Less Than A Year Later

Magnettica

I have a friend who had a deck installed last summer and now there are some problems. She called back the contractor who installed it so that he can correct his work and make the repairs. The problem with that -- the way I see it -- is if this contractor was any good he would have installed it correctly in the first place. However I am not familiar enough with this product (Timbertech) to know if it was installed properly or not.

Image #1

Steps... (shouldn't there b a handrail?)



Image #2

Top step riser has come apart



Image #3

Gap appeared in the miter cut after a mild winter


Was this not installed correctly and how would you go about fixing it?

Thanks.

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mickeyco

I can't tell you about Timbertech (it doesn't look good, I don't know if it an installation error or product defect ), I've never used it, but on the handrail issue, none is required if it's less than 30" (most likely, depending on local code) as it appears to be.


.

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buildenterprise

It's the guardrails that are not required for under 30" height. Graspable handrails are required for three or more treads on stairs. The fascia expands and contracts so much with temp changes that it's easy for corners to do that if not fastened properly. I use white pvc fascia, and glue it at the corners.

mickeyco

Depends on what code and what year.

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mickeyco

2003 IRC

R311.5.6 Handrails. Handrails shall be provided on at least
one side of each continuous run of treads or flight with four
or more risers.

R312.1 Guards required. Porches, balconies or raised floor
surfaces located more than 30 inches (762mm) above the floor
or grade below shall have guards not less than 36 inches (914
mm) in height.Open sides of stairs with a total rise of more than
30 inches (762 mm) above the floor or grade below shall have
guards not less than 34 inches (864 mm) in height measured
vertically from the nosing of the treads.

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Magnettica

Thanks for the info.

I also thought that the installer should have used glue in certain areas.

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tcleve4911

Geez................they just went off on codes & didn't answer your question on how to fix the problem!!!!!

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workswithwood

I've worked with timbertech multiple times, and havent seen their decking look like that with the grooves in the bottom. all the timbertech i've installed has never had those grooves. i have installed another product ( not timbertech) that had those grooves, and i noticed considerably more shrinkage and expansion , might be because the boards are thinner and heat up and cool down faster?
the material is a composite material, and does shrink and expand with the weather, hence the gap at the mitre cut. that mitre cut should have been stitched together (nails from both sides, top, middle, and bottom) and glued to prevent that. as far as the stairs go, can the riser be hit back in and re-fastened? doesnt seem like a lot of work, i hope you get i squared away soon enough!

wolffhomerepair

The grooves are TT floorizon boards. The fascia does expand and contract quite a bit. As others have said the corner needs to be screwed in better. Looking at the photo I can not see that many screws. Same goes for the riser. Needs to be fastened more. Did they use a finish nailer to secure it?

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Bone Saw

that is why I don't put composite facia on anything I build period, imho i think tt is the worst with expand contract

BreyerConstruct

I've repaired a TT fascia that moved a lot- it snapped the screws.

It doesn't look bad, but it's not good. The HO's prolly got what they paid for. TO be honest, the contractor should have (and now, should be willing to revisit and at least) put in more screws into the fascia, after clearing out the debris that's in there.

To be perfectly honest, it's composite, and it'll act like a composite, just like a wood would want to act like wood.

~Matt

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Chris G

Screw the code.

Common sense tells me to have a handrail on steps that close to a pool. Wipe out city.

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pmyler

I am a TT deck guy here and the contractor should have used the stainless steel trim heads screw on all the decking surfaces. Someone was right that it is TT floorizon decking. Never seen it seperate like that before if installed properly. By the looks of the pictures though it looks as if he/she used a finished gun to put all the facia and risers on. If you look at the pictures of the stairs again you can see seperation there as well. Best and easiest fix is to put in 4 trin head screws on either sdie of all the miter's 2 1/2 to 3 inches apart and 1 1/2 from edge of joint. The boards will mushroom at the heads when the seated all the way and then just lightly tap the mushroom down to hide the screws. Do the same with all the other facia and risers. I would put in a handrail also IMHO.

Magnettica

Thanks for all the tips guys. The HO is a close friend of mine and I had a feeling the contractor didn't do as-good-a-job as he could have. I'm pleased that I can provide her some answers and hope it gets fixed soon. And she's a great cook so I'm looking to get a little dinner from the deal.... know what I mean, Vern?

here are the other steps on the other side of the pool.

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wolffhomerepair

Aren't steps supposed to be a minimum of 36" wide?

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Jason Whipple

Aside from what codes may say, any and all insurance companies require a rail for anything more than one step. That doesn't mean that the contractor should have done it, but it should be done.

As a contractor says on another forum, codes is the minimum requirement, if you build only to code your grade is a D- !

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MALCO.New.York

All but the actual decking surface looks like Ca-Ca. I am, after seeing this, not a proponent of TT. What ever happened to wood. The real "Green".

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Bone Saw

unfortunately for your friend, that thing is a sad excuse for a deck and surely wasnt built by a deck builder

emersonhomes

That material does that on every deck I've seen no mater how tight your cuts are. It is also a mositio breeding paridise with its hollow core where water is able to sit. As far as quility of craftsmenship...usaully you get what you pay for.

Trimcat

Here here..... Material looks like junk. Job looks like junk..... What's green about fake wood?........ it all equals CA......CAAAA... But like someone said, ya get what ya pay for.