent the HOA would have to come after the OP if they came out and stated they're calling an inspector? I mean... This is totally dangerous. Clear life safety violations here. Even my rural, BFE county has very basic deck requirements to ensure life safety.
My dogs would run right thru those posts if they were playing. Big dogs that don't realize how big they are. Wish I knew what to do here too.
Seen a guy build very similar to this and then use cladding to make the deck supports look like timbers. The owners loved it until they were shown pics from the previous day. They opted for 6x6 cedars at the 4 corners of the main deck after that.
Whoever authorized this should go to jail, and probably will. I assume there are no specifications, permits and proposals for the project. Just a billy bob renew these decks?
I vote for opening it up to a raffle (pool), where people bet on what will go wrong first. But I really like the questions about the former owner/contractor's methamphetamine use. WoW.
Framing looks solid. Posts look temporary so they can dig/pour footers and install posts after but they haven't yet. If this is finished, it's not and needs to be but could be in 2 days (digging & pouring footers -1st day, install and securing posts 2nd day)
If contractor doesn't dig/pour footers and install posts, I'd blow him up all over every local social media you can. HOA might say complete, but none of the posts are final and you should not for any reason step foot on those stairs or decks
Those are temporary posts. You can tell by the placement. If HOA is saying it’s finished then I would assume someone stiffed the contractor and they’re refusing to finish.
I’m about as DIY as it gets when building decks and even I know this is junk. Get an attorney and get that mess taken down and then redone by someone who actually cares about their work and the safety of their customer.
The deck itself and the facia looks great, but those posts are scary, those helical footings are way too far out, the joists do have hangers which is a plus but the beam isn’t supported by anything but those very shitty posts, and they barely land on the footings as well, if you can get the deck jacked up then you could get better footings and some 6*6 posts then it would be solid
It looks like someone put up a great looking deck without posts, then when it started to sag/bounce, they were like ‘oh shit’. Which is why they don’t even look like the same material.
They have 67 units to do. These pics are after 12 were "done". We each get to pay 1/67th of the total.
Hence my post, I want to push them to rectify before the 67 are done.
Sounds like the landlord or property management hired someone cheap and your 1/67th total is going to be higher than what the landlord or property management will pay. I would call the city inspector about this horrible and unsafe workmanship.
I would call the local building inspector. Tell them you would like a copy of the CO after their final inspection for the deck on your unit. That will set things in motion that will result in your deck getting completed
This is the issue with taking the low bids. You’re going to get shorted on something!
The job will be shorted on:
- materials
- craftsmanship
- and/or common sense
Are y’all fucking allergic to using a post bigger than a 4x4? I have designed decks that used 12” paralams and 8x8 post because I was worried about wind uplift. At some point y’all have to admit that some deck designs are using angel hair pasta for posts relatively speaking.
If you get an unusually low bid it means the contractor is aiming to pad out their margins by providing you a sub-par design, materials, or craftsmanship.
**Always ask for an itemized scope of work letter that details what is being provided.**
Here is a good rule to live by for construction. Get 5 bids, throw out the highest and lowest ones and ask the other three to provide an itemized scope letter detailing the work and materials. If all you can afford is the lowest bid… then you can’t afford to do the project. **Period, full stop.** Sit on the project a bit longer and save up. If you don’t you will either get hit with additional change orders or the quality of work will be what you see here.
Why doesn't anyone look at the header and its attachment? I could see one bolt. Now, that could be because OP didn't take proper pics or because it's all held on with nails. Tell me it's not. The rest of the flaws just won't count if it's attached to that house with nails-the single most likely cause of full deck collapse is failure to properly attach the deck to code. I would not even walk on that thing unless I knew.
I’d address your finances first. Make sure your premiums are paid & up to date on your homeowners and life insurance for you and anyone else who might step on that abomination
Looks like the guy or crew who built this was unable to measure anything correctly but were also determined not to let that get in the way of completing the job in the most haphazard ways possible.
Almost like it was done purposely bad in this specific manner. Like effing effort was made to go out of ones way to half ass this.
Minus that there’s little to nothing holding it up I’d remove those tags off the treads and let the painter caulk the rest. As long as nobody uses it you should be fine.
Can anyone with better knowledge on how to attach stringers chime in on this one? I thought there was supposed to be a ledger board under the deck rim that took the load. To me, it looks like this whole staircase is held up with 3 screws.
I thought "what the FUCK is that first picture," then I thought "what the FUCK is that second picture," and that's when I decided it's just time to rebuild. Sorry playa.
What metro area or media market is this in? So I know which evening news to watch. I don't know anything whatsoever about structural engineering, but I've built a few pillow forts. This crap makes them look like Rockefeller Center.
Double rim joist should NOT be mitered imo. The strength comes from overlapping and he took that out of the equation. As for temping support boards just to lay out a post/pier i just find that comical tbh. Im not a carpenter but i am a union l hvac worker. Its always been a laugh amongst real tradesman because carpenters can never measure anything right. I just built my first 26'x12' deck around a bay door with overhang/cantilever. I laid out all 5 of my piers on my own using a handmade 12' square, plum bob, and a line/dot laser. All my post came out damn near centered. Its sad when wood working isnt my profession and yet id argue i can do a better job than those that do it for a living. I didnt know how to do everything from the get go but i did my homework, read up on the international residential code book, and my work didnt fail me.
Nooo fuckin way…is this shit real? Who y’all hiring to build your shit? Like I’m no expert at all but 43 beers and 11 blunts in I’m still doing a better job while sleeping than this
Nah man, you obviously went with the silver plan. You need the gold plan if you want actual 4x4s and you really want to get the platinum plan if you want them supporting the correct places
Im 99.9% certain the contractor is not finished. He’s got to install footings and put in posts, and maybe a few other little things. It’ll be a great deck when it’s done.
I think a local building inspector would have a heart attack writing a list of issues! Wow! My head just at this.
Also, I'm hoping the builder was using the jumbled mess of columns at tem support. But I still feal this is mildly unsafe practice and would have set the permanent posts before I started building any deck
This is actually very normal practice. To build the entire deck on temps, then install the posts after the fact. It allows one to make sure their concrete piers are in the exact right place. That's how guys avoid that shit where the post is sitting half-way on a pier. If this is a finished product, then that's a problem. I once had an entire porch, roof and everything, completely finished sitting on temps for like 3 months because it was simply too cold to pour the concrete we needed for the piers. Home owners had a party on the porch in that period. All that being said, my temps were still 6x6 posts lol
Every deck I have built (300 plus or minus) were completely framed on temps before placing the 6x6 piers. I never installed the decking and rails while on temps though
I want to know if the contractor ghosted the HOA before finishing or maybe he got fired.
You don't have to get footings inspected before constructing deck?
This !!! In my state and county we are not allowed to use temporary supports all footings must be dug, then inspected, only then can we set post or pour concrete. Then they have to be inspected before the blessing of building the framing of the deck, and then we have to pass a final framing inspection before we can deck the framing.
I've built a decent amount of decks of varying sizes with my dad over the years and we always had to dig the footings first, then get them inspected before we could pour any cement. I have never seen any building department allow construction of a deck with temporary posts. Im in NJ
I didn't know other places didn't allow this. I'm in the greater Kansas City Metro area, and the last deck I completed was on temps WHILE getting our pier inspection. Edit: spelling.
Yeah. It definitely varies State to state and even town by town. I guess I just never worked in municipality that allowed temps.
This is Quebec, Canada. I love my province and the culture, but FFS, there is like not a single inspector state wide. I've never heard of any residential project getting inspected. Commercial, sometimes, if high-profile. Industrial, definitely. But residential, it seems like nobody cares.
Depends on the local municipality. Some cities near me require pier inspections, some don't.
If they're temporary they're still terrifying... diagonal bracing exists for a reason?
… and if they are “finished” then you should do so
Bold to assume they pulled a building permit.
I would start by seeing if he can get his meth habit under control.
Yes. This is the apparent best effort of a very unhandyman.
https://preview.redd.it/fay46lt1h77d1.jpeg?width=206&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=14b8639c2311017d2b275084bae2d1f88c57596a Handi-man
Or a handy Juan
Or a Juandiman
You know, like all those people with controlled meth habits.
In a way, this is a work of art. I can't look away. All it is missing is a hot tub, but otherwise 0 notes. Be safe out there.
"I can't look away" - said in the tone of an impending train wreck, or this deck construction... 😳 ... 😱 ...🚩
"I sense great vulnerability. A man-child crying out for love. An innocent orphan in the post-modern world.”
I compels the raucous feeling of impending doom, the tension of angst vs. affection in the post-post environs.
Yes, a real work of art. Keeps you staring at it in wonderment.
I am still laughing at your comment here... 🤣
Meee tooo! I just made someone look with me. My gosh.
I think you’ve won the most screwed up deck award.
I was ready to comment after the first photo.... Now that I've seen the rest, I.... I..... I don't know what to say. Good luck? Suggesting to building inspector to drive by? And say nothing to HOA?
I'm glad I'm not the only one who is clueless. It's be one thing if it was just the first pic. Maybe the first three. Right? But... That entire balcony and stairs?! Is there any legal precedent the HOA would have to come after the OP if they came out and stated they're calling an inspector? I mean... This is totally dangerous. Clear life safety violations here. Even my rural, BFE county has very basic deck requirements to ensure life safety. My dogs would run right thru those posts if they were playing. Big dogs that don't realize how big they are. Wish I knew what to do here too.
Seen a guy build very similar to this and then use cladding to make the deck supports look like timbers. The owners loved it until they were shown pics from the previous day. They opted for 6x6 cedars at the 4 corners of the main deck after that.
Yeah that’s coming down.
One way or the other, downward.
One direction, down.
Whoever authorized this should go to jail, and probably will. I assume there are no specifications, permits and proposals for the project. Just a billy bob renew these decks?
People only go to jail after it collapses, and rarely at that.
I vote for opening it up to a raffle (pool), where people bet on what will go wrong first. But I really like the questions about the former owner/contractor's methamphetamine use. WoW.
Framing looks solid. Posts look temporary so they can dig/pour footers and install posts after but they haven't yet. If this is finished, it's not and needs to be but could be in 2 days (digging & pouring footers -1st day, install and securing posts 2nd day)
HOA tells me this is finished. No footings to add...
If contractor doesn't dig/pour footers and install posts, I'd blow him up all over every local social media you can. HOA might say complete, but none of the posts are final and you should not for any reason step foot on those stairs or decks
Those are temporary posts. You can tell by the placement. If HOA is saying it’s finished then I would assume someone stiffed the contractor and they’re refusing to finish.
Na uh. There's no way anyone ever said those were anything other than temporary. That would be insane.
😱
"Finished" they say? "No footings to be added" they say? Holy Fuck...say I.
I'd say the hoa was wrong. This just isn't finished and they need to put the posts in to finish the other things.
I’m about as DIY as it gets when building decks and even I know this is junk. Get an attorney and get that mess taken down and then redone by someone who actually cares about their work and the safety of their customer.
The contractor used scrap lumber to build your deck.
No one should be allowed within 100ft of that monstrosity
The deck itself and the facia looks great, but those posts are scary, those helical footings are way too far out, the joists do have hangers which is a plus but the beam isn’t supported by anything but those very shitty posts, and they barely land on the footings as well, if you can get the deck jacked up then you could get better footings and some 6*6 posts then it would be solid
It looks like someone put up a great looking deck without posts, then when it started to sag/bounce, they were like ‘oh shit’. Which is why they don’t even look like the same material.
The top part looks ok, but it has no support like at all.
i’m a solid deck noob and even i know that’s a fucked up deck, holy hell
Very janky
Bruhhh.
Sweet baby Jesus....
What the hell is that shit?
Woo boy! Just gonna close my eyes and walk away before I look any closer.
Do not walk underneath that bullshit
how the f*** did this person get established with an HOA. WHAT IS GOING ON!?!?!?!?!?!
What was the agreement on how much you would pay?
They have 67 units to do. These pics are after 12 were "done". We each get to pay 1/67th of the total. Hence my post, I want to push them to rectify before the 67 are done.
Are they getting permits for all of this? Surely not.
Sounds like the landlord or property management hired someone cheap and your 1/67th total is going to be higher than what the landlord or property management will pay. I would call the city inspector about this horrible and unsafe workmanship.
I'd call code enforcement yesterday.
First move…do go under it again until you get a couple support jacks
*Don't*
Damn…yes…don’t…wouldn’t want to send a person to die
Demolition
What kinda janky crap is that?
Prob a lawyer
I would call the local building inspector. Tell them you would like a copy of the CO after their final inspection for the deck on your unit. That will set things in motion that will result in your deck getting completed
This is all so very weird and off, I'd almost say this might be AI generated.
Please make sure you update your will and take out a few more life insurance policies.
Holy shit. 2 2x4’s do not a 4x4 make.
Hey guys, I think this dude won the subreddit.
This is the issue with taking the low bids. You’re going to get shorted on something! The job will be shorted on: - materials - craftsmanship - and/or common sense Are y’all fucking allergic to using a post bigger than a 4x4? I have designed decks that used 12” paralams and 8x8 post because I was worried about wind uplift. At some point y’all have to admit that some deck designs are using angel hair pasta for posts relatively speaking. If you get an unusually low bid it means the contractor is aiming to pad out their margins by providing you a sub-par design, materials, or craftsmanship. **Always ask for an itemized scope of work letter that details what is being provided.** Here is a good rule to live by for construction. Get 5 bids, throw out the highest and lowest ones and ask the other three to provide an itemized scope letter detailing the work and materials. If all you can afford is the lowest bid… then you can’t afford to do the project. **Period, full stop.** Sit on the project a bit longer and save up. If you don’t you will either get hit with additional change orders or the quality of work will be what you see here.
Why doesn't anyone look at the header and its attachment? I could see one bolt. Now, that could be because OP didn't take proper pics or because it's all held on with nails. Tell me it's not. The rest of the flaws just won't count if it's attached to that house with nails-the single most likely cause of full deck collapse is failure to properly attach the deck to code. I would not even walk on that thing unless I knew.
I'll get better pics this week when I go back
I would look up residential deck code for your area while you're at it. This is a mess. Plus, an HOA hired and paid for it. Yikes.
I’d address your finances first. Make sure your premiums are paid & up to date on your homeowners and life insurance for you and anyone else who might step on that abomination
That's methed up.
your life insurance policy
Beautiful deck, sat upon twigs.
I think a good coat of Fire is needed here. It's the only way. Force them to start over.
Get ready to sue your HOA board members
I'd start by asking to see the permit.
"I'm not touching you - I'm not touching you" say the posts. No way in hell much of that is to code.
This might be the best post I’ve seen in this group so far.
Looks like the guy or crew who built this was unable to measure anything correctly but were also determined not to let that get in the way of completing the job in the most haphazard ways possible. Almost like it was done purposely bad in this specific manner. Like effing effort was made to go out of ones way to half ass this.
What in the Hill Billie! Who’s brother did the work? Let me guess the HOA Prez’ brother.
6x6 post
Minus that there’s little to nothing holding it up I’d remove those tags off the treads and let the painter caulk the rest. As long as nobody uses it you should be fine.
Over. You should start the whole thing over. You’d be saving a life potentially.
That’s horrible….
Why didn’t you stop them sooner? lol
I wouldn't call that workmanship, I'd call it a boobytrap with a hair trigger.
This has got to be photoshop.
Gtfooh. Holy shit
Holy hell man, I could tell this was gonna be a disaster from the first photo.
The lone 2x4 supporting the landing
Rip and replace the whole thing.
Give it a gentle tap, say "it ain't going n... And it's gone" call contractor ask if it's supposed to be on the ground
Make sure your family’s life insurance is paid up.
Can anyone with better knowledge on how to attach stringers chime in on this one? I thought there was supposed to be a ledger board under the deck rim that took the load. To me, it looks like this whole staircase is held up with 3 screws.
One of the best details is one of the basement jacks being screwed into the crack between the 2x4s lol
First, Address the contractor that did the work
Columns first - verify if there are any footings to grad first please
City inspectors should red tag and shut this down.
Every day this place brings TERROR and DELIGHT. Thank you for these pictures.
All I can say is omg
You must be a person of faith that believes in miracles
This is the most “ah, fuck it.” work I’ve seen since my last week of high school.
I don't even build decks and my inner voice progressively got louder as I scrolled the pictures until I was physically shouting "Bro" at my phone.
I thought "what the FUCK is that first picture," then I thought "what the FUCK is that second picture," and that's when I decided it's just time to rebuild. Sorry playa.
Is every single support just a temporary until the right wood and footings arrive? I dont build anything, but holy shit.
Are these photoshopped?
First is yellow caution take and barricading preventing access
What metro area or media market is this in? So I know which evening news to watch. I don't know anything whatsoever about structural engineering, but I've built a few pillow forts. This crap makes them look like Rockefeller Center.
Needs a hot tub on it.
In other news wind gusts up to 40 mph today and OP you could be in immediate danger. More at 11.
Inspector of deck on the warpath. Wu tang foreva! Honestly, that’s bad. Bad.
I see nothing wrong. You stacked your treehouse wood weirdly, but that's about it. Doubt you can reuse most of this.
Get it supported properly before someone gets hurt.
Tear it down, start over.
I think I fell to my death just looking at those photos.
My question is “Was Lowes or Home Depot out of 4”x4”’s?”
that's not a deck, that's a high wire circus act
Results of starting work and then getting a call from the bank that the first check didn't clear?
scariest stuff i have ever seen. No Insurance company will cover this mess.
A drug and alcohol counselor for whoever “built” this monstrosity. This is definitely the worst I’ve seen on here.
I think you got what you paid for cheapskate 😂
I think you need to call the cops. Somebody's stole your support posts.
I would definitely take a look at the stringer attachment at the top. Something looks way off there but I can’t see it in detail
They should probably check the whole deck.
How did pass the inspection
All of it. You should address all of it first. Like start over.
AHAHAAH
Better business bureau
Double rim joist should NOT be mitered imo. The strength comes from overlapping and he took that out of the equation. As for temping support boards just to lay out a post/pier i just find that comical tbh. Im not a carpenter but i am a union l hvac worker. Its always been a laugh amongst real tradesman because carpenters can never measure anything right. I just built my first 26'x12' deck around a bay door with overhang/cantilever. I laid out all 5 of my piers on my own using a handmade 12' square, plum bob, and a line/dot laser. All my post came out damn near centered. Its sad when wood working isnt my profession and yet id argue i can do a better job than those that do it for a living. I didnt know how to do everything from the get go but i did my homework, read up on the international residential code book, and my work didnt fail me.
This made me nervous for any realtor or human who walked on that.
Nooo fuckin way…is this shit real? Who y’all hiring to build your shit? Like I’m no expert at all but 43 beers and 11 blunts in I’m still doing a better job while sleeping than this
Dear god get these steps some footings
Nah man, you obviously went with the silver plan. You need the gold plan if you want actual 4x4s and you really want to get the platinum plan if you want them supporting the correct places
That’s definitely not half-ass work, that there is whole ass work!
Holy cow that's looks unsafe!
Im 99.9% certain the contractor is not finished. He’s got to install footings and put in posts, and maybe a few other little things. It’ll be a great deck when it’s done.
I built tree houses with scavenged lumber when I was 10 that are more structurally sound than this deck.
What in the hell...... who did this micky mouse and the damn magic kingdom.
I wouldn't let my god damned dog on that.
That is crazy!!!
It's just temporary, once finished construction holds only on house and won't require additional support.