Deck Railing Code Regulation Heights

Decks greater than 30" above grade must have a guardrail. If you choose to install a guardrail on a deck lower than 30", you must still meet code requirements. Decks attached to single-family detached homes are regulated under the rules of the International Residential Code (IRC). The IRC requires guardrails to be at least 36" in height measured from the deck surface to the top of the rail. Commercial decks attached to multifamily buildings, such as apartment buildings or businesses, are regulated under the International Building Code (IBC). The IBC requires 42" high guardrails. In either case, you are allowed to build taller guardrails as long as they conform to all other requirements stated in the code. Most building departments in Canada require 42" high guardrails.

By Mike Holmes, Make It Right

Summer is coming, and it is the season of outdoor projects. In my world, that usually means screwed up outdoor projects — typically, decks. If you watch any television, you’re seeing the never-ending commercials inspiring you to do it yourself, create that outdoor family room and build the deck of your dreams.  Let’s hope it isn’t a nightmare.

The deck is the most common DIY project. Everyone wants a serene retreat in the backyard, and the deck is a part of that vision. But it’s the most easily messed-up part of your landscaping. And it’s also the one that can do damage to your home.

There are many things that can — and do — go wrong with decks. The footings, the lack of permits, the height, the type of wood used, the clearance from property lines. And that’s just off the top of my head. But to my mind, the real challenge with a deck comes when it’s attached to your home.

I don’t just mean whether it’s securely attached to your house, although that’s a big question. I mean whether it’s attached in a way that won’t cause water infiltration and damage. This kind of water infiltration can lead to your having to replace doors, windows, finished flooring, sub-flooring, sheathing, structure — everything — in the area where water has crept in.

When we talk about a deck being attached, we don’t mean that it’s literally attached directly to your house’s exterior wall. The deck needs to be connected to, and built off of, a ledger board, which is attached to the wall.

That ledger board, which runs the entire length of the deck, needs to be securely bolted to the house, and I mean bolted. Never nailed. A deck will have to support a lot of weight — furniture, barbecue, people — so this is not the job for nails, or even screws, which do not have the sheer strength for this job. Make sure those bolts run into solid structure, and not just into the exterior sheathing.

Then the deck joists are hung (ideally, with joist hangers) from the ledger board. And of course the deck is structured and built with proper footings and support. And it needs to be built with pressure-treated wood. You can clad it with whatever wood you prefer, such as cedar or composite. But the meat of the structure has to be as strong and rot-resistant as you can make it.

The area where most decks have problems is where the ledger board is attached to the house wall. Even if your contractor gets it right, there can still be a lot of damage caused gets in behind the ledger board and enters your home. You need to make sure each and every bolt is caulked and sealed. And that ledger board has to be properly flashed to prevent water penetration. Make sure your contractor uses vinyl spacer pins, which will allow the water to drain freely between the ledger and house.

Water will always flow downhill. And in the case of your home, downhill means into your basement. Many times, I’ve found the cause of a wet basement isn’t a foundation problem; it’s from water finding its way inside from the deck.

But it’s also important to allow breathing room between the house’s exterior sheathing and the ledger board itself. Every time it rains, water will inevitably get in there. Every time snow piles up on your deck, moisture will gather. Over time, that area of your deck will rot out.

And that can lead to disaster, if it gives way when there’s weight on your deck. And let’s face it: That weight is usually the weight of people — your family and friends — gathering together to enjoy themselves on your deck. You don’t want them to go crashing through. I don’t know how many stories I’ve heard of deck disasters, caused by rotted ledger boards or nails shearing off and allowing the deck to fall away from the house.

For my money, I’d consider building an attached deck right next to your house, on proper footings, but which is free-standing and not actually connected to your home. That way, you’ll avoid any problems of water infiltration in your home.

Make sure your contractor has lots of experience building decks. That’s the way you’ll benefit most. He’ll have seen the kind of damage that occurs when people do it wrong the first time, because he’s spent years fixing those problems. A lot of contractors start out in the business building decks and fences; make sure the guy you hire knows what he’s doing. Get lots of quotes and check references. And get a permit. If your deck is attached to your home, you will need one.

YOU CAN FIND THIS ARTICLE AT this link