For buyers and sellers
What buyers and sellers should know about the deck, patio, and driveway in Jacksonville and Eastern North Carolina.
On a home inspection in Jacksonville and Eastern North Carolina, decks are checked for the structure you cannot see from the yard, and the flatwork is checked for drainage and trip edges.
What changes the price
A deck pulling away from the house, rotten posts, a rail that will not hold, and pavement sloping at the foundation are the items buyers negotiate.
How the deck is built
Posts, beams, joists, and the ledger are checked. The ledger is the board that holds the deck to the house. Rot there, and at the bottom of the posts, is the failure that matters. A visible gap in the ledger flashing lets water into the wall.
Stairs and railings
Stairs, handrails, and guards are checked for attachment, damage, and openings a person can fall through. A loose rail or a stair that moves is a safety item, and it is written that way.
The walking surface
Deck boards are checked for rot, loose fasteners, and trip edges. Improper installation, including boards that do not land on a joist, is noted. Coastal weather is hard on wood that stays wet.
Patios, driveways, and walkways
Concrete and pavers are checked for cracks, settlement, and edges that catch a foot. A surface that slopes toward the house sends water at the foundation. On-property walkways are included. The public sidewalk is not.
The ledger is the connection that matters
The board that fastens the deck to the house is where water and a weak connection show up together. That finding is photographed so a repair can be priced before closing.
Pavement and downspouts that send water at the wall belong with the foundation and the lot. Decks are part of the buyer checklist.
No-obligation pricing
See how the deck is held to the house.
Takes less than a minute.