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My neighbor's deck collapse made me rethink every weekend project
I was helping my friend in Cincinnati build a simple patio cover last spring, and we saw his neighbor's deck fall off the house because the ledger board was only nailed, not bolted. That whole mess cost over $15,000 to fix and really showed me how a small shortcut can wreck everything. Do you guys always check the building code for stuff like this, or just go with what seems strong enough?
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lopez.ivan3mo ago
Check if your insurance covers DIY mistakes.
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price.jake3mo ago
My friend's claim got denied after he flooded his kitchen trying to install a dishwasher.
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linda_clark1mo ago
That "only nailed, not bolted" thing you mentioned is exactly the kind of shortcut that gets people in trouble, and lopez.ivan nailed it about insurance coverage too. I've seen so many homeowners assume their policy covers everything, but most insurance companies will fight like crazy if they can prove the failure was from bad workmanship or not following code. You gotta remember that a deck ledger board is basically holding up thousands of pounds of people and furniture, and nails just don't have the shear strength to handle that over time (especially with wet wood and frost heave). It's one thing to skip a fancy finish or use cheaper lumber, but skimping on structural connections is like trying to fly a kite with sewing thread. Frankly, I'd rather spend an extra day reading the local building department's guidelines than spend months dealing with a collapsed deck and a denied claim.
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