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How to get your deck inspected in the DMV

Here's how to make sure your deck is safe ahead of summer cookout season.

CLINTON, Md. — Four people were taken to the hospital after a household deck collapsed in Clinton, Maryland Thursday afternoon. At the scene, first responders noticed the deck in the backyard had detached from the side of the house on the second story and collapsed.

As more people are gearing up to host summer cookouts, Donald Masters, who owns Master Home and Building Inspections, said it's most important to look underneath the deck to inspect the structure. 

"You want to make sure that the weakest point on your deck is not something that’s a major failure point,” Masters said.

If you need to focus on three key points to inspect, he suggests the following:

  1. Check for rust underneath. He said if you see that on the surface, it is probably worse inside.
  2. See if the deck moves while you're standing on it. That could mean structural instability.
  3. Make sure the point where the deck connects to the house is secure.

Here are some further resources and information on where to get your deck inspected in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

DC

DC Deck Guide

Maryland

Prince George's County deck inspection info

Montgomery County deck inspection process

Virginia

Fairfax County deck inspections

Loudoun County deck inspections and permit information

Prince William County residential deck info

Masters said decks need TLC, so if yours is at least 10 years old, he suggested inspecting it every year.

The Clinton deck collapse is still under investigation. It's not yet clear what caused the deck to collapse.

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